Victoria Wood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Victoria Wood
CBE |
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Wood in Laos while filming an appeal for the Mines Advisory Group, 2010
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| Born | 19 May 1953 Prestwich, Lancashire, England
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| Died | 20 April 2016 (aged 62) |
| Alma mater | University of Birmingham |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 1974–2016 |
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Notable work
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| Style |
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| Spouse(s) |
Geoffrey Durham
(m. 1980; div. 2005) |
| Children | 2 |
| Relatives | Chris Foote Wood (brother) |
| Awards | See awards and recognition |
Victoria Wood (19 May 1953 – 20 April 2016) was a very famous English comedian, actress, and writer. She also sang, played piano, and directed shows. She was known for her funny observations about everyday life. Her humor often made fun of different social classes in Britain.
Victoria wrote and starred in many comedy sketches, plays, musicals, and TV shows. She often performed her own songs on the piano during her live comedy acts. She became one of Britain's most loved comedians.
Contents
Victoria Wood's Early Life
Victoria Wood was born in Prestwich, England. She grew up in nearby Bury. Her father, Stanley Wood, was an insurance salesman who also wrote songs. He even wrote for the TV show Coronation Street. Victoria had three siblings: a brother, Chris, and two sisters, Penny and Rosalind.
Victoria went to Fairfield County Primary School. Then she attended Bury Grammar School for Girls. She found school quite challenging at first.
When she was 15, her father gave her a piano. This helped her during a difficult time. She said that being alone helped her to read, write, and play the piano a lot. Later that year, she joined the Rochdale Youth Theatre Workshop. There, she felt like she belonged and knew what she was doing. She impressed everyone with her comedy and writing skills. She then studied drama at the University of Birmingham.
Starting Her Amazing Career
Victoria began her career in 1974. She appeared on a TV talent show called New Faces and won! This led to her appearing in another show, The Summer Show.
In 1976, she got another chance on the BBC show That's Life!. She met Julie Walters, who would become a long-time friend and co-star, in 1971. They met again in a theatre show in 1978. Victoria wrote a short sketch for it.
The show was a success. This led to Victoria writing her first play, Talent, in 1978. She won an award for being a promising new writer. A TV producer saw Talent and asked Victoria to turn it into a TV show. This time, Julie Walters played the main role, and Victoria also acted in it.
Becoming a TV Star
The TV version of Talent was very popular. Victoria then wrote two more plays for TV: Nearly a Happy Ending and Happy Since I Met You. Julie Walters and Duncan Preston also starred in these. In 1980, Victoria wrote and starred in a stage play called Good Fun.
A TV producer offered Victoria her own sketch show. She agreed, but only if Julie Walters got equal billing. The show was called Wood and Walters. It became a full series with Duncan Preston and other actors.
In 1983, Victoria performed her first solo stand-up comedy show, Lucky Bag. It was very popular and toured the UK. It was also released as a live album.
Victoria moved to the BBC in 1984. They promised her more creative freedom. Her sketch show Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV began production that year. Victoria chose the actors, including Julie Walters, Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie, and Susie Blake.
As Seen on TV included the famous Acorn Antiques sketches. These made fun of old, low-budget soap operas. Acorn Antiques is remembered for characters like "Mrs Overall" (played by Julie Walters). It also had funny camera angles and wobbly sets. One of Victoria's most popular songs, "The Ballad of Barry and Freda (Let's Do It)", came from this show.
The show was a huge hit. A second series of Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV was made in 1986. A special episode followed in 1987. Victoria also went on a big tour in 1987 and 1988. In 1988, she appeared in An Audience with Victoria Wood, which won an award.
New Shows and Musicals
In the 1990s, Victoria started creating more complete stories instead of just sketches. Her 1989 TV series Victoria Wood featured different stories.
In 1990, Victoria went on another big UK tour. This show was later released as Victoria Wood Sold Out. She also sang on a charity single for Comic Relief in 1991.
In 1992, she made a Christmas special called Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast. She also voiced all the characters in the children's cartoon series Puppydog Tales.
In 1993, Victoria went on a seven-month UK tour. It broke box office records, with 15 sold-out shows at London's Royal Albert Hall.
The TV film Pat and Margaret (1994) starred Victoria and Julie Walters. They played long-lost sisters with very different lives. This film mixed comedy with sadder moments.
In 1998, her first sitcom, dinnerladies, began. It focused on a group of mostly female, middle-aged characters. It was funny but also had some sad themes.
