For a woman who admits to suffering from an anxiety disorder, Melbourne’s Felicity Ward seems to have almost no capacity for self-censorship or shame – and if she does, she hides it well.In Honestly, Ward presents an array of ideas and anecdotes loosely connected by the theme of frankness, ranging from her obsessions with punning shop names (‘Halal, Is It Meat You’re Looking For?’) and the public behaviour of junkies, through to weight issues and depression. Some inspired moments of audience interaction, which never seem forced or cruel, feature throughout; the highlight of which is a routine discussing the ubiquity of autotune in pop music, memorably demonstrated via an iPhone app and a volunteer.
Foul-mouthed, feisty and very funny, Ward’s expletive-laden delivery sags in the home stretch with some weaker routines about STD checks and 'sax-crimes', after which even a dynamic musical performance can’t quite recapture her earlier brilliance.
Three and a half stars
Felicity Ward - Honestly
Melbourne Town Hall until April 24
Tue-Sat 8.15pm, Sun 7.15pm
$18 - $26.90
This review originally appeared in The Age on Tuesday 5th April, 2011.
1 comment:
I must say I was disappointed by her. I wanted to see Book of Moron last year but ran out of time, so i was eagerly looking forward to this show. Alas I found it had some elements of brilliance, i think she's a great performer, talented and funny, but I found it a bit too much of a mess. It went allover the place, with threads just ending. I found the opening of trying to get an audience member introduce themselves and cheer boring and pointless.
I do agree, I liked the iphone app bit but most of the audience interaction seemed pointless and not funny, i wanted her to move towards the themes she touched upon about her and her issues a bit more, or at the very least if not dealt with more apart from the throwaway lines, then at least something more with it.
I would go and see her again, but i found it sometimes uncomfortable, and not uncomfortable in a good way, but more in a fontrum sort of way.
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