I saw Hannah Gadsby in *Body of Work* at BAM on May 12, 2022. She's an Australian comic, best known for her Netflix comedy special *Nanette.* That show was fascinating - - it started as a conventional stand-up comedy show, with her telling stories and making funny remarks. By the end of the show it had become more personal, darker, more intense, and somewhat disturbing.
She started the BAM show by saying that she had recently gotten married, so this would be a feel-good show. Anyone hoping to hear more tales of woe from her would be sorely disappointed. Let me say right off that the quotes I use are, of course, approximate.
She had broken her foot a few months before. "Let me introduce you to my cane. His name is Michael. Yes, Michael Cane. I broke my foot. I slipped on the ice. In Iceland. Bad on me, it was stated right there in the name. I say that I broke my foot, but it would be more accurate to say that I broke my foot OFF. It was brutal, it was just dangling there, clear separation of church and state. Which I realize is something you're not familiar with."
She talked about her autism and how it's complicated her life, especially since she'd become famous. "I met Jodie Foster after one of my shows. It happened to be my birthday and she brought me a gift. It was astonishing to me that she KNEW it was my birthday and that she brought me a gift. The gift she gave me was Bananagrams. You would think this would be a thoughtful gift for me - - I'm a writer, I enjoy words. A person with a little bit of poise and decency would say, 'Oh how thoughtful, thank you so much.' But what did I say to Jodie Foster? 'I've already got Bananagrams.' "
Here she is talking about autism on Skavlan, a Norwegian-Swedish TV show:
The show was delightful, moving, funny, inspiring. There's something immensely appealing about her and her honesty.
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