Review for Victoria Wood: Wood Work, A Celebration

Victoria Wood is a national treasure and when she passed it was a huge loss not just to the comedy world, but to almost every aspect of entertainment. Wood was not just a stand-up, she was a comedy performer, actress, writer, musician, she did everything and she did it all by herself. Anyone who doubts her talents should take home this set and view just how varied and extensive her work was and how amazing it all was too.

This set is essentially a boxset of a number of already released titles: Screenplays, Wood and Walters, An Audience with Victoria Wood and Housewife, 49. I would hardly say this is a comprehensive look at Victoria Wood's work and I can only assume it is due to copyright or other rights issues, but the fact there is nothing from As Seen On TV is shocking. This would almost like releasing a 'Best of Nirvana' and leaving off Smells Like Teen Spirit? However, what we do get is a great sample of Victoria Wood's work over the years.

I have previously reviewed Screenplays which featured the amazing Talent and these are definitely worth watching again, though I do think that they are more for curiosity sake. Her talent (no pun intended) is clearly on show, but it is not as refined as it would become. Wood and Walters feels like a test run for what would be As Seen On TV and has its moments of sheer genius, but they are few and far between.

An Audience with Victoria Wood is possibly one of the best 'An Audience' shows that were ever released. Despite the fact this is over twenty years old it is still as funny as it always was and probably always will be. That is one of the things that I love about Wood and her work is that it feels timeless.

It features a mixture of her classic standup observations, questions from the audience which results in some amazing comebacks and then also sketches as other characters such as the classic 'I'm looking for my friend' character which became a staple of her standup routine later on.

The highlight of this, or indeed the thing that Victoria Wood will always be remembered for is The Ballad of Barry and Frieda and it is rousing version that is just wonderful. It is not surprising that she won a BAFTA for this performance.

Julie Walters and Friends is a bizarre special similar to the 'Audience' format, but just a way for Walters to highlight her talent. It is a mix of sketches and monologues all in front of a live audience. It was not just Wood who wrote it with sections by Alan Bennett, Willy Russell and Alan Bleasdale. I'm not sure why they included this as it only showcases Wood a few times and she is never the focus at any point, but if you are someone who wants to see everything Wood has created then you may find some enjoyment in this.

Housewife, 49 is a strange thing to watch. After you have indulged in just how great Victoria Wood is at making you laugh, all of a sudden this very serious drama is thrown into the mix. Now, that is not to say it is not fabulous. It is. Wood thoroughly deserves the BAFTA she received for her performance and I was captured throughout. It is a shame that no one thought to put this in the cinema as it was well received by everyone and there was a feeling of Mike Leigh's Vera Drake to the whole thing.

Victoria Wood: Wood Work A Celebration is one of the best (almost perfect) sets I have ever sat through. I enjoyed everything on here whether it was the early sketches between her and Julie Walters, the amazing standup or her powerful dramatic performance in Housewife, 49. This is all near-perfect. I just feel that without a few elements such as the 'As Seen on TV' shows, Dinnerladies or even another standup performance it would have made it all the better. That being said, I loved every minute of this set and if you are a fan of Victoria Wood you will love this set.