Australian whirlwind Felicity Ward is relatively restrained this year. Last year’s show was about her problems with Irritable Bowel Syndrome and her fear of not getting to the toilet on time. This year her new show, 50% More Likely to Die - the stat relates to people who suffer from anxiety and depression - is more of a relatable story of everyday angst.

The narrative pegs for the show are a new app she has been using to calm her nerves via self-hypnosis and a journey to Liverpool when Ward left her bag on the bus to the station. If she went back and got it she would miss the train, if she left it behind there were all sorts of trinkets she might never see again. How could she solve this dilemma? Sounds like a job for that self-hypnosis app…

In recent years Ward has become more of a TV face - she was excellent on John Bishop’s show last year - and in this show she is very good at balancing the more eccentric side of her personality with more accessible gag-based material. There is a great story of trying to make Skype relationships work and a positively fragrant anecdote about a turd in a swimming pool (maybe it’s just the shows I’ve been seeing but random turds seem to be a theme this year…).

And there is no denying that Ward has phenomenal energy as well as storytelling skill as she darts around the stage joking about her age or hitting an air horn to underline points. She is a little like a female Russell Kane, commentating hilariously on her own absurdity. No scrub that, she is a lot like a female Russell Kane, commentating hilariously on her own absurdity. Though she also dances like a 12-year-old New Kids On The Block fan, which Kane doesn’t do. And has an air horn.

Does she get her bag back? Does the self-hypnosis app do any good? And why doesn’t Elton John like lettuce? You’ll have to see the show to find out the answers. But trust me, it’ll be worth it.  

Until August 29. Tickets here.

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