Adelaide Fringe 2019: Alex Ward — No Flirting
Review by Olivia De Zilva
Venue: Drama Llama at The Rhino Room
When: 21–23 February
Cost: $25
Alex Ward returns to the Adelaide Fringe with her new and improved stand-up special, No Flirting.
Detailing the constant anxieties of the modern condition; Facebook Marketplace transactions, dog-parenting and online flirting, Ward’s show is a revealing image of what’s it’s like to be on the cusp of your thirties…absolutely terrifying.
Ward’s neurotic, yet charming demeanour commands the small stage at the Drama Llama with a certain poise which makes her “character” relatable, understanding and almost comforting for those in the audience who have experienced the terrifying consequences of dating. Touching on the fears and anxieties of dating, sexual experimentation and drug usage, Ward uses her own unique brand of cynical and observational comedy, to paint a vivid, intimate picture of her personal life.
No Flirting is an enjoyable set which has clever anecdotes and puns peppered throughout it’s 50-minute run-time. Ward doesn’t demand theatrics or audience participation which adds to the personal often visceral nature of her storytelling. Ward’s clever way with words can sometimes be disrupted with crass and graphic details of topics which might not be entirely necessary or relevant to the subject matter she seeks to present.
However, despite this, Ward’s show has all of the necessary components to succeed during the competitive stand-up circuit of the Adelaide Fringe.