Later Work and Awards
In 2000, Victoria made a Christmas sketch show special called Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings. It featured her usual actors and special guests like Hugh Laurie and Roger Moore.
Victoria went on her last stand-up tour in 2001, called Victoria Wood at It Again. She even rewrote parts of the show to talk about a recent operation she had. The tour included 12 nights at the Royal Albert Hall.
She started focusing more on drama during this time. She wrote her first musical, Acorn Antiques: The Musical!, which opened in London in 2005. Many of the original cast members from the TV sketches were in it. Victoria herself played Mrs Overall for some performances.
In 2006, Victoria wrote and starred in the TV drama Housewife, 49. This film was based on the real diaries of Nella Last, a woman who found new confidence during World War II. Housewife, 49 was highly praised. Victoria won two BAFTA awards for it: one for her acting and one for her writing.
In 2007, Victoria starred in a three-part travel documentary called Victoria's Empire. She traveled around the world to explore the history of the British Empire. She visited places like Calcutta, Hong Kong, Jamaica, and New Zealand.
Victoria returned to comedy for a Christmas sketch show special in 2009. It was called Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas. It brought back Julie Walters and featured funny spoofs of period dramas and documentaries.
In 2011, Victoria appeared in the BBC drama Eric and Ernie. She played Eric Morecambe's mother. She also wrote, composed, and directed a musical called That Day We Sang. It was about a middle-aged couple who fall in love after meeting on a TV show.
In 2013, Victoria made a documentary about the history of tea called Victoria Wood's Nice Cup of Tea. She also appeared in an episode of QI and on the radio show I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue. In 2014, a TV movie version of her musical That Day We Sang was shown on BBC Two.
In 2015, Victoria took part in a celebrity version of The Great British Bake Off for charity. She was crowned "Star Baker" in her episode. Her last acting role was in the TV adaptation of Fungus the Bogeyman in late 2015.
Working with Friends
Victoria often worked with the same actors on her projects. Her friends Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Duncan Preston, and Anne Reid were often part of her shows. This "team" approach meant they could work together very quickly and easily.
Awards and Honors
Victoria Wood received many awards and honors throughout her career.
- In 1979, she won an award for Most Promising Playwright for her play Talent (play) .
- She was given an OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) in 1997. This is a special honor from the Queen.
- In 2008, she was made a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire), an even higher honor.
- She also received an honorary degree from the University of Sunderland in 1994.
In 2003, she was named one of the "50 Funniest Acts in British Comedy" by The Observer newspaper. In a 2005 poll, she was voted 27th out of the top 50 comedy acts by other comedians. She was the highest-ranked woman on that list.
Her sketch show Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV won several BAFTA awards. In 2007, she won two more BAFTAs for Housewife, 49: "Best Actress" and "Best Single Drama".
The British public also loved her. She won "Best Stand-Up" and "Best Sketch Show" in a Radio Times poll in 2001. She was voted "Funniest Comedian" by Reader's Digest readers in 2005.
Victoria won six British Comedy Awards. These included Best stand-up performer, Best female comedy performer, and an Outstanding achievement award (shared with Julie Walters). She was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award for her show Victoria Wood Up West.
Victoria was nominated for 14 BAFTA TV Awards and won four of them. She also received a special BAFTA award in 2005 to celebrate her career.
Personal Life
Victoria Wood married stage magician Geoffrey Durham in 1980. They had two children: a daughter named Grace (born in 1988) and a son named Henry (born in 1992). They separated in 2002 and later divorced in 2005. However, they remained good friends and lived close to each other. Her son Henry even appeared in her Christmas special, Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas.
Victoria attended Quaker meetings with her husband. She was also a vegetarian.
Death
Victoria Wood was diagnosed with cancer in late 2015. She kept her illness private. She passed away on 20 April 2016, at her home in Highgate, London. Her children and former husband were with her.
Her family held a private funeral and cremation for her. A public memorial service was held on 4 July 2016. Tributes were given by her friends and co-stars, including Julie Walters.
Tributes
After her death, many people paid tribute to Victoria Wood.
- On 15 May 2016, ITV broadcast a special show called Let's Do It: A Tribute to Victoria Wood.
- In 2017, a seven-part TV show called Our Friend Victoria aired on BBC One. It featured clips from her TV and live work. Famous actors like Julie Walters and Michael Ball presented the episodes.
- On 17 May 2019, a statue of Victoria Wood was unveiled in her hometown of Bury, Lancashire.
