30 March 2012
Victoria Hotel
to 22 April
comedyfestival.com.au
How many woman are going to head to Hannah Gadsby Wants a Wife hoping that it's a reality show with a snogging contest for the potential brides? But, of course, that's just silly. A woman can't marry a woman in this country.
The internet doesn't need another rant about equality. There's no logic, decency, compassion or common sense in any argument against same-sex marriage. And, as Hannah says, if she could marry the chick she loves, it'd make it harder for her lover to leave.
No one seeing her show disagrees (and it'll be full every night of the festival), so perhaps we need a campaign to get the "moral majority" away from the suburbs and their huge-screen tvs and Herald Scum editorials and into some comedy shows.
Things to sell them on Hannah: she uses naughty words (including the very naughty one that women aren't meant to like – but we do); there's discussion about Victorian (the time, not our state) morality; and there are naked ladies.
Just don't mention that the nudes are in painting, that Art – capital A art – is discussed and that they may finally realise that fancying people who share your gender has nothing to do with gender inversion. Lesbians are not dudes.
Hannah Gadsby had me from the moment I