Susan Calman first saw An Audience with Victoria Wood at the age of 14. It was almost by accident, but by the end of the show she had come to realise what she was destined to be. Yet Susan's career took a curious path to the comedy success that is now hers. She trained as a corporate lawyer and her work took her to the UN in Geneva and Death Row in America. In 2006 she finally gave it all up to follow in the footsteps of her comedy hero, Victoria Wood. In this essay Susan Calman celebrates Wood's performance and writing skills, marvelling at her precise choice of language, her stage presence and, of course, The Ballad of Barry and Freda.
