Two-time Barry Award nominee Hannah Gadsby brings a life-changing revelation into this year’s festival. It might take you a while to get into her new show but, true to form, Gadsby will win you over in the end.
Donkey seems oddly tentative at first. It’s slow to get going as Gadsby offers a briefing for what’s to come. She declares that her new hour of comedy is “not about donkeys”, that does not deal in observational comedy, nor shock comedy, promptly satirising the latter. The opening minutes will feel a little bit like you’ve enrolled in “Hannah Gadsby 101”, designed exclusively for new fans. “I dabble in the sub-genre of depression comedy,” Gadsby eventually declares and, with that, the show gets underway.
Donkey revolves around a diagnosis. According to Gadsby herself, it’s a diagnosis that puts her whole ‘depression comedy’ shtick in jeopardy. You may have guessed by now that she’s in good humor about everything. In fact, Gadsby is wonderfully forthcoming, shedding light on the moment that put much of her life into perspective. Armed with new information, she proceeds to evaluate her behaviour, dissecting a 37-year cleaning odyssey and lamenting a memorable outburst in a cafe. She even braces some especially heavy topics, bearing her soul and drawing gasps in the process. “I’ve tried to tame myself for years,” Gadsby explains.
As Gadsby astutely observes of her own show, Donkey revolves around the present day and where she currently sits with things, rather than the past exclusively, as with her other shows. Fortunately, the shift has not changed things too drastically, with all of her classic comedic hallmarks still in effect. She’s dry, occasionally sardonic and her scathing self-deprecation is strangely delightful. As fans will likely attest, even the tiniest of noises and glances can induce laugh-out-loud hysteria. With Gadsby, less is often more.
That Gadsby seems relieved to have made sense of herself and her life is touching and contributes plenty towards the general charm of Donkey. Ironically, she actually subverts the “depression comedy” tag, having crafted a rather uplifting and rewarding show. That Donkey continues well after it has arrived at its feel-good conclusion seems unnecessary, but a highly-amusing finale ultimately serves as redemption.
Though Gadsby jokes that the news she received might somehow undermine her career, she can rest assured that she has not yet taken a backwards step. While Donkey may languish in its opening minutes, it’s still largely top-shelf stuff and a sure bet this festival.
BY NICK MASON
