Ruby Wax shares a gripping retrospective that teases time
Ruby Wax is absolutely famous, however this statement would perhaps ring most resonantly during the 90s when she took the interview documentary genre by storm. Looking around the Oxford Playhouse, I noticed I singlehandedly brought the average audience age down by approximately 50 years – Wax was not catering for ‘A Young(ish) Perspective’ and nor should she be. Rather, Wax and her producer Clive Tolluh, whose partnership is something akin to a delicious fruity gin tempered with tonic, dive back into the impressive archives of Wax’s career with an engaging selection of memories her audience were eager to re-live. Yet, there were exclusive celebrity insights and interesting comparisons on the changing nature of fame across Wax’s career that made Absolutely Famous a worthwhile watch for anyone in attendance.
Wax’s forthright and personable interview style, alongside Tolluh’s diligent producing, has earnt her access to an unbelievable selection of names. Absolutely Famous offers reflection on her experiences with the likes of Donald Trump, Carrie Fisher, Madonna, OJ Simpson and Pamela Anderson to name just a few. Many of Wax’s interactions appear shockingly prophetic, knowing with time the evolving public lives of her interviewees. I found her tense interaction with a young Trump especially interesting on this front; his misogyny toward her was evident and the interview felt as if Wax was tasked with drawing blood from a very obnoxious stone.
Though the most interesting angle Wax offered was her observations on the changing nature of the interview genre itself. A champion of a time before overly polished PR and the crafted ‘influencer’ persona, Wax knows the value of a genuine conversation, praising candidness and showcasing evident ability to humanise the celebrities she encountered. However, this candidness didn’t translate entirely smoothly into Wax’s own performance, which she and Tulloh repeatedly emphasised the ‘improvisational’ nature of, despite having clearly scripted the direction of the show and the moments that would be included. I wondered why Wax felt compelled to present herself this way and in the audience Q+A forming the show’s second act, I received an answer: as well as being a TV personality, Wax has contributed significantly to mental health activism. She spoke earnestly on the pressures to craft a public image and how, having faced several problematic interviewees, a need for self-preservation often overwhelmed her ability to fully let her guard down. Reflecting on the slippage between crafted and candid presentation added another layer of significance to her discussion, particularly when considering how rare it is to find ‘unfiltered’ conversation in today’s digital age.
I did feel at points that Wax’s perspective sometimes included punchlines which were clawing at the edges of where today’s better understanding of representation has reached. A more detailed round of sensitivity and diversity reading wouldn’t go amiss if Wax did want to open her audience engagement up to a younger generation. Nevertheless, I have a huge amount of admiration for her contributions to mental health activism, made even greater when considering mental health is still generally considered taboo by Wax’s generation.
Absolutely Famous was hugely entertaining and skilfully constructed. As someone who approached this show with a limited knowledge of quite how Absolutely Famous Ruby Wax is, I left with a huge amount of respect for her wonderful career. It was a joy to watch her share a little more with the audience who have been there supporting her from the beginning.