Wood does formulaic act with gusto

Victoria Wood Olympia Theatre, DublinVictoria Wood opened her show "At It Again" at the Olympia Theatre on Thursday night with her usual stock patter.

Aimed at parents and couples too settled that they have forgone any idea of an active social life, Wood plunged into her formulaic act with gusto. Good. We can sit back and relax. Nothing new here.

The Lancashire comedienne gave her fans just what she does best in her own self-depreciating style. Her humour is steeped in the foibles of English, working class culture, and she revels in the ordinary. Laundry cycles and menstrual cycles feature prominently, as does her looming menopause, hysterectomy and her setting off of the alarm in Top Shop because her hips are too big. Using everyday facets of life, she manages to make that trip to the doctor or supermarket a comical event.

Her rendition of an inane automated answering service is something we can all relate to. She even managed to throw in matters closer to home - the contradictory "Yes" and "No" referendum posters and the quandary of being offered a plastic bag went down well.

The very anti-glamorousness of Wood's act is what makes her one of Britain's most popular comics, and her skill at creating genuine characters is to be admired.

However, it was disappointing not to have seen a new character or two presented - although I think I may have encountered one as I left the theatre after the show. The person behind me commented, "She always looks very clean". I think Victoria Wood would have liked that.