Ruby Wax: Wax Acts! Opera House, Manchester, 1992
Ruby Wax: Losing It: E4 Udderbelly Pasture, Edinburgh, 2011
Ruby Wax OBE is an American actress, comedian, mental health campaigner, lecturer, and author who has resided in the United Kingdom since the 1970s. She is a force of nature and will stop at nothing until she gets her point heard. I have been fortunate to see her live twice. The first – a solo show Wax Acts! directed by actor Alan Rickman, revealed her entertaining upbringing and displayed a great wit for telling stories with flair and honesty.
In Losing It, seen sometime later in 2011 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the show focussed on Wax’s mental illness and her wellbeing. From one who supposedly was happy and successful, Wax’s cutting, authentic humour and Judith Owen’s touching songs were both moving and achingly funny.