This engaging and educational show makes the mind tick, but not too much that it hurts. Gadsby tells of a moral lesson regarding equal rights for same sex couples, and in a weirdly refreshing way, that lesson presents itself in a scholastic perspective. The fact that all this is told through a huge canvas print of The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck is somewhat intriguing in itself.
Accompanying the huge painting Hannah takes us through a dissecting powerpoint presentation of the print, explaining in great detail the meaning behind elements of painting. In turn, she weaves through witty stories about discrimination. It’s weird that stories about such a sad problem in society can be pulled off with wit, but Hannah does it in her own unconventional way.
There are lessons about oranges, clothes and M&M’s which could have been seen as somewhat all devoid of anything to do with the theme of the show. Gadsby has a way of making those tangents somewhat refreshingly relevant to her message. At the same time we discover those previously mentioned insights to deplorable human behaviour during a man’s buck’s night are talked about with charming bemusement charm and thus turning those situations into an amusing anecdote rather than a horrifying one.
There is a major ‘no bullshit’ factor with Hannah Wants A Wife. It’s an upfront story told through quirky absurdist jokes about those issues which Hannah is passionate about. In a way, it’s a type of casual protest disguised as a stage show.