Felicity Ward, comedian, 38: Q&A

Comedian Felicity Ward on making it big in the UK, her lack of shame - and why she’s going to get a squirrel tattoo in Melbourne.

Back in Australia: Felicity Ward. Picture: Steve Baccon

You’ve become quite the hit in the UK, with accolades at the Edinburgh Fringe, a Live From the BBC special, a gig supporting Amy Schumer… Has this changed you? I mean, no. When people stare at me in public I still assume I’ve got food on my face. ’Cause it doesn’t happen often enough for me to go, I know what this is.

London’s been your home for six years. Why did you leave us? I was living in Melbourne and travelling around doing all the gigs I could… I just wanted to do more and get better. I came over for what was meant to be six months. Then I fell in love, and then I had seven months of work booked…

Do you worry about developing the International Accent our expats are prone to? The Kylie? Nah. And I just spent four weeks on the NSW Central Coast so you’ve probably caught me at a prime moment. Although – don’t tell anyone – I actually said yog-hurt last night.

What do you miss about Killcare, where you grew up? I think it’s so magical… I don’t mean to get daggy and spiritual but there something when I’m there – I just feel finished. I won’t say complete. I really miss the water; in a deep spiritual way do I miss the ocean and the sand and the sunsets. My heart hurts for it when I’m away.

As a teen you did the rounds of hospitality jobs in the area. What kind of waitress were you? I was good, except for when I was a dish pig at the Hardys Bay RSL. They had six coffee plungers and I broke five of them. I’m very uncoordinated – my nickname is Spiller.

In your shows you discuss your anxiety, your love life, the ins and outs of irritable bowel syndrome… does oversharing come naturally? The one thing I had going for me when I started stand-up was that I didn’t have a sense of shame. It wasn’t about, “Oh I’m adorable because I share so much.” I was just never afraid of looking like an idiot on stage – and I didn’t have the joke-writing skills to fall back on.

Is your husband Chris off-limits? Oh no, this new show is 60 per cent about him.

You’re back in Australia for an intense run of comedy festival gigs. What will you do in your down time? I’m not great at self-care so that will be my focus. I just have to learn how to feed myself properly. Even after 10 years of doing festivals, by week three I’m like: Maccas again? And I’m going to get a tattoo in Melbourne. Maybe a squirrel…

That furry outfit you’re wearing in the poster for your show Busting a Nut. Is that meant to be… Yes, it’s a squirrel. How dare you! What did you think it was?

A cat? OK. We probably could have spent more money on that.

On a more positive note, how are you enjoying Brexit? It’s never gonna happen, mate. It’s just going to be something they can talk about for the next 10 years while the infrastructure of the country is crumbling and people are killing each other. And there are no new jokes to make about it. So yeah, I’m loving it.

Felicity Ward is at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival until April 21, and Sydney Comedy Festival April 26-27. comedyfestival.com.au; sydneycomedyfest.com.au