She hasn't quit after all!

Hannah Gadsby has announced a new stand-up show  to premiere during the Melbourne International Comedy Festival next month.

The new show, Douglas, follows the global success of Nanette – which made Gadsby an International Stand-Up star after it landed on Netflix last June.

During that hard-hitting routine, in which she spoke emotionally about the homophobic and sexist abuse she has received, Gadsby vowed to quit stand-up, saying she felt it was not good for her well-being, ad suggesting the need for laughs was not always an appropriate response to the horrors of the world.

However she since changed her mind, given the overwhelming response to Nanette.

Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter, she said it made sense to tour ‘instead of trying to learn a whole new skill set [like acting] and translate my creativity into a whole new genre or artform’.

‘My whole life and world has changed, so there's no real reason to change absolutely everything. There's a certain amount of comfort in going back on stage in an environment that I'm somewhat familiar with.’

But she says she plans to ‘keep upsetting comedy purists’ with her work.

Douglas – named after her pet dog, a Lagotto Romagnolo – will cover the new experiences that have opened up to her on the back of Nanette’s success – not least  the tide of positive feedback she has received from the special. 

Her dog featured in the Netflix trailer for Nanette:

Her tour will begin at the Melbourne Arts Centre from March 27 to April 7 – before Gadsby embarks on her first ever US tour, kicking off in San Francisco  on April 30. 

No UK dates have yet been announced but promoters have promised European engagements – as well as more Australian ones – will be announced soon.

During the tour, she will be banning mobile phones and smart watches, requiring her audience to lock them in Yondr cases. Punters keep the pouches on them, and they are opened at the end of the show – or outside the auditorium in case of emergency.

Here are the dates for Douglas announced so far

March 27 to April 7: Melbourne Arts Centre
April 30: San Francisco, CA – Palace of Fine Arts 
May 10: San Diego, CA – Balboa Theatre 
May 15: Portland, OR – Newmark Theatre
May 22: Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre 
May 30: Austin, TX – Paramount Theatre 
June 2: Houston, TX – Jones Hall for the Performing Arts 
June 8: Seattle, WA – Moore Theatre 
June 13: Minneapolis, MN – Pantages Theatre 
June 16: Chicago, IL – Chicago Theater 
June 23: Philadelphia, PA – Merriam Theater 
June 25: Washington, DC – Kennedy Center 
June 29: Nashville, TN – James K Polk Theater 
July 12: Los Angeles, CA – Theatre at The Ace Hotel

Published: 4 Feb 2019