The original over sharer, Felicity Ward is back at the Fringe for the first time since her Comedy Award nominated show in 2018. Since then she’s done Dancing With the Stars Australia, starred in the Aussie version of The Office and come out as bisexual.
Her new Fringe show I Wish I Could Come Out of My Shell offers comedy fans the welcome opportunity to spend time with this multi talented and very funny woman.
Tell us about your show. Why should we go and see it?
The show is about how I just thought you got sadder as you got older, and then I got divorced, came out as bisexual, dated loads of people, did Dancing with the Stars (Australia) and all of it changed my life. And kind of cured/delayed my depression for a good year.
What is your favourite thing about your show?
Watching people teeter on their own feelings when i say I went on 50 dates in two years. Mostly they’re shocked and happy for me, but i think they also question how they would feel if it was them.
Do you have a Fringe idol?
Billy.
What three words best describe your performance style – and why?
Relentless, furious, joyful.
Who are you looking forward to seeing in Edinburgh?
Frankie McNair’s show Big Ass Mindset again. I saw it in Melbourne and the first 15 minutes are some of the edgiest comedy I’ve seen in a decade.
What do you hope to achieve in Edinburgh – what are your hopes and dreams?
To leave richer than i left, to not have a mental breakdown. To try to remember that I’m only there for two weeks and that in the scheme of things is nothing, and that I love stand up now 17 years in more than i ever have.
What are the biggest obstacles you face as a performer at the Fringe?
My mental illness and adhd. Both of them, unfortunately, come with me when i travel. That and avoiding heat stroke while performing. I run “hot” as a person.
What do you hope the audience will take away after an hour in your company?
My number one priority is that people leave remembering laughing very hard. That’s all i want. But there’s a tiny part of me, that i hope that people leave the show thinking that it’s not over for them; if they’re in a place where they have given up, or felt resigned, that maybe there’s something out there waiting for them.
How do you plan to relax and recharge when not on stage?
I have just joined a group that play cards during Fringe. Fairly pumped about that. I’m hoping that I’ll become more focused on improving my game of Shithead than worrying about reviews, selling tickets, etc etc.
Felicity Ward, I Wish I Could Come Out of My Shell, 15.50, Monkey Barrel, August 17 30
https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/felicity-ward-i-wish-i-could-come-out-of-my-shell
