Ruby Wax – I'm Not As Well As I Thought I Was

The second thing you hear in Ruby Wax’s I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was – besides thunderous applause in a standing ovation she mischievously suggests the audience give her – sounds like a Gatling gun. As she stood on stage in her characteristically kaleidoscopic pantsuit, I thought to myself, what a perfect metaphor for Wax’s frenetic and unfiltered mode of self-expression.

Unfortunately, the magnetism of Wax’s personality was massively restricted by the parameters of her one-person show. I’m Not As Well As I Thought I Was attempts to fit the introspective-comedy mould seen in shows like Fleabag, but does so at the expense of its subject’s supreme talents. While Wax replicates the stringent blocking she has clearly been assigned by a third party, she looks uncomfortable, hellbent on perfecting the coming choreography.

Wax’s charm does shine through occasionally and her decision to document the trials and tribulations of maintaining mental wellness is a noble one. But this show falls short of Wax’s usual vibrance.