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Let's Do It
- The Authorised Biography of Victoria Wood
- Narrated by: Julie Walters, Jasper Rees, Kate Robbins, Richenda Carey, Jane Wymark, Daniel Rigby, David Threlfall, Anne Reid, Susie Blake, Duncan Preston, Celia Imrie
- Length: 20 hrs and 56 mins
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Let's Do It
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Summary
Trapeze audiobooks presents an extraordinary multi-voice tribute to one of Britain's most talented and most loved entertainers: Victoria Wood.
This audiobook features narration from some of the extraordinary voices who worked with Victoria over her career:
Susie Blake
Richenda Carey
Celia Imrie
Duncan Preston
Anne Reid
Daniel Rigby
Kate Robbins
David Threlfall
Julie Walters
Jane Wymark
With an introduction read by Jasper Rees and two recordings of Victoria Wood's classic Ballad of Barry and Freda.
I was born with a warped sense of humour and when I was carried home from being born it was Coronation Day and so I was called Victoria, but you are not supposed to know who wrote this anyway. It is about time I unleashed my pent-up emotions in a bitter comment on the state of our society but it's not quite me so I think I shall write a heart-warming story with laughter behind the tears and tears behind the laughter which means hysterics to you Philistines....
From 'Pardon?' by Vicky Wood, aged 14. Bury Grammar School (Girls) Magazine, 1967.
In her passport, Victoria Wood listed her occupation as 'entertainer' - and in stand-up and sketches, songs and sitcom, musicals and dramas, she became the greatest entertainer of the age. Those things that might have held her back - her lonely childhood, her crippling shyness and above all the disadvantage of being a woman in a male-run industry - she turned to her advantage to make extraordinary comedy about ordinary people living ordinary lives in ordinary bodies. She wasn't fond of the term, but Victoria Wood truly was a national treasure - and her loss is still keenly felt.
Victoria had plenty of stories still to tell when she died in 2016, and one of those was her own autobiography.
'I will do it one day,' she told journalist and author Jasper Rees when he first met her in 2001. 'It would be about my childhood, about my first few years in show-business, which were really interesting and would make a really nice story.'
That sadly never came to pass, so Victoria's estate has asked Jasper Rees, who interviewed her more than anyone else, to tell her extraordinary story in full. He has been granted complete and exclusive access to Victoria's rich archive of personal and professional material and has conducted more than 200 interviews with her family, friends and colleagues - among them Victoria's children, her sisters, her ex-husband, Geoffrey Durham, Julie Walters, Celia Imrie, Dawn French, Anne Reid, Imelda Staunton and many more.
What emerges is a portrait of a true pioneer who spoke to her audience like no one before or since.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
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- D. Baker
- 30-10-20
Great book, amazing selection of readers
As has been said in reviews in press and reviews on Audible / Amazon, a wonderful book about an amazing career - with the details of VW's childhood quite upsetting for fans to deal with.
The book is perfectly paced, with just amount of detail for the many phases of her career. It's certainly not a hagiography, with VW's spikiness and shyness certainly not glossed over. It's particularly sad to realise that the actors that made up her regulars saw the troupe as more of a working relationship than a friendship group, but it's a tribute to VW that so many are assembled for the reading of this book. Hearing David Threlfall 'do' Alan Bennett (and many others) is one of the many opportunities for the readers to inhabit the people they are quoting from as part of the book. And Julie Walters says the 'c' word - I nearly dropped spat out my macaroon.
Lots of laughs, even to the end.
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- Kez
- 16-03-21
fabulous
wonderful insight into the life of a very private and very talented woman taken too soon. loved Victoria's work. the narration by her friends and colleagues is lovely and a fitting tribute that they were willing to give their time to this book. well worth a listen. thoroughly enjoyed it.
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- Helen Field
- 14-03-21
Brilliant!
What a great idea to have each chapter read by different people involved in Victoria Wood’s life and work. Hugely enjoyable, and a real insight into the talent and sheer hard work of this wonderful person.
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- Kindle Customer
- 15-01-21
A really good listen
I loved this audio book, particularly how each chapter was read by a different person.
Victoria Wood was an amazing woman who opened doors for others to follow.
This book made me cry, and cry with laughter. I hope she would be proud of how her friends represented her, and spoke of her
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Joanne
- 14-12-20
What an incredible woman!
Really well written and read. So much detail about Victoria Wood’s life and career. I loved this book. Even if I did know the ending 😢
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Dan Smith
- 31-10-20
Superbly crafted.
It is superbly crafted and really captures Victoria's extraordinary life, talent and achievements 👸🏼😢. I still find it difficult to believe that Victoria is no longer with us, so having the opportunity to revisit her genius is very special.
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- Elizabeth Juner
- 16-04-24
remarkable, funny, talented lady
there is only one Victoria wood and their will never be another quite like her. she was talented and driven from an early age and deserves all she achieved. I think her greatest joy were her children they never went without their mothers love for 1 millisecond which shows what a strong woman she was to achieve all she did and bring 2 beautiful children into the world loved and adored their parents and that was down to the way they were brought up. great read if you loved Victoria's work.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 19-11-20
Unexpectedly revealing about who Victoria Wood was
I really loved that it was read out by her fellow artistes and was raw without putting a shine on it. She'd have hated any over-sentimentality and the book was perfect. As for the ending...I was laughing and crying at the same time.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- Amazon Customer
- 28-11-20
Comprehensive
Well worth persevering. The last chapters would,as they say, “Bring a tear to a glass eye.”
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- Linda
- 10-04-21
Such a talent, such a loss
As a huge fan of Victoria Wood, I loved this audiobook biography. Victoria was an incredibly shy person who guarded her personal life intensely. For all her huge success in her many roles as comedienne, composer, lyricist, writer, actress and producer, she still felt the insecurity of her upbringing in a dysfunctional family. Her constant hard work whether as a writer or as a mother was driven by the need to feel good enough. Victoria, you were always good enough and I am among so many of your fans who mourn your loss but still manage to roar with laughter as we remember you. Your were the best and this book is a fitting tribute to your astonishing talent.
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