Fourteen Again

The late, great Victoria Wood only wrote one musical proper – Acorn Antiques – but she left behind an enviable collection of sublimely funny songs and they’ve been stitched together to form this new show. The plot is… quite a lot like Big, by the sounds of it, as middle-aged pals Peggy and Lou reminisce over life’s disappointments, after which Peggy wakes up to discover she is indeed 14 again. It debuted in the Victoria Wood Theatre in the Lake District earlier this year, where Jonathan O’Boyle’s production won praise for a strong book from Tom MacRae and fine lead performances from Ria Jones and Sally Ann Triplett, who’ll be reprising them for this Christmas transfer to the Menier. Expect all your fave Wood bangers, including – of course – ‘The Ballad of Barry & Freda’.