TORONTO 鈥� Australian comedian Hannah Gadsby says she鈥檚 feeling 鈥渁n enormous amount of relief鈥� about closing out her swan-song show Nanette at Montreal鈥檚 Just for Laughs festival on Friday.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my last ever Nanette and I鈥檓 really happy about it, and what a great place to finish,鈥� Gadsby said in a recent phone interview from Los Angeles.
鈥淚 feel like sa国际传媒 is like a nice Australia. We鈥檙e still a little beholden to the Queen, both of us.鈥�
The show, which is now a special on Netflix, has become a global sensation with its strikingly powerful blend of humour and commentary on society鈥檚 treatment of marginalized groups, and her own experiences as a lesbian.
It鈥檚 taken the comic/writer to a level of fame she never imagined, earning honours including Comedy Special of the Year at Friday鈥檚 Just for Laughs Awards Show.
She said she tries not to pay attention to the buzz but every so often it hits her: 鈥淥h my lord, what has happened?鈥� 鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 not a place I thought I fit 鈥� being culturally relevant,鈥� Gadsby said with a laugh.
鈥淚鈥檓 big in India, you know. That鈥檚 not something I thought I鈥檇 be.鈥�
But the live Nanette tour and massive spotlight have also resulted in 鈥渄eep fatigue鈥� and she鈥檚 鈥渟truggling,鈥� she admitted.
Being on the road for so long has been 鈥済ruelling鈥� and requires her to relive the trauma she talks about in her act, over and over.
Such trauma includes being beaten up in a homophobic incident in Tasmania, where homosexuality was a crime until 1997.
鈥淚t鈥檚 an incredibly difficult show to do and it always has been, and the closer I get to finishing it, the more I鈥檝e allowed myself to really appreciate how difficult it has been to perform and how much of a toll it has taken on me,鈥� Gadsby said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 the nice thing 鈥� that it lives on Netflix and I don鈥檛 have to keep performing it for it to do its work, so to speak. So I feel very happy that there鈥檚 an end to my performing of it, because I need to move on. I need to have some naps.鈥�
Indeed, Gadsby does want to move on 鈥� from standup comedy in general. She鈥檚 now writing a memoir of sorts, called Ten Steps to Nanette.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 fancy doing comedy clubs, I don鈥檛 fancy doing long tours,鈥� said Gadsby, who began her stand-up career in 2006.
She also built a career on self-deprecating humour but doesn鈥檛 want to do that to herself anymore, she noted.
Not to mention the emotional toll of performing Nanette and watching unsuspecting audience members, some of whom have gone through similar experiences to those Gadsby had, also be affected by the poignant material.
鈥淚 have done shows where I could see people openly weeping and sobbing. I鈥檓 not dead to that,鈥� Gadsby said.
鈥淚 really took care of each audience. Every show was different, and that is exhausting. I don鈥檛 know how I鈥檝e done it, honestly, I don鈥檛. Now that it鈥檚 coming to an end I鈥檓 like, 鈥楬ow have I done this?鈥� 鈥�
While Nanette is billed as a comedy show, and indeed delivers hilarious material, it鈥檚 also a cerebral critique of the stand-up world and society at large.
Gadsby said she now hopes the mainstream comedy world will make space for other voices who normally don鈥檛 get much of a forum.
鈥淚 hope there are more women of colour, trans people and all these minorities that have a place in the fringes,鈥� Gadsby said.
As for the impact Nanette has had on the comedy world, Gadsby said that鈥檚 not a conversation she thinks she should lead.
鈥淢any straight, white male comedians have reached out to me and just been so lovely and supportive of what I said and how I said it and told me that I鈥檝e shifted the understanding, and that means a lot,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 did the show for myself and my queer people, first and foremost, but I鈥檓 so grateful that it found its way into a constructive conversation that includes straight white men and comedians that I theoretically was challenging.
鈥淪o it feels like instead of a show-stopper, it鈥檚 a conversation starter.鈥�
