Victoria Wood
Watching a recording of the BAFTA tribute to Victoria Wood last night, I suddenly realised that I have never written about her here, despite the fact that she is one of my favourite comedians/comedy writers. People often compare her material to that of Alan Bennett, which seems apt to me. They both have an acute ear for the subtleties of everyday conversation, an affectionate warmth for their subjects (while still being biting at times), and genuine pathos and sadness in with the laughs.
She has turns of phrases that wedge themselves in your mind, only to pop up again unexpectedly and make you laugh. I love the title of one of her mini plays: ‘Mens Sana in Thingummy Doodah’, set in a health farm. From ‘Pat and Margaret’, I still cherish Thora Hird’s line (trying to warn her beloved son off his girlfriend), “She’s taken you for a giddy kipper, my lad.” Thora always got the best lines. And who can forget the immortal phrase “Beat me on the bottom with a Woman’s Weekly” from the song The Ballad of Freda and Barry (Let’s Fall in Love).
I think the show which displayed her talents to the fullest was Dinnerladies. For some inexplicable reason, it was never wildly popular, despite having brilliant characters, fantastic one-liners and more acting talent in one show than most serious dramas (Julie Walters, Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie etc.). It was set in the works canteen of a Manchester factory, and perhaps one of the reasons I liked it so much was that it reminded me of an old people’s day centre kitchen I worked in when I was at school. The banter between Dolly and Jean (they are very fond of one another, but can’t help making really catty remarks about each other within earshot) was spot on. There was a Dolly and Jean in the kitchen I worked in too, and I loved listening to them having a gentle go at one another. Dolly’s prim catchphrase (“It was in the Daily Mail”)âwhich precedes every wildly inaccurate fact she’s got hold ofâhas become a kind of code in our house for badly-researched, right-wing rubbish.
She caught the kind of mental gymnastics that you have to go through when talking to people who are slightly absent-minded. There’s a fantastic scene when Dolly is saying that she hates people crying on films. She’s trying to give a particularly obnoxious example, but can’t remember the title of the film. I don’t have the script (unfortunately) so I’m paraphrasing, but she said something like “It had that man in it… who was in that film with the chap in the dirty vest, you know!” Frowning with concentration and working on this extremely scanty set of clues, Bren goes from Bruce Willis in Die Hard to Alan Rickman to Truly Madly Deeply. I’ve had those kinds of conversations a lot.
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The one of the miniplays I remember is when her and Celia Imrie were on a walking holiday (I think it was called valderee valdera), they were stuggling to put up the tent, and VW says "I thought you could do this, your mother said you were always in tents as a child". Back comes the reply "No she said I was always intense as a child". I guess that it isn't particularly funny, but for some reason it has stuck in my mind.----- please could you send victoria wood song (let's do it) to my msn address which is above thanks becki or in case you dont get it it is beccaramsay_999@msn.com thanks again
by becki @ 26/08/2005 9:09 pm • Permalink •
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victoria wood is my fave Comedienne. she is fabulours. i love this quote from victoria at the albert 'if ya think youll av a shag put a johnny in ya bag' and i think this was really funni. i also love her songs most fave are baby boom, lets do it and the two songs off victoria at the albert
by aisha @ 23/10/2005 11:11 am • Permalink •
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Please could i also have a copy of the song lets do it sent tpo my email adress which is hghchris4@aol.com
by Chris @ 04/01/2006 12:02 pm • Permalink •
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Victoria Wood is britain's funniest female as voted for by Readers Digest but no one can deny that she is the most accomplished singer/songer writer/playwright/actress/comedienne/performer. I love her so much she brightens up my every day. I can't believe she still has so many issues about herself. She is truly amazing. I am in the process of currently setting up a victoria wood fan site so please feel free to have a look if you are a fan!
"Oh, Miss Berta and Miss Babs has one of you got crabs? I said you should get jabs. Or is it just a joke and fun at me you poke? Is this but girlish larking?"
by Cat Randall @ 28/03/2006 11:03 am • Permalink •
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I think Victoria Wood is amazing. I love her stand - up routines and Dinnerladies is one of my favourite television shows ever. "It wasn't like this at the cafe bon bon"!
by Lilith @ 24/04/2006 1:05 pm • Permalink •
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Hi all.I just have to say how much I admire Victoria Wood.Dinnerladies was an unmatchable series and her latest(and in my opinion greatest) work,Acorn Antiques the musical! is the best thing I have ever seen.I'm totaly obsessed with it!I got it for my mum on mothers day and it's the best pressent I have ever got her.It's been over 2 weeks now,that I haven't gone a day without watching it.Every aspect about it is brilliant!I'm so going to watch it for my birthday.My e-mail is alexshepley@hotmail.co.uk so feel free to add me and listen to me rant for longer! Alex xxx
"You shut your cakehole,you sugar shonning shitehawk!"
