Victoria Wood is one of those northern comedians whose expressions find a way into your life, without you really even knowing it. ‘Seventy-two baps Connie, you slice, I’ll spread,’ her joke on how the British deal with the funeral of a loved one. She had a way of looking at life and finding the humour in people’s day-to-day existence. Even though it is six years since she died, she still has a loyal following, and her sense of humour runs through people like the message in a stick of Blackpool rock.
As a northern lass and fan of the late Victoria Wood, I went along to spend an hour in the company of other fans who appreciated her and to enjoy reminiscing about her very funny material, but also the amazing skill she had in creating these amusing tunes.
Paulus is a fellow fan of Victoria Wood, and his appreciation of her work began at an early age. When he met his fellow performer Michael Roulston, it was clear that they both felt the same about this much-loved comedian. Their act has developed into a recital of Wood’s best-known songs, with Paulus providing his own personal reflections.
During the hour-long show, we were treated to favourites such as ‘It Would Never Have Worked,’ ‘Pam,’ ‘At The Chippy,’ ‘Reincarnation,’ and the one that can never be forgotten, ‘The Ballad of Freda and Barry,’ well done to Paulus, this is a tough one! Paulus and Roulston work seamlessly together, with musical director Roulston, providing the musical accompaniment, and adding to the witty banter.
This was a lovely musical homage to Wood and for fans of her work, you will enjoy the time to reflect on her wonderful creativeness. I would like to see the show develop further, maybe including some scene performance elements, as her sitcoms were a significant part of her repertoire. There was also some wonderful material from ‘An Audience With Victoria Wood,’ which it would be lovely to see revived. Fans of her work will revel in this appreciation of Victoria Wood.
Looking For Me Friend runs until the 28th August at the Assembly Rooms, The Drawing Room. To book tickets go to – https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/looking-for-me-friend-the-music-of-victoria-wood
Reviewer: Caroline Worswick
Reviewed: 13th August 2022
North West End UK Rating: ★★★