Good News: Hannah Gadsby Didn’t Retire From Comedy After All

The Tasmanian comedian is testing new material in L.A.

Tasmanian comedian Hannah Gadsby really was going to quit comedy. In her one-woman show Nanette, which was meant to serve as a farewell to the form, she explained her exhaustion with the self-deprecation comedy often necessitates: “I make fun of myself in order to make other people feel more comfortable with my difference. And I decided I don’t want to do that anymore. Not to myself or anybody who may identify with me.”

Nanette had been a success abroad, winning awards at both Melbourne International Comedy Fest and Edinburgh Festival Fringe, but then it debuted on Netflix in June, and Gadsby instantly became beloved in the U.S. A month later, she’d rethought her departure from the stage, telling Jimmy Fallon, “If I quit, I’m an idiot now. If the show had gone as badly as I’d planned, it would have worked, but now I’m left with a choice: I’ll either be an idiot or a hypocrite. I’ll be a hypocrite.”

Earlier today, Gadsby tweeted that she’s getting back on stage for a series of shows at Dynasty Typewriter right here in L.A.

oh hi there LOS ANGELES … I am working on a new little something something on stage at dynasty Typewriter. @JoinTheDynasty Work in progress… Get amongst it. https://t.co/AWpKhglPEF pic.twitter.com/KaL5ddodLm

— Hannah Gadsby (@Hannahgadsby) January 23, 2019

The description on the venue’s website says, “Hannah made herself known to you all in the US in 2018 with Nanette, now she has to work out what to do next. Come and watch her do that at Dynasty Typewriter with these special work in progress shows.” At the moment, the L.A. shows appear to be the only performances Gadsby has planned at the moment. Tickets are $25-$30, for the shows that haven’t already sold out. Looks like not retiring was the right decision.

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Source: Los Angeles Magazine