by Alex @ 07/05/2006 7:06 pm • Permalink •
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Please could i have a copy of the song lets do it sent to my email adress which is countyfan1987@yahoo.co.uk
by Sam @ 18/05/2006 7:05 pm • Permalink •
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Oh, please, please, please could somebody send me "Let's Do It" also? I'd be so, so grateful! My email address is carolinehurst@hotmail.com
Victoria Wood went to my school! I'm a huge fan!
by Caroline Hurst @ 02/06/2006 6:07 pm • Permalink •
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I love Victoria Wood she is so funny, especially her songs! My personal favorites are "Baby Boom" and "Wankers". Please Please Please could she appear some where in Manchester soon because me and my mates would definately book tickets.
by Hannah Young @ 12/06/2006 8:07 pm • Permalink •
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I absolutely adore Victoria wood, please could someone send me 'Let's Do It@ to my email address: c.goyen@boltblue.com. I woudl be eternally gratefull
Thanks
by Craig Goyen @ 11/07/2006 11:08 am • Permalink •
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Could somebody send me 'Let's do it' also please?
Wixy4eva@hotmail.com
by Wixy @ 30/07/2006 9:07 am • Permalink •
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Hi, my son has done some great characatures of Celia Imrie, Victoria Wood some of the cast of Dinnerladies and I was hoping you had a fan club address or contact details for some of the stars so he could forward his hard work to them, many thanks indeed, Jackie Legg
by jackie legg @ 03/08/2006 11:09 am • Permalink •
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Does anyone know if the mini play about the camping trip (mentioend in response #1 "Valderee Valdera") was ever recorded or if it appears on any of V Wood's DVDs? My mother has set me the challenge of tracking it down after unfruitful searching on her part. Hope someone can help!
Please email me at clmackenzie79@hotmail.com
Thank you!!
by Caroline M @ 08/08/2006 4:08 am • Permalink •
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I've been currently been looking for the Barry & Freda (let's Do It) song for ages now. The album that it was released on, "Victoria Wood Real Life - The Songs" hasn't been in stock at any music stores I've tried for ages now. I've asked a couple stores to order this cd for me but over a year later none have contacted me. Please, please, please can someone send me a copy of the song to my email address. Its ugly_guy@hotmail.co.uk. If anyone also knows of anywhere that has the cd in stock I would also appreciate where I could find it.
by K Bennett @ 11/08/2006 4:08 am • Permalink •
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My favourite song of all V.W's wonderful songs, is the sweet and poignant "Crush" I think it is underated because it is'nt as overtly humorous as the others, but it has literary merit and a rare combination of simplicity and depth.
by Marlene Spiers @ 27/08/2006 1:08 pm • Permalink •
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I have been looking for 'Let's Do It' for ages on the net and have never been able to find it. Could any of you lucky few who have it email it to me please. denise_weatherburn@hotmail.com .... Thanks very much.....
by Denise @ 07/09/2006 9:09 am • Permalink •
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Does anyone have the address that I can send a fan letter to Victoria Wood to. She is without a doubt my most favourite comedienne and actress. Her humour has helped me through difficult times. If you do do could you please email it to EleanorPrice1987@aol.com. Thanks.
by Eleanor Price @ 12/10/2006 8:10 pm • Permalink •
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The queen still reigns... and they say women can't be funny!.. Please if any one can help, I'm looking for Vickie Woods' scripts... particularly acorn antiques or " have you seen my friend? She wears big dangly earings..." skit. You'll be my saviour if you can email them to me!
by Karena @ 10/01/2007 6:26 pm • Permalink •
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hi, my mum left a comment on here before asking 4 contact addresses for Celia Imrie, Victoria Wood and the Dinnerladies cast but had no reply, can you please reply 2 this email with contact details for Celia Imrie, Victoria Wood and the general cast of Dinnerladies, Victoria Wood Show etc as I have drawn some caricatures that I would like to send to them. thankyou.
by charlie legg @ 14/03/2007 5:56 pm • Permalink •
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I am desperate to get a contact detail for Victoria Wood, an email or address would be fabulous as i have spent 7 years studying theatre, i come from Morecambe, trained at Bretton Hall in West Yorkshire and i writeand absolutely love peforming in kitchen sink northern comedy.It's what i live for and I am finding it so hard to make a living from this genre of theatre/performance as there seems to be a massive gap for it in the market at the moment. I think she may be able to point me in the right direction and give me some guidence because there is nothing more frustrating than being good at something, getting so much enjoyment out of it and not knowing where to go with it! Help!!
by Michelle Stoker @ 01/05/2007 9:32 am • Permalink •
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