Wilfredo (fictional comedy character)

Wilfredo
Wilfredo performs in Camden Town, London
Background information
Origin	Granada, Spain
Genres	Cabaret, comedy, Pop music
Years active	2008–present
Members	Matt Roper Wilfredo Katie Pollak Mana Maria Kris Howe Uncle Ignacio Fernandez

Wilfredo is a fictional comedy character portrayed by the British comedian Matt Roper.

The character is an obnoxious, deluded and uncouth satire of a romantic singer characterized in a Commedia dell'arte style. Wilfredo has acquired a cult status, particularly among music festival audiences and on the alternative cabaret and comedy circuit in London. Roper has toured the character internationally, performing in Spain, Italy, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, South Africa, Australia and Argentina.

Physically, the character of Wilfredo is a grotesque caricature of Falstaffian appearance: trousers pulled up to the top of a corpulent stomach, a tight flamenco shirt, a wild black mop wig and a set of prominent prosthetic teeth. Typically, the character will always hold a pint of beer on stage, even whilst dancing and singing. He smokes his way throughout songs, salivating over the audience and musicians while berating them with rich expletives. Critics have described the character as "a wonderful and vile creation", "strangely endearing", "joyful and grin-inducing", and "utterly charming and uplifting".

The character began his life onstage performing cover versions of songs by Leonard Cohen, Phil Spector, Amy Winehouse and the Rolling Stones. In an interview with the student media, Roper stated: "My father was a trad comic so I grew up around a lot of the old school; people like Frankie Howerd and lots of music hall acts. I’d be taken to theatres and all these smoky clubs where there was always a mad speciality artist or a singer in a spangly outfit or a dinner suit onstage, crooning covers. Wilfredo comes from that world for sure." Elsewhere in the same interview, Roper said he hoped Wilfredo "offers escape".

Roper has constructed an entire life history and family background to Wilfredo and updates audiences through his performance. The character hails from Granada in Spain, the fourth son of a fourth son, a gifted child prodigy who evolved into a national singing star. The character is always accompanied by a guitarist onstage, often by Katie Pollak in the role of Mana Maria, the younger sister of Wilfredo. The character of Maria wears identical teeth and hair, although pop socked and bespectacled. She is the polar opposite of Wilfredo: where Wilfredo is brash and loud, Maria in contrast is totally mute and performed in a subtle style. On occasion (as at the 2011 Edinburgh Festival) Kris Howe may accompany – also in character – as Wilfredo's 'Uncle' Ignacio.