After watching Tim Minchin perform the other night it really got me thinking about all of the other great ivory tinkling clowns. The likes of Flo & Joan and Bill Bailey absolutely know how to rock the keys but whenever I think of ‘comedy’ and ‘piano’ there is always one name that instantly springs to the forefront of my mind, that of the late, great, Victoria Wood.

And it was with this thought in mind that I went in search of one of her stand up shows. There are a number available but I selected this one as it was the last live show that she ever recorded.

A bit of background is required for this review – During the build up to this show Victoria had gone through unplanned major surgery, whilst this should have been a private family matter the Daily Mirror disagreed and tried all manner of underhand tactics in order to break and sensationalise the obviously personal details. Her incredible response was to re-write the first half of the show to incorporate these events. We believe that this explains her almost nervous start to the performance which is quite uncharacteristic of this truly incredible clown.

The best way that I can describe Victoria Woods delivery style is to say that it’s like when you were a kid and your mum’s very best mate popped round with a hilarious yarn to spin about her recent exploits. It’s instantly familiar and comes with that energy of someone who is thoroughly enjoying the telling of the tale – This is no longer the Royal Albert Hall, it’s your lounge and you’re chatting over a cuppa.

The material is humble and self depreciating but by this stage in her career no-one was falling for the “silly me” act, there was a fierce intellect to this clowns wit and delivery. The references have dated badly but were on point for the time and there is more than enough going on for even newer viewers to enjoy the show.

This performance also features a couple of character skits – most notably Stacey Leanne Paige, a brutal yet spot on spoof of cruise ship singer Jane McDonald – which simply serve to highlight this clowns versatility and vocal talent. In fact the one thing missing from this show is Victoria performing on here own with a piano! So seeing as how this was the reason we started this thing I thought i’d include one of her most well known songs…

This is a really fun stand-up show but if you haven’t heard of Victoria Wood before then I would wholeheartedly recommend that you start with ANYTHING that she worked on with Julie Walters (“Pat & Margaret” is solid gold!) those two together could make you cry for every positive and negative reason imaginable.

Otherwise grab your tea, press play and settle in for a thoroughly enjoyable hour with one of the UK’s most significant and lovable clowns.

Clown Stars: * * * * *

 @Royal Albert Hall, London