The genius of Victoria Wood will be recognised with the official renaming of The Old Laundry Theatre in the heart of the Lake District in January 2026.
Over three decades since the much-missed writer and performer opened The World of Beatrix Potter Attraction, created by her friends – renowned theatre set designer Roger Glossop and his theatre producer wife, Charlotte Scott – The Old Laundry Theatre (opened a year later at the site by playwright Alan Ayckbourn) in Bowness-on-Windermere will become The Victoria Wood Theatre.
The newly-named theatre will celebrate with the world premiere of a new musical Fourteen Again featuring songs from the ‘Victoria Wood Song Book Lucky Bag!’ and a book by the writer and lyricist Tom MacRae (Everybody’s Talking About Jamie). Previews will begin on 1 May 2026 ahead of a gala night on what would have been Victoria Wood’s 73 birthday, 19 May 2026. The production runs until 30 May.
Announcing the decision to rename the theatre in honour of her and her husband’s friend, producer Scott said: “With young families in tow (hers and ours) 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 10 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-plus years!”
Commenting on the premiere of Fourteen Again, Double BAFTA-nominated screenwriter, producer, Olivier-nominated playwright, author and songwriter MacRae said: “I was honoured to write Victoria’s final TV show, we got to swap stories about working at The Crucible – a theatre where she had cut her teeth and where my first ever stage show, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, was about to open. 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 we’ve built. 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. The one song that was tricky to place was ‘Litter Bin’ about a teenage mum abandoning a child in a bin in a multistorey carpark. It was just so sad. How could I introduce that idea into a comedy? And then I had a brainwave – and that brainwave unlocked an idea that the entire show is now built around. Left to my own devices, I don’t know if I ever would have integrated such a tragic element into such an upbeat story. So, thanks Vic, my amazing and inspirational collaborator – I owe you one.”
The production’s musical director and musical supervisor, Nigel Lilley – Woods’ long-time musical director and close friend, said: “After having such a hit with Talent in 1978 it seems crazy that it took Vic over 25 years to venture back into the world of musicals with Acorn Antiques. By the time we worked on That Day We Sang in 2014 it felt like she was absolutely in her happy place, and I have no doubt that had she lived longer she would have had so many more glorious musicals to offer us.
“Vic’s ability to flip between side-splitting comedy and devastating pathos in an instant remains unmatched for me. Going back to her songs in preparation for Fourteen Again I was struck again by the exquisite and meticulous skill in her writing – and yet the music and lyrics still feel so effortless on the ear. Vic was always on the search for new and original projects. I think she’d be cheering us on loudly with Tom’s brilliant new script which honours her songs so beautifully.”
Another member of the musical’s high-powered creative team – award-winning director Jonathan O’Boyle added: “I am over the moon to be working on a new musical from Victoria Wood and Tom MacRae. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and it’s a privilege to be able to work with Victoria’s fantastic songs and Tom’s extraordinary book.
“I grew up in Derby, watching Victoria Wood’s Dinner Ladies on TV. Her humour and joy spoke to me and inspired me to work in theatre. Tom has managed to somehow seamlessly write a new work whilst honouring Victoria and it feels so very human and relatable.”
The production will feature lighting design by Jason Taylor, set design by Roger Glossop and costume design by Caroline Hughes.
Angela Thomas
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