Article from 'The Herald' newspaper from 30 August 2001.
BARBARA IS BIG SPENDER
If you grew up watching 'The Two Ronnies', you'll remember lovely Barbara Dickson, with her big hair and her big voice, as a regular guest star.
Her hits, like 'January, February' and 'I Know Him So Well', with Elaine Page, propelled her to the top of the charts.
She became one of the most successful singers and actresses of her generation, with acclaimed appearances in the likes of 'Band of Gold', 'Taggart' and 'The Missing Postman'.
But in recent years, Barbara, who was born in Dunfermline, has carved out a phenomenally successful new career for herself in the world of musical theatre.
And she makes her first stage appearance in Glasgow this week in 'Spend Spend Spend' at the King's Theatre.
Barbara plays Viv Nicholson, the rags-to-riches - and back to rags - Yorkshire housewife who won a fortune on the pools in 1961."
Barbara's first musical role was as Mrs Johnstone in Willy Russell's 'Blood Brothers'.
"It was quite a departure for me, to take on such a dramatic role," she explains.
"Although Blood Brothers is a musical, this was not a lightweight role, and I agreed to do it without really knowing how it would go.
"When I stepped out on the stage that first night in Liverpool, I had no idea if I could do it, but it turned out I could do it quite well."
It's a bit of an understatement, considering her performance won her rave reviews and a Best Actress Award from the prestigious Society of West End Theatres.
For her next production, 'The Seven Ages of Woman', Barbara collected another Best Actress award, and for the role that she plays in 'Spend Spend Spend', she has already picked up Best Actress in a Musical award from both the Laurence Olivier Awards and the Variety Club of Great Britain.
Yet Barbara remains modest about her success.
"The more I learn about theatre, the more I realise how vital the director is," she says.
"It really doesn't matter how good the actors are - if the director is no good, it doesn't work.
"I was lucky I had an amazing director on 'Blood Brothers'. Chris Bond literally took me by the scruff of the neck and turned me from a singer into a singing actress, in the space of five weeks."
Barbara adds: "I'm lucky, because I don't have style like anyone else. I'm not a big showy Broadway type, I don't dance - I think it goes back to my folk music roots."
'Spend Spend Spend' is at the King's Theatre from Tuesday to Saturday next week.
Ann Fotheringham
