Felicity Ward

Felicity Ward (born 26 September 1980) is an Australian comedian, best known for her TV appearances on Spicks and Specks, Thank God You're Here, Good News Week and as a writer/performer in the Channel 10 Network television programme The Ronnie Johns Half Hour.[1] She is a part of The 3rd Degree, who made and starred in The Ronnie Johns Half Hour.

Felicity Ward
Ward at the Any Questions for Ben? Premiere In Sydney, January 2012
BornSeptember 1980 (age 43)
Killcare, New South Wales, Australia
Notable workSpicks and Specks, Thank God You're Here, Good News Week, The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, Any Questions For Ben?
SpouseChris Savva

Early life

Ward grew up in Killcare, a small coastal town on the Central Coast of New South Wales.[2]

Career

Early TV and stage work

She first came to public attention in the Logie-nominated sketch show The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, especially her character work as six-year-old Poppy, German nihilist Gretchen and lawn bowls instructor Heidi.

Ward made several appearances on the ABC's Spicks and Specks during its six-year run until 2011.[1] She also hosted The Comedy Hour on 774 ABC Melbourne.[3]

From 2006 to 2009, Ward has performed alongside fellow 3rd Degree member Heath Franklin (as Chopper) in the highly popular comedy festival show "Chopper's Fuckin Bingo". Ward played Chopper's ball girl and drug addict niece, Jenny. It has been performed in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney, including Chopper's Fuckin Christmas Bingo in 2007.[4]

Solo stand up success

At the 2008 Melbourne Fringe Festival, Ward performed her debut full-length solo stand-up show, "Felicity Ward's Ugly as A Child Variety Show" to popular and critical acclaim,[5] culminating in her winning the Melbourne Airport Award for Best Newcomer.[6]

In 2009, Ward brought her award-winning "Ugly As A Child Variety Show" to the Adelaide Fringe (20 February - 21 March), the Melbourne International Comedy Festival (1–26 April), the Sydney Comedy Festival (12–17 May)[1] and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (7-31 August).[7] Produced by Laughing Stock Productions, the show was a commercial and critical hit, selling out shows in all cities. Ward was nominated for Best Newcomer at the 2009 MICF and won Mervyn Stutter's Spirit of the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.[8]

In September 2009, Ward appeared at the Melbourne Fringe Festival with a new show - "Felicity Ward reads from The Book of Moron",[9] a hybrid storytelling/stand-up show with music. She performed the show at the 2010 Adelaide Fringe, Brisbane Comedy Festival and Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

On 22 March 2010 Ward appeared on the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala on Network 10.[10]

2011 saw Ward appear in front of sell-out crowds with her critically acclaimed show, "Honestly," culminating in winning Best Local Act at the Time out Sydney Comedy Festival Awards 2011.[11] She was also named in the Sydney Morning Herald's Top 10 comedy shows for 2011, was the face of the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and garnered four star reviews all over the country. She toured internationally: to Hong Kong and Singapore, with the Melbourne International Comedy Festival Roadshow, and to New Zealand, with the Comedy Convoy. She also performed a variety style show at the Melbourne Fringe Festival in September 2011 called Felicity Ward's (week-long, ill-timed) Christmas Special.[12]

Her new show, "The Hedgehog Dilemma", was performed at the 2012 Adelaide Fringe Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival with sell-out seasons and nominated Best Comedy at both festivals. It was then performed the Sydney Comedy Festival and Perth Comedy Festival where she won Best Australian Act at both festivals. It has now been invited to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2012, and a short run at the Soho Theatre in London following that.[13]

Ward performed at Latitude Festival in 2014, 2016 and 2019.[14] Her 2018 show "Busting a Nut" was nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.[15]

Supporting roles

Ward had a well received supporting role in the 2012 Australian comedy Any Questions for Ben?, created by Working Dog Productions.[16]

In 2014, Ward appeared as Lizzie in The Inbetweeners 2 and in 2015 she appeared as a stand-up guest on The John Bishop Show.

Ward has featured as a guest host on a number of episodes of the satirical comedy podcast, The Bugle.

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
2024 The Office Australia[17] Hannah Howard
2022 The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk Denim Jean 1 episode
2021 Late Night Mash Office Worker 1 episode
2021 Wakefield Collette 8 episodes
2019 The Mash Report Various 1 episode
2019 Gameface Charlotte 2 episodes
2019 The Letdown Ros 1 episode
2017 Ronny Chieng: International Student Post Grad Student 1 episode
2016 Comedy Showroom: Ronny Chieng - International Student Post Grad Student
2015 Josh Briony 1 episode
2014 The Inbetweeners 2 Lizzie
2012 Laid Mandy 1 episode
2012 Any Questions for Ben? Emily
2010 Sleuth 101 Judy 1 episode
2009 The Librarians School Teacher 1 episode
2005-06 The Ronnie Johns Half Hour Various 26 episodes

Personal life

Ward has been open about her struggles with anxiety and is an active advocate for mental health in Australia.[18] She also spoke about her issues with Irritable Bowel Syndrome in her 2015 show "What If There's No Toilet?"[19] and about anxiety, depression and insomnia as part of her BBC Radio 4 series "Appisodes".[20] Ward describes herself as a “late bisexual,” having recognised same-sex attraction in her 40s.[21]

References
  1. "Felicity Ward's Ugly As a Child Variety Show". Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  2. Clare Graham (17 April 2009). "Show based on local childhood". Peninsula News. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  3. "ABC774 launches Comedy Hour". radioinfo. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  4. "Chopper's F*ckin Christmas Bingo". Australian Stage. 13 December 2007. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  5. Richard Watts (7 April 2009). "Ugly as a Child Variety Show". The Age. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  6. John Mangan (12 October 2008). "Three weeks of Fringe binge winds up with prize night". The Age. Retrieved 4 February 2010.
  7. Edinburgh Fringe 2009 details
  8. "Felicity Ward Honestly". Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2011. Archived from the original on 15 October 2011. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  9. "Felicity Ward Reads from The Book of Moron". Melbourne Fringe. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  10. "Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (2010)". IMDb. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  11. "Time Out Sydney Comedy Awards 2011 - the winners". Time Out Sydney. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  12. "Onya Soapbox :: Talent :: Felicity Ward". Onya Soapbox. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  13. "Felicity Ward: The Hedgehog Dilemma". Soho Theatre. Retrieved 18 November 2012.
  14. "Felicity Ward Interview". Latitude Festival - News. 8 March 2019.
  15. Thompson, Jessie (22 August 2018). "Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2018: Felicity Ward and Kieran Hodgson amongst the shortlist". London Indoors.
  16. Schembri, Jim (9 February 2012). "Any Questions for Ben?". The Age. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 17 February 2012.
  17. https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/05/felicity-ward-to-lead-the-office-australia.html
  18. Bunbury, Stephanie. "Comedian Felicity Ward on laughter and living with anxiety". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 January 2017.
  19. Merritt, Stephanie (16 August 2015). "Felicity Ward: 'As soon as I mention the word anxiety, the audience go quiet'". The Guardian.
  20. "Appisodes". BBC Radio 4.
  21. "The News Quiz Series 112, episode 4". BBC Radio 4.
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