FELIXXX
Drayton Arms Theatre
★★★★
“witty, fast paced, and an absurdly funny one man show”
If you can imagine a cross between Johnny Bravo (Cartoon Network) and Michael Scott (The Office US), drop this character in the middle of Ireland, you have Felixxx.
Mark Ryder takes us on a wild journey unpacking male insecurity, ego and fragility. Ryder uses physicality, great comedic timing and relatable references to engage his audience whilst handling serious and uncomfortable topics. He is a great actor and does a brilliant job of sustaining character and portraying emotional journeys and conflict.
At times you will laugh at the sheer audacity and the shock factor of Felixxx’s words with his infantile mindset, but there are also moments where you sympathise with him and even feel disappointed in him. On occasion, I questioned how Felixxx has made it this far in life, how he qualified to become a “Finance Bro” and how old he is supposed to be. But this in itself raises bigger questions about society and how we view men within the Finance world.
The set is minimal. A table, chair, and a few props, all of which are far too small compared to our tall leading man, which could either be an indicator of how large Felixxx perceives himself to be, or a hilarious nod to Felixxx’s downstairs member, Felixxx Jr., who is the topic of this dark comedy. Either way, it was enough and Ryder fills the space creating a larger than life character, whilst also building multiple worlds along the way. The music (Arthur Robijns), sound and lighting (Amber Spooner) are used to shift mood and represent time flawlessly.
Although this a one man show Ryder does a good job of multi rolling characters, though there were times his physicality was distracting and made it difficult to differentiate between characters. Saying that, this was Ryder’s first time playing the entirety of Felixxx to a public audience so there is potential for this to be worked out.
The piece was directed by Rute Costa (Co-founder of Popsie Theatre) who does a superb job at handling such a wild piece. All in all, Felixxx is a great night out – witty, fast paced, and an absurdly funny one man show.
FELIXXX
Drayton Arms Theatre
Reviewed on 29th October 2025
by Paige Wilson-Lawrence
Photography by Amina Ben Ismail
Previously reviewed at this venue:
FRESH KNICKERS (AND A GIN AND TONIC) | ★★ | October 2025
ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD | ★★★ | June 2025
DICK | ★★★ | April 2025
