Victoria Wood: Difference between revisions

Victoria Wood was the youngest child of Stanley and Ellen "Nellie" Wood, (''née'' Mape).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://discoveryourancestors.co.uk/articles/a-comedy-heroine-descended-from-a-ww1-hero-6/|title=Sample Articles Archive – Discover Your Ancestors|website=discoveryourancestors.co.uk|access-date=27 May 2019}}</ref> Stanley worked as an insurance salesman, who also wrote songs for his company's Christmas parties, was the author of the musical play "''Clogs"'' (based in a Lancashire village in 1887) and also wrote part -time for ''[[Coronation Street]]'', Northern Drift and others;.<ref>{{cite news |last=Iley |first=Chrissy |date=12 June 2011 |title=Victoria Wood interview: 'I fear being my mother'|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/theatre/actors/victoria-wood-interview-i-fear-being-my-mother/ |newspaper=The Telegraph |access-date=20 April 2014 }}</ref> and Ellen "Nellie" Wood (''née'' Mape).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://discoveryourancestors.co.uk/articles/a-comedy-heroine-descended-from-a-ww1-hero-6/|title=Sample Articles Archive – Discover Your Ancestors|website=discoveryourancestors.co.uk|access-date=27 May 2019}}</ref> She had three siblings: a brother, Chris, and two sisters, Penny and Rosalind.<ref name="Whetstone">{{cite news|url=http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/victoria-woods-supermum-4584918|title=Victoria Wood's supermum|last=Whetstone|first=David|date=11 February 2006|work=[[The Journal (Newcastle upon Tyne newspaper)|The Journal]]|access-date=20 April 2016|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009115839/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/victoria-woods-supermum-4584918|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Recognising her talent, Eckersley offered Wood a sketch show, although Wood was unsure of the project: she only agreed to go ahead only if Walters received equal billing. Eckersley came up with an obvious title – ''[[Wood and Walters]]'',<ref name = "WD ITV DFM">[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] 50: ''What Did ITV Do For Me?'', interview with Victoria Wood (September 2005).</ref> and the pilot episode was recorded. It led to a full series, featuring Duncan Preston and a supporting cast. In the period between the completion of the pilot and the shooting of the series, Eckersley died. Wood credited him with giving her her first big break, and felt that ''Wood and Walters'' suffered due to his death.<ref name = "WD ITV DFM"/> She was not impressed by Brian Armstrong, his fill-in, and was of the opinion that he hired unsuitable supporting actors.<ref name="Brandwood"/>

Wood left Granada in 1984 for the BBC, which promised her more creative control over projects. Later that year her sketch show ''[[Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV]]'' went into production. Wood chose the actors: her friend Julie Walters once again starred, as did Duncan Preston. Wood's friends [[Celia Imrie]], [[Susie Blake]] and [[Patricia Routledge]] were in the cast. ''As Seen on TV'' featured the ''[[Acorn Antiques]]'' series of sketches, parodying the low-budget soap opera ''[[Crossroads (soapBritish operaTV series)|Crossroads]]'', and rumoured to be named after an antiques shop in her birthplace. ''Acorn Antiques'' is remembered for characters such as "Mrs Overall" (played by Walters), the deliberately bad camera angles and wobbling sets, and Celia Imrie's sarcastic tone as "Miss Babs". One of Wood's most popular comic songs,<ref name="Brandwood" /> "The Ballad of Barry and Freda (Let's Do It)", originated on this show. It tells the story of Freda (a woman eager for sex) and Barry (an introverted man terrified of intimate relations), and makes clever use of allusions to a multitude of risqué activities while avoiding all taboo words.<ref>{{cite web |last=Wood |first=Victoria

!''[[Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV|As Seen on TV]]''<ref>{{IMDb title|0149542|Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV}}</ref>

!''[[Victoria Wood (1989 TV series)|Victoria Wood]]''<ref>{{IMDb title|0285410|Victoria Wood}}</ref>

!''[[Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast|All Day Breakfast]]''<ref>{{IMDb title|0284621|Victoria Wood's All Day Breakfast}}</ref>

!''[[Pat and Margaret]]''<ref>{{IMDb episode|0124829|Pat and Margaret}}</ref>

!''[[Dinnerladies (TV series)|Dinnerladies]]''<ref>{{IMDb title|0161140|Dinnerladies}}</ref>

