Brighton Fringe review by Steve Bennett

It’s not without irony that Julia Knight’s one-woman play about a Victoria Wood tribute act frustrated at being caught in the shadow of her comedy hero cannot quite escape the very same trap.

For while her impressions of Wood and her characters are impressively evocative, the story she’s built around this premise does not amount to a great deal. 

So we are left with snippets of a very funny act delivered with the same mix of affection and knowingness as the original, but little further enlightenment, making for an enjoyable but superficial hour.

Knight portrays Maddie North, a once-aspiring comedian who some years ago was persuaded to take part in a Stars In Their Eyes style show, but for comedians rather than singers. Her take on VW, as she calls the icon, went down a storm, and led to some success on the touring circuit.

Now, though, that work has started to dry up and she’s making a vlog about life beyond the wigs, though she cannot help but slip into them for a little reminder, and maybe a verse of two of a song.

There are some nice touches here: that YouTube staple of the make-up tutorial dovetails pleasingly with Wood’s Sacherelle sketch, and there are a few wry and amusing lines in Maddie’s answers to fans’ questions left below the videos. 

But the character doesn’t really develop – not until the end when she realises the Wood act is a millstone around the neck of her own creativity, and the scenes become slightly repetitive.

There are some staging niggles in this production, too: a few too many momentum-sapping pauses as she switches costumes, and poor mic technique that means her singing voice is overwhelmed by her keyboard.

But, yes, it’s great to hear the old VW routines again, presented in such an affectionate and faithful way by a very engaging performer, so we can easily forgive the fact her script is a little undercooked.

Review date: 7 May 2019
Reviewed by: Steve Bennett