A cherished theatre in the heart of the Lake District is set for a heartfelt transformation, being renamed in honour of the late, great comedian Victoria Wood. The venue will also host the world premiere of a new musical crafted from her beloved songs to commemorate the tenth anniversary of her passing.
A Fitting Tribute from Friends
The Old Laundry theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere is currently run by Wood's close friends, the married couple Charlotte Scott and Roger Glossop. Victoria Wood, who tragically died from cancer in 2016 at the age of 62, was not just a performer but a trustee of the theatre. She graced its stage on numerous occasions and even directed a revival of her own play, Talent, there in 2008.
The couple's friendship with the comedy legend dates back decades, having first worked with her on the premiere of Talent at the Sheffield Crucible in 1978. The theatre shares its building with the World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, which Wood had the honour of officially opening.
Celebrating a National Treasure's Legacy
Before becoming a household name and one of Britain's best-loved comedians, Wood wrote the plays Talent and Good Fun. She later found nationwide fame with her witty songs and sketches on television, often starring alongside acclaimed actors like Julie Walters and Celia Imrie.
In a further nod to her creative connection with the venue, the Old Laundry staged an adaptation of her BAFTA-winning TV drama, Housewife 49, back in 2013. The production was based on the real wartime diaries of a woman from Barrow-in-Furness.
The New Musical: Fourteen Again
When the venue officially becomes the Victoria Wood Theatre next year, it will launch a brand new musical titled Fourteen Again. The show will feature a selection of numbers from Lucky Bag, Wood's published collection of songs.
The musical's book has been written by Tom MacRae, the celebrated writer and lyricist behind the hit musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie. MacRae previously collaborated with Wood on his 2015 TV adaptation of Raymond Briggs' Fungus the Bogeyman, which featured one of Wood's final television roles.
The production will run from 1 May, with a special gala night scheduled for what would have been Wood's birthday on 19 May.
A Landmark for Female Creatives
The renaming establishes the Victoria Wood Theatre as one of the very few playhouses in the country to be named after a female creative. This move follows a similar tribute in London's West End, where the New London theatre was renamed the Gillian Lynne Theatre in 2018 in honour of the legendary Cats choreographer.
The celebration of Wood's enduring influence continues with the Victoria Wood Playwriting Prize for Comedy, launched two years ago on what would have been her 70th birthday. Conceived in partnership with The Victoria Wood Foundation, whose trustees include Scott and Glossop, the inaugural award in 2024 went to Eugene O'Hare for his play Portugal.
