Danielle Ward emerged on the stand-upcircuit in 2004, and was named best newcomer by Time Out two years later.

She first appeared at Edinburgh in 2005 as half of a two-handed show with Roisin Conarty, before taking a couple of years away from stand-up, first with the 2006 Fringe show Take Aa Break Tales, then 2007's Psister Psycho, which was nominated for a Chortle Award for best show. She returned with stand-upshows in 2008 and 2009.

Ward is also a regular Radio writer, having contributed to the topical shows Look Away Now, The Now Show and The News Quiz, as well as Radio 2's The Day the Music Died.

Danielle Ward: Lies – Fringe 2009
Live Review

Danielle Ward likes the fact that some of her jokes are so obscure or so bleak that only a few people get them. It’s an admirable commitment to her art, but it doesn’t always make her shows easy to recommend. Some of her ‘have you ever noticed…’ observational gambits, for instance, would probably only truly resonate at a group therapy session for depressives with particular penchant for late Seventies rock, rather than your average comedy audience.

Still, there is guilty pleasure to be had from the dark originality of those mordant jokes that do hit home, even if there are frequent lulls between them.

Taking her theme of lies, this dourly deadpan comic begins with a mixture of truths, urban myths and downright untruths and asks is to guess ‘true or false’. She’s not exactly the slick, glitzy game show host, and the audience interaction is stilted, even if some of the obscure details she reveals are strangely fascinating.

This gives way to her own material, a mix of deliciously mean-hearted gags, weird stories from her own, isolated youth, and more straightforward stand-up fare, such as the difference between Radio 4 and the idiot-magnet that is TalkSport. Misery is never far away: parasitic twins, the day she drowned chicks as a child, and her early romantic encounter with the man with a fetish for eye sockets, are among the subjects covered in her Stewart Lee-inspired monotone.

The challenging subject matter can be a turn-off, and she makes little concession to sweeten the pill. The narrative wanders and while a ringing banana phone provides occasional distraction, it always heralds an example of Ward’s ‘acting’ that aims for the surreal, but hits the ‘baffling indulgent’ instead.

She delights in deliberately bringing down the mood – a rare desire for a comedian to have – with tales of death that don’t always end in a cheeky punchline to generate laughs from the release of the dour mood. Broodingly dark comedy is one thing, but Ward risks overwhelming her dry wit with solemn morbidity.

The images will certainly stick with you – as will some of her dry lines, since this Radio 4 writer can string together a gag if she needs to. There just aren’t quite enough of them to overcome he sombre subject matter… and that’s no lie.

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Very personable! Perhaps needs more confidence and more material. She battled hard against the audience! Not the funniest, but a lovely, lovely lady.

Kelly, November 2009

Just heard her set on the bbc comedy awards. Laugh out loud funny. Not good when you are supposed to be working!

Paul, November 2005

She's got a well-crafted set coupled with unique subject matter. A truly refreshing comedian.

Lloyd Langford, July 2005

Uncanny - it's like Stewart Lee is in the room. The comedy equivalent of a pub-covers band. Covers done well, but covers nonetheless.

Andy Copthorne, April 2005

Without a doubt one of the funniest comedians on the London scene. I saw her at the 99 Club tonight, to see such cynicism mixed with such a genuine personality is an absolute joy.

Chris, January 2005

Class

Kraftwerk, January 2005

Piss takingly over-rated. Absolutely no connection with the audience and drearily ploughs through material script like in a monotonous sour tone. Nothing likeable or endearing about the act at all.

Alison, November 2004

Danielle is razor sharp, fit, and a breath of fresh air

Fireball, October 2004

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