Review: British comic Dawn French owns every high, and low, in faultless show

British comedy queen Dawn French is in Melbourne to dish the dirt on movie stars, famous singers and theatre legends — but she doesn’t shy away from highlighting her own fabulous fails.

Dawn French points the finger at hilarious celebrity encounters in her latest stage show. Picture: Marc Brenner.

Nobody does self-deprecation quite like the British.

In her new show, Dawn French Is A Huge Twat, comedian, actor, and author Dawn French wears her fabulous failures loudly and proudly.

No foppish doe-eyed regrets here — French owns every high, and low.

The two-hour show is a lively retrospective of many, many faux pas committed during French’s career in theatre, TV and movies.

French, now 66, first shot to fame in a trailblazing comedy duo with Jennifer Saunders. Her resume includes The Vicar Of Dibley, Murder Most Horrid, Death On The Nile and Harry Potter.

Dawn French in her new show, Dawn French Is A Twat. Picture: Marc Brenner.

Her anecdotes are wonderfully rich with detail, and French is a warm and engaging storyteller.

The way she tells it, you can feel the agony — and slow breakdown of bodily functions — over her shocking costume choice for Sir Elton John’s fancy dress birthday party.

Or there’s the disastrous time she fell in love with a co-star after filming intimate scenes.

Her delusion over this imaginary affair, and later, in a giddy fangirl story about singer Norah Jones, were marvellously executed narratives with perfect pay-offs.

Elsewhere, French dished on hilarious encounters with Hollywood stars, West End legends, Swedish icons, and a blood-soaked Scottish diva. Every tale is terrific.

French says she has no shame or regret about past mistakes.

“Give me a real twat owning their twatness,” French told the crowd with conviction, “because the true twat in me recognises the true twat in you.”

Dawn French performs at the Palais Theatre on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Tickets: livenation.com.au