"There is a moment at the start of this documentary about the comedian Victoria Wood when you realise what she was up against at the beginning of her career: a snippet from the archives of Melvyn Bragg hailing her as Britain's first female standup comedian. That wasn't entirely the case, but it seems unthinkable now that it took until the 1980s for women to break through in any numbers."
"Clips from the show, featuring Wood, Julie Waters and Celia Imrie, are a hoot: high on a tipsy energy, the performers are all on the edge of collapsing into giggles. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders in Becoming Victoria Wood. Photograph: Publicity image For those who grew up with Wood as a national treasure, Becoming Victoria Wood will be a revelation. Her standup routines in the 1980s blazed a trail, with jokes about tampons and cellulite."
"She didn't feel clever or good-looking enough but she had a fierce streak of ambition that seemed to come from nowhere. She poked fun of herself in her routines, and her comedy was never unkind; she was instinctively on the side of the underdog. The actor Maxine Peake, who got her break on Wood's sitcom Dinnerladies, says audiences felt seen by her."
Victoria Wood broke through as a northern female comedian in the 1980s despite industry doubt and limited opportunities for women in standup. Her 1985 sketch show As Seen on TV showcased Wood alongside Julie Walters and Celia Imrie, combining tipsy energy with near-giggling performances. Her standup routines addressed taboo subjects such as tampons and cellulite and connected with audiences through self-deprecation and sympathy for the underdog. She experienced a lonely childhood, maternal neglect, and lifelong insecurity about her weight, yet developed fierce ambition and gentle, unresentful humor. Colleagues including Dawn French, Jennifer Saunders and Maxine Peake reflect on her impact, and archival voiceover snippets recorded before her 2016 death lend intimacy.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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