October 2001 article about the UK tour of "Spend Spend Spend" from the ic Berkshire website
VIV LONG AND PROSPER
Actress and singer Barbara Dickson tells Becki Dixon why she is so passionate about playing the infamous 60s pools winner Viv Nicholson in the musical Spend, Spend, Spend - a role that won her the prestigious Olivier Award for best actress last year.
Barbara Dickson is a passionate woman - passionate about the roles she plays and equally passionate about her family.
As an actress who found fame in musical theatre, and a celebrated recording artist, she has bypassed superficial glitz and glamour and opted for roles of substance, playing the courageous Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell's Blood Brothersand Anita Braithwaite, the prostitute struggling to make ends meet in Band of Gold.
In her latest foray in theatre she returns to play Viv Nicholson in the rags to riches and back to rags tale, Spend, Spend, Spend- a role that clinched Barbara the coveted Best Actress Olivier Award in 2000 during the show's West End run.
As the national tour of the show begins, Barbara talks animatedly about the role she has obviously taken to heart.
"It's a cautionary tale and the reason I like the show so much is that it's a lot like Blood Brothers.
"It has something to say, it's not just glitz and big frocks."
Barbara is one of two actresses playing Viv Nicholson, a Yorkshire housewife who won a fortune on the pools in 1961 and famously declared she would 'spend, spend, spend' as she accepted the cheque from Bruce Forsyth. This is the story of how her life changed overnight.
Barbara believes the story is still very relevant today.
"Although it's about a pools win," she says, "It is an interesting take on what is happening today. It has great resonance for people winning big money on the Lottery, money way beyond their wildest dreams.
"The amount Viv won in the 60s was equivalent to about £4million today, and what they did with the money was very interesting.
"I think her husband would have been more cautious, but Viv was one of those people who really charges at life. When she said she wanted to 'spend, spend, spend', she really meant she wanted to live, live, live."
Barbara is joined on stage by her West End co-star Rachel Leskovac, who plays the brassy Viv, famous for driving round Castleford in a pink Cadillac when she was most notorious. As narrator, Barbara plays
the older and "wiser" Viv.
She says: "The story is a really interesting social and psychological exercise investigating how a girl from a very poor, working class family in Yorkshire coped with sudden wealth.
"In the beginning you see her desire to be somebody and get noticed, but by the end all she has left is a yellow canary - something which is very symbolic for Viv.
"In her home town people thought she was looking down on them, but when they moved to a posh area everyone hated them and they couldn't fit in."
Barbara finds it difficult to hide the enthusiasm she has for the role. "You can count on one hand the number of musicals you can talk in such depth about. It's that interesting," she says.
Born in Dumfermline, Fife, she is drawn to the gritty working class characters she can relate to.
"I don't hide what attracts me to these roles," she honestly admits.
"I understand working class people, I come from a very working class area. It's a hardworking town where I knew many dock workers and miners. I've met people just like Viv and Mrs Johnstone.
"My mother used to say to me, 'Barbara, when are you going to play some Noel Coward'. I used to reply 'I love Coward mum, but I couldn't play it'.
"His work is too languid. It's great for some people, but I'm really interested in playing tough women."
Where her career is concerned variety is the spice of life, but when she is not touring or recording she enjoys nothing better than spending time with her family, especially her three sons, aged 15, 13 and 11.
Barbara says: "If I continually toured I would go up the wall. I try to keep it to a minimum so I can spend time with my family.
"When I'm not working I like to watch my boys play rugby and cricket and perform in school plays. I do all the stuff ordinary people do like paying the electricity bill, shopping and looking after my kids."
