Now, almost a decade after her death, the actor, writer and comedian is to have a theatre named after her – which will premiere a new musical based on her songs.
The Old Laundry Theatre in the Lake District will now be known as The Victoria Wood Theatre in honour of the star.
And the intimate venue has announced a brand new Victoria Wood musical Fourteen Again, using music and lyrics from the late star’s songbook and a script by Tom MacRae – the writer of hit musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie.
Wood, who died from cancer at her Highgate home in April 2016, had a long standing love of the Lake District and the 160-seat theatre in Bowness-on-Windermere.
The former Victorian laundry is run by two of her old friends, the husband-and-wife team of Charlotte Scott and Roger Glossop, and Victoria was not only a trustee but performed there many times including directing her own show Talent, and adapting her TV film Housewife 49 especially for its stage.
Fourteen Again previews from May 1, 2026 and sees Peggy reunited with her best friend from school at the local slimming club. As kids, no two friends were funnier but now Lou and Peggy are shadows of their younger selves as they go back to the future in a painful but funny show.
Charlotte said: “With young families in tow, we followed Vic’s career as she toured up and down the country always returning to recharge in the Lake District.
“By the time we opened the venue in 1991, followed by the theatre in 1992, Vic, together with Alan Rickman, Griff Rhys Jones, Andre Ptaszynski, Peter James, and Alan Ayckbourn, all became trustees and the journey began.
“Vic was always supportive – performing at The Old Laundry in her stand up, doing benefits in larger venues, and productions of her own shows Talent and Housewife 49 at the theatre.
“So now ten years after her death it is a great delight to be putting on this show, and Vic’s name is on the theatre – we are set for the next 30+ years!”
Tom MacRae added: “I was honoured to write Victoria’s final TV show and working with Vic again on a brand-new stage show feels like we’ve come full circle – and yes, creating Fourteen Again has felt very much like working with Vic, even though we sadly can’t collaborate in person anymore.
“Her joy and genius loom large over everything. I wanted to create a show that is genuinely dramatic and surprising, with high stakes and real tension, as well as celebrating Vic’s innate sense of comedy and the warmth of her world, populated with loveable, relatable characters and celebrating friendship.”
“My starting point was The Ballad Of Barry And Freda – what if my central character shared Vic’s love of telling hilarious stories about ordinary people. Also, Vic wrote several songs about being a child again, which got me thinking about adding a time travel element with a Scrooge-like opportunity to live your life again, but this time do it better.”
