Review: Alex Ward

Alex Ward has no ability to flirt, so thankfully she’s in a long-term relationship. But when her girlfriend borrows her phone and forgets to log-out of Facebook, mysterious messages begin to appear. Who is Jordan? Why does he keep saying sweety [sic]? Are they really just someone Alex’s girlfriend is trying to sell an old TV to on Facebook Marketplace as she says?  

Despite the awkward behaviour recalled in her standup, onstage Ward is a confident performer. She shows genuine delight in the ridiculousness of everyday life, from the language used in dog ownership to parents talking to their kids about drugs. Woven through her standup material is the hunt to find the real story behind Jordan’s messages, and her screenshots offer a great prompt to probe at online culture. 

No Flirting is not quite a complete show, and Ward admits to us that she’s still trying new things, but there is plenty of good stuff that keeps the audience chuckling throughout. Ward’s notoriety has been building behind the scenes through her work on The Project and Tonightly (among others) and she’s carefully forging a path towards headline status.