Following her triumphant debut show Ugly as a Child, Felicity Ward has put together what may seem like a simple concept for her second show Felicity Ward Reads from the Book of Moron, Felicity reading us a bunch of her funny essays, but it turned out to be another strong hour of her hilarious true life tales told with her unique and endearing, inspired comic style. Rather than just standing and regaling us with her stories, Felicity, a consummate showman (showgirl, showperson) wanted to give her audience the best show she could create on fairly short notice (having recently returned from wowing them in Edinburgh). So she gave us ambiance, with a set consisting of a big comfy chair in a lounge setting with a cardboard fire place, a pipe in her mouth and a trusty canine companion at her feet. Her dog was given life by comedian David Quirk in his intense yet playful manner.
Felicity’s opening was a corker of visual comedy getting a huge laugh, I won’t give it away but it set the tone for a fun hour full of surprises and raucous laughter. Felicity also loves a bit of audience participation and so gives two audience members the chance to randomly choose which stories she will tell and what music will accompany them. There were five densely written stories that covered topics such as why she doesn’t do drugs anymore, her relationship with poetry, a Hawaiian massage, her annoying bowels and overall, her general clumsy, awkwardness and the embarrassment that results. I’d heard a couple of the stories before done as stand up pieces, but really enjoyed hearing them again in this context.
David Quirk as Dan Ackroyd the dog added a welcome weird vibe to the show. I liked that his ears and paws were made of socks. His input, usually coming from left field added many chuckles to the proceedings without overshadowing Felicity’s fine work. Good dog. The audience obviously had a ball too, being so enthusiastic with their responses that Felicity was occasionally taken aback. It was a distinct pleasure for me to see Felicity succeed in her second solo show proving that she has a well of talent to draw from and a long successful future ahead.
For more info and booking details go to the Melbourne Fringe Festival website