Full disclosure: Looking for Me Friend, written and performed by Paulus the Cabaret Geek, was an easy win for me. I am a lifelong fan of Victoria Wood. I love the work of pianist and music director

Michael Roulston. And moreover, I’m already an unabashed fan of Sarah-Louise Young, who directed this wonderful show. Anyone who has seen her shows such as Julie Madly Deeply, An Evening Without Kate Bush, or her cabaret personalities like La Poule Plombée will already know the particular magic she brings to the cabaret stage: a deep affection for her subject, razor-sharp comic timing, and a knack for building a show that feels both meticulously crafted and gloriously loose around the edges. So, when I was asked to review this show, I jumped at the chance. I can assure you that the same loving touch is all over Looking for Me Friend, a joyous tribute to the incomparable Victoria Wood.

Part jukebox musical, part affectionate memoir, the show—performed by cabaret legend Paulus—is a glorious reminder of Wood’s breath-taking wizardry with words. For those of us who grew up during her heyday, the evening feels like stepping back into a shared cultural memory: the peculiar brilliance of her vocabulary, the perfectly skewered observations of everyday British life, and those lyrics—so precise, so absurd, and yet somehow so tender. Hearing them again is like meeting old friends.

Paulus proves more than up to the task of carrying Wood’s musical legacy. His vocal range is impressively broad, allowing him to tackle the full spectrum of her songs—from the riotously comic to the unexpectedly poignant—with ease. But just as importantly, he understands their emotional architecture: the way Wood could pivot from silliness to sentiment in a single verse.

At the piano is the endlessly versatile Michael Roulston—familiar to many from his work with Fascinating Aïda—who proves the perfect accomplice. Roulston can accompany absolutely anyone and anything, and here he’s far more than a musical director; he’s Paulus’ comic wingman. The two bounce jokes off each other with the easy rhythm of a seasoned double act, creating moments that feel spontaneous and conspiratorial, as if the audience has stumbled into a particularly brilliant late-night cabaret.

What makes the show truly special, however, is the warmth at its centre. Paulus intertwines Victoria Wood’s story with his own—a childhood in the 1970s, discovering humour, discovering identity, and eventually discovering one’s tribe. It’s a gentle reminder that Wood’s comedy was never simply about punchlines; it was about recognition. She wrote about ordinary people with such precision and affection that audiences saw themselves reflected back.

For many of us at Jacksons Lane, the evening felt like receiving a warm hug from Victoria herself somewhere up in the heavens. For the duration of the performance, Paulus manages something quite extraordinary: he brings her spirit vividly back to life. Suddenly, we’re transported to those evenings when families gathered around the television for Wood and Walters, Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV, Acorn Antiques, Dinner Ladies, or Pat and Margaret—the kind of communal viewing experience that now feels like a relic from another age.

After six years touring the country, Looking for Me Friend is taking its final bow, and the timing feels particularly poignant: 2026 marks ten years since Victoria Wood’s death. The show works beautifully both as a celebration for lifelong fans and as a beginner’s guide for newcomers discovering her genius for the first time.

And perhaps that’s its greatest achievement. It reminds us not just how funny Victoria Wood was—but how loved she remains.

UK Tour Dates https://thcabaretgeek.com/looking-for-me-friend

Justin David is the publisher at www.inkandescent.co.uk He is also the author of Tales of the Suburbs, Kissing the Lizard and The Pharmacist.