!''[[Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings|With All the Trimmings]]''<ref>{{IMDb title|0272343|Victoria Wood with All the Trimmings}}</ref>

!''[[Victoria Wood's Mid Life Christmas|Mid Life Christmas]]''<ref>{{IMDb title|1541785|Mid Life Christmas}}</ref>

In 1979, Wood received the [[Evening Standard Theatre Awards|Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright]] at the [[Evening Standard Theatre Awards]] for her play ''[[Talent (play) |Talent]]''.<ref name="ev.std.1955.1979">{{Cite news|title=Evening Standard theatre awards: 1955-1979 |url= https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/evening-standard-theatre-awards-19551979-7236386.html|date=10 April 2012|newspaper=standard.co.uk}}</ref>

Wood was the recipient of six [[British Comedy Awards]]: Best stand-up live comedy performer (1990); Best female comedy performer (1995); [[WGGB]] Writer of the year (2000); Best live stand-up (2001); Outstanding achievement award (jointly awarded to Julie Walters) (2005); Best female TV comic (2011).<ref>{{cite web|title=Past Winners|url=http://www.britishcomedyawards.com/past-winners.aspx|website=British Comedy Awards|publisher=British Comedy Awards|access-date=15 May 2017}}</ref> Wood was nominated for the 1991 [[Laurence Olivier Award for Best Entertainment|Olivier Award for Best Entertainment]] for ''Victoria Wood Up West''.

Wood was diagnosed with [[esophageal cancer|cancer of the oesophagus]] in late 2015, but kept her illness largely private.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/victoria-wood-dead-brother-tribute-good-morning-britain-interview_uk_571885b6e4b06e37a8477242|title=Victoria Wood's Brother Claims She Was 'Determined' To Keep Cancer Battle Secret

|first=Ash|last= Percival|date=21 April 2016|website=The Huffington Post|language=en-GB|access-date=2 May 2016}}</ref> She died on 20 April 2016 at her [[Highgate]] home, in the presence of her children and formersister husbandRosalind.<ref name="Saul 2016">{{cite news|last1=Saul|first1=Heather|title=Victoria Wood dead: Actress and comedian dies from cancer aged 62|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/victoria-wood-dead-actress-and-comedian-dies-from-cancer-a6992966.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220817/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/victoria-wood-dead-actress-and-comedian-dies-from-cancer-a6992966.html |archive-date=17 August 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|date=20 April 2016|access-date=20 April 2016|work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref>

Her familyfuneral celebratedwas herconducted life withby a [[secular humanism|humanist]] funeral and cremationcelebrant at [[Golders Green Crematorium]] on 54 May 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/uk/popularity-non-religious-humanist-ceremonies-soaring/ | title=The popularity of non-religious Humanist ceremonies is soaring | work=[[i (newspaper)|i]] |date=11 December 2016 |access-date=4 May 2017}}</ref>

A [[memorial service]] was held for Wood at [[St James's Church, Piccadilly|St James, Piccadilly]] on 4 July 2016. The event was by invitation only and tributes were provided by [[Jane Wymark]], [[Daniel Rigby]], [[Harriet Thorpe]] and [[Julie Walters]]. Ria Jones and [[Michael Ball]] both performed one of Wood's songs, with Nigel Lilley accompanying on piano.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0940064/trivia/ | title=Victoria Wood: Trivia | website=[[IMDb]] | accessdate=29 October 2023 }}</ref>

On 15 May 2016, [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] broadcast ''Let's Do It: A Tribute to Victoria Wood''.<ref>{{imdb title|id=5711892|title=Let's Do It: A Tribute to Victoria Wood}}</ref>

In 2017, Wood was the subject of a seven-part show dedicated mainly to extracts from her TV and live work. The main series, titled ''Our Friend Victoria'', aired on [[BBC One]] between 11 April and 9 May and concluded later in the year with a Christmas special on 23 December 2017.<ref>{{imdb title|id=6667482|title=Our Friend Victoria}}</ref> The seven episodes were presented by [[Julie Walters]], [[Richard E. Grant]], [[Michael Ball (singer)|Michael Ball]], [[Maxine Peake]], [[The League of Gentlemen]], [[Daniel Rigby]] and [[Anne Reid]].

[[Category:Actresses from LancashireBury, Greater Manchester]]

[[Category:ActorsTelevision fromshow Bury, Greater Manchestercreators]]