Felicity Ward
{{short description|Australian comedian}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Felicity Ward
| image = Felicity Ward.jpg
| imagesize =
| caption = Ward at the Any Questions for Ben? Premiere In Sydney, January 2012
| birth_date =
| birth_place = Killcare, New South Wales, Australia
| othername =
| yearsactive =
| spouse = Chris Savva
| partner =
| parents =
| homepage =
| notable_works = Spicks and Specks, Thank God You're Here, Good News Week, The Ronnie Johns Half Hour, Any Questions For Ben?
| awards =
}}
Felicity Ward is an Australian comedian and actress, 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. She is a part of The 3rd Degree, who made and starred in The Ronnie Johns Half Hour.
Early life
Ward grew up in Killcare, a small coastal town on the Central Coast of New South Wales.{{cite web|url=http://www.peninsulanews.info/2009/0504/default.aspx?item=LiveShow|publisher=Peninsula News|title=Show based on local childhood|author=Clare Graham|date=17 Apr 2009|access-date=4 Feb 2010| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20110721230738/http://www.peninsulanews.info/2009/0504/default.aspx?item=LiveShow| archive-date =21 July 2011 }}
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.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}}
Ward made several appearances on the ABC's Spicks and Specks during its six-year run until 2011.{{cite web|url=http://www.laughingstock.com.au/shows/felicityward_ugly.html|title=Felicity Ward's Ugly As a Child Variety Show|access-date=4 Feb 2010}} She also hosted The Comedy Hour on 774 ABC Melbourne.{{cite web |url=http://www.radioinfo.com.au/news/7638 |title=ABC774 launches Comedy Hour |publisher=radioinfo |access-date=18 November 2012}}
From 2006 to 2009, Ward 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.australianstage.com.au/reviews/sydney/choppers-fckin-christmas-bingo-976.html |title=Chopper's F*ckin Christmas Bingo |publisher=Australian Stage |date=13 December 2007 |access-date=18 November 2012}}
=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,{{cite web|url=http://fddp.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/arts-reviews/ugly-as-a-child-variety-show/2009/04/06/1238869892031.html|title=Ugly as a Child Variety Show|author=Richard Watts|date=7 April 2009|publisher=The Age|access-date=4 Feb 2010}} culminating in her winning the Melbourne Airport Award for Best Newcomer.{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/film/three-weeks-of-fringe-binge-winds-up-with-prize-night/2008/10/11/1223145705922.html|title=Three weeks of Fringe binge winds up with prize night|author=John Mangan|date=12 October 2008|publisher=The Age|access-date=4 Feb 2010}}
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) and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe (7-31 August).[http://www.gildedballoon.co.uk/edinburgh_fringe/fringe_show_details.php?show_ID=795 Edinburgh Fringe 2009 details]{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2011/season/shows/felicity-ward-honestly |title=Felicity Ward Honestly |publisher=Melbourne International Comedy Festival 2011 |access-date=18 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015052058/http://www.comedyfestival.com.au/2011/season/shows/felicity-ward-honestly |archive-date=15 October 2011 |url-status=dead }}
In September 2009, Ward appeared at the Melbourne Fringe Festival with a new show - "Felicity Ward reads from The Book of Moron",{{cite web |url=http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/2010/season/fringe-archive/2009/show/1231 |title=Felicity Ward Reads from The Book of Moron |publisher=Melbourne Fringe |access-date=18 November 2012 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121231051159/http://www.melbournefringe.com.au/2010/season/fringe-archive/2009/show/1231 |archive-date=31 December 2012 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1625870/ |title=Melbourne International Comedy Festival Gala (2010) |publisher=IMDb |access-date=18 November 2012}}
In 2011, Ward appeared 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/comedy/features/9120/time-out-sydney-comedy-awards-2011 |title=Time Out Sydney Comedy Awards 2011 - the winners |publisher=Time Out Sydney |access-date=18 November 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120303170227/http://www.au.timeout.com/sydney/comedy/features/9120/time-out-sydney-comedy-awards-2011 |archive-date=3 March 2012 |url-status=dead }} 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.{{cite web |url=http://www.onyasoapbox.com/talent/show.php?id=670 |title=Onya Soapbox :: Talent :: Felicity Ward |publisher=Onya Soapbox |access-date=18 November 2012}}
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.{{cite web |url=http://www.sohotheatre.com/whats-on/felicity-ward-the-hedgehog-dilemma/ |title=Felicity Ward: The Hedgehog Dilemma |publisher=Soho Theatre |access-date=18 November 2012}}
Ward performed at Latitude Festival in 2014, 2016 and 2019.{{Cite web|title=Felicity Ward Interview|url=https://www.latitudefestival.com/news/felicity-ward-interview|date=8 March 2019|website=Latitude Festival - News}} Her 2018 show "Busting a Nut" was nominated for Best Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards.{{Cite web|title=Edinburgh Comedy Awards 2018: Felicity Ward and Kieran Hodgson amongst the shortlist|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/go/london/arts/edinburgh-comedy-awards-2018-felicity-ward-and-kieran-hodgson-amongst-the-shortlist-a3917936.html|last=Thompson|first=Jessie|date=22 August 2018|website=London Indoors}}
=Supporting roles=
File:Felicity Ward 2016 (cropped).jpg
Ward had a well received supporting role in the 2012 Australian comedy Any Questions for Ben?, created by Working Dog Productions.{{cite web|last=Schembri|first=Jim|title=Any Questions for Ben?|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/any-questions-for-ben-20120209-1rp05.html|work=The Age|publisher=Fairfax Media|access-date=17 February 2012|date=9 February 2012}}
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. She has also appeared on UK television as a guest including Roast Battle on Comedy Central in 2019 {{Cite web|title=Roast Battle|website=IMDb |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9657942/characters/nm2306975}} and Richard Osman's House of Games on the BBC in 2023.{{Cite web|title=Richard Osman's House of Games|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00157qv}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable"
|+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |
| 2024–present
|The Office{{cite web | url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2023/05/felicity-ward-to-lead-the-office-australia.html | title=Felicity Ward to lead the Office Australia | TV Tonight | date=31 May 2023 }} |Hannah Howard |8 episodes; main role |
| 2023
|Richard Osman's House of Games |Herself |5 episodes |
| 2022
|The Mind of Herbert Clunkerdunk |Denim Jean |1 episode |
| 2021
|Late Night Mash |Office Worker |1 episode |
| 2021
|Collette |8 episodes |
| 2019
|Herself |1 episode |
| 2019
|The Mash Report |Various |1 episode |
| 2019
|Charlotte |2 episodes |
| 2019
|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
|Lizzie | |
| 2012
|Laid |Mandy |1 episode |
| 2012
|Any Questions for Ben? |Emily | |
| 2010
|Judy |1 episode |
| 2009
|The Librarians |School Teacher |1 episode |
| 2005–2006
|Various |26 episodes |
Personal life
Ward has been open about her struggles with anxiety and is an active advocate for mental health in Australia.{{Cite news|url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/comedy/comedian-felicity-ward-on-laughter-and-living-with-anxiety-20150217-13g8sd.html|title=Comedian Felicity Ward on laughter and living with anxiety|last=Bunbury|first=Stephanie|newspaper=The Sydney Morning Herald|language=en-US|access-date=2017-01-17}} She also spoke about her issues with Irritable Bowel Syndrome in her 2015 show "What If There's No Toilet?"{{Cite web|title=Felicity Ward: 'As soon as I mention the word anxiety, the audience go quiet'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2015/aug/16/felicity-ward-what-if-there-is-no-toilet-interview|last=Merritt|first=Stephanie|date=16 August 2015|website=The Guardian}} and about anxiety, depression and insomnia as part of her BBC Radio 4 series "Appisodes".{{Cite web|title=Appisodes|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b0bf9mcn|website=BBC Radio 4}}
Ward describes herself as a “late bisexual,” having recognised same-sex attraction in her 40s.{{Cite web|title=The News Quiz Series 112, episode 4|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m001qtp9?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile| website=BBC Radio 4}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{IMDb name|2306975}}
- [http://www.facebook.com/pages/Felicity-Ward/60690557133 Felicity Ward on Facebook]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ward, Felicity}}
Category:Australian women comedians