by Lauren Means and Selena Haynes
Hannah Gadsby, Australian comedian, is bringing her show “Douglas” to TPAC June 29-30, 2019. Writer, actor, and standup comedian, Gadsby pulls from real life for many of her projects. She got her start after entering an Australian comedy competition in 2016 where she made it to the end to win the national prize. From there she continued on to international comedy shows, television specials, and eventually launching a tour, “Nanette,” which was picked up by Netflix and led to a Peabody Award.
“Nanette” came to life during the very public debate of same-sex marriage in Australia in 2017, which was very relevant for Gadsby as she is an out lesbian. This was also a time where she was officially diagnosed with both ADHD and Autism. Using her personal experiences is therapeutic, not only for her but for her audiences. She says that through comedy she has learned how to fully engage in the world, “I can be surrounded by people and still feel disconnected. [Comedy] helps me find a way to connect.” After her success with “Nanette,” she announced she was quitting comedy. Lucky for us, that was not really the case and is now ready to give us “Douglas.”
“Douglas,” named after Gadsby’s dog, premiered in March at a comedy festival in Melbourn. It has now hit the road and will be landing in Nashville June 29-30th at TPAC. The first show sold out so they added a second show which still has tickets available.
Gadsby’s memoir “Ten Steps to Nanette” will be released later this year.
Before You Go
Who: Hanna Gadsby
What: Douglas
Where: TPAC’s James K. Polk Theather
When: June 29-30th
Why: Tasmania’s own Hannah Gadsby has come to the world’s attention through her multi-award winning stand up show Nanette which played to sold-out houses across Australia, London, Edinburgh, New York and Los Angeles before launching on Netflix in June as the first Australian Netflix Original Comedy Special and stopping the comedy world in its tracks.
How: for more information and to purchase tickets visit https://www.tpac.org/event/2019-06-29-to-2019-06-30-hannah-gadsby/
