Fronted by experienced cabaret act Paulus, and supported on piano and the odd quip by Michael Roulston, the show features, as promised by the title, a wide range of the late Ms Wood's songs, both famous and more obscure. Because, as Paulus tells us from the start, it takes two men to do the job of one woman. There's nothing wrong with the voice or the playing, and they clearly enjoy and revere the material.
Woven around the numbers is Paulus' tale of growing up with Wood as an important influence in his life, and then career, even though they never met. He clearly sees himself as something of a superfan, with considerable knowledge of the national treasure. So it's a very personal show, and Roulston an enjoyable dry collaborator. There's no denying that it is often entertaining.
But the show stumbles on two counts, one of which I doubt anyone could overcome. Paulus is very self consciously camp, and the arch home counties persona doesn't always sit well with Victoria's bluff north of England sense of humour. And even grates at times, feeling OTT in realtion to the memories of the woman herself. Which also applies to my second quibble. The lyrics and melodies stand by themselves, but watching this show reminds any Wood fan of just how much came from her own delivery, and how hard it is to replicate. There was always a sense of something being lost, missing.
Entertaining, but disappointing.
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