Much has been made of her proclivity for deeply personal material, critics often celebrating her candid approach. According to Ward, though, her comedic style comes naturally. “I don’t choose to be honest. It just comes out of my mouth and I regret it. The difference now is, sometimes I get paid for it,” she jokes.
There’s a sense of modesty about Ward as she reflects upon her craft. “I don’t have any objectivity on the amount or quality of work I’m writing or creating,” she says. “Even if I come up with something I’m proud of, it only highlights how much more I should or could be doing.”
This year, Ward is looking to build upon the immense success of The Hedgehog Dilemma. Amusingly, her drive to succeed has little to do with any sense of self-satisfaction, peer-recognition or even the prospect of another award-winning season. “I like to keep that dangling carrot of failure right in my sight line, so any time I’m slacking off I am faced with the reality of consequence,” she muses. “Fear is a great motivator. Just look our country: We’re thriving on it!”
Ward’s new festival show, The Iceberg, explores ‘perspective’. To sum it up, Transformers-style, there’s generally more than meets the eye. “The concept of the show came out of repeated situations where I thought I knew the extent of a problem, then the water drained and I realised I was in far more trouble than first expected,” Ward explains. “Me and the Titanic: very similar.”
In touring the UK and the USA, Ward played to different audiences, honing her craft in the process. What’s life like as a travelling comedian? “It’s been a poor experience. I don’t mean, spiritually, I mean it’s sending me broke,” she admits. “I hope I’m better as a result of all this touring. I can’t afford not to be.”
Naturally, touring has its fair share of challenges. As it happens, the UK – specifically Edinburgh – has a reputation for ruthless crowds, with comics invited to perform at their own peril. Ward, having forged a familiarity with the scene, takes a moment to share her wisdom. “A lot of comedians hate sleep, money and self-esteem. Edinburgh Fringe is the perfect antidote to that. I also think there’s this self-hazing that a lot of Australian comedians experience; they think they have to go to Edinburgh…just to say they did,” she reveals. “You don’t! You don’t have to go! Save yourself! Run!”
Ward herself took a brief time-out during Edinburgh last year, later writing a blog about her experience. The piece highlighted the emotional intensity that comes with pursuing comedy. “I think you need to have endurance and tenacity,” Ward advises, speculating on the make-up of the average comic. “ In boxing terms, it’s the old rope-a-dope.”
Ward is set to return to the sanctuary of the Melbourne comedy circuit after a long absence. “It’ll be interesting. I don’t know if absence makes the heart grows fonder or more forgetful. We’ll find out in a few weeks!”
BY NICK MASON
