Holly Walsh: Never Had It

It’s ironic that comedian Holly Walsh enjoys one of the few lifestyles in which being a goofy doofus can be considered a major advantage, yet at the same time craves the indefinable charisma frequently possessed by world leaders and R&B stars. If she were a more remarkable presence, it’s doubtful that she’d have such a wealth of self-deprecating anecdotes to pepper throughout her stand up shows. Still, even allowing for the fact that most comedians are awkward outsiders on some level, the manner in which Walsh carries herself is delightfully meek and underwhelming. Her confidence and years of experience, it seems, will never be reflected in her intonation and body language.

Much of Never Had It is concerned with the constraints Walsh’s personality places upon her. Prudish and polite, her main passions in life are medieval art marginalia and the socially-restrictive pursuit of free food. Like thousands of her peers, she professes to have issues with social media, yet her resentment toward the technology's invasive nature appears entirely genuine. Attractive and successful she may be, but we really do buy into Walsh’s nebbish neurosis.

Unfortunately, Walsh puts herself into something of a Catch 22 pickle. The star’s fairly pedestrian delivery suits her material well, a lack of flashy embellishments leaving it to shine on the strength of her routines and observations alone. But there's a cost to this: as a performer, Walsh is not hugely engaging. While this is an hour of strong material, her performance just isn't so compelling that she could be recommended over more distinctive competition.