Good Fun

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Good Fun is a play by Victoria Wood that first opened in 1980. It is set in an arts centre in north-west England. After her earlier success with Talent, Wood was asked by producer Michael Codron to write another play. Her first attempt, Pals, was not liked by Codron, so she wrote Good Fun instead.

The play premiered in April 1980 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, directed by David Leland. The original cast included Annabel Leventon as Liz, Charles McKeown as Frank, Gregory Floy as Mike, Victoria Wood as Lynne, Joe Figg as Kev, Julie Walters as Betty, Noreen Kershaw as Gail, and Christopher Hancock as Maurice. In June, the Crucible staged the piece again with some different casting: Polly James played Liz, Sam Kelly was Frank, and Meg Johnson played Betty.

There were plans to move Good Fun to the West End, but that transfer never happened. It did run at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington. Wood recalled hearing a man during an interval say, “It’s a bit witty, isn’t it?” She said there were things wrong with the play, but there were some lovely performances and audiences enjoyed it.

After Good Fun, Wood focused on television comedy and stand-up. She did write two more plays, which she jokingly called “very enjoyable” and then discarded to avoid bothering Codron again.

Critics praised the show for its humor. The Guardian said it is full of knowing laughs—dry, belly, and running gags. The Sunday Times noted Wood’s distinct, female voice and said the play shares the bold, funny spirit of Talent, with sharp jokes and lively insights coming from the women at its center.