Felicity Ward: The Hedgehog Dilemma

Review by Roxane Hudon | 14 Aug 2012

Uh-oh, a female comedian moaning about her love life! Relax and give it a chance, because charismatic Aussie comedienne Felicity Ward breathes honesty and hilarity into her tale of heartbreak.

For the uninitiated, the Hedgehog Dilemma is a Freudian analogy for human intimacy, using the example of hedgehogs who must choose between cuddling up and sharing warmth in winter and risking harming each other with their sharp quills, or being alone and lonely in the cold. Ward tries to find out what kind of prickly mammal she is by sharing how her eight-year relationship came to an end, forcing her to move back in with her mother and re-think her life as a single lady.

If that’s not your cup of tea, don’t worry, she also rambles about hedgehog dicks and performs a silly song and dance about her alcoholism, pumping out just the right amount of juvenile humour to keep everyone entertained. Extremely animated and compelling, Ward makes self-deprecation charming, poking fun at her inability to woo men and laughing about her many drunken misadventures. You’ll possibly leave with a big, fat stupid grin on your face, unashamedly humming Sisters Are Doin’ It for Themselves.

Felicity Ward: The Hedgehog Dilemma, Underbelly, until 27 August (not 13), 22:00, £12.00/£11.00 http://www.felicityward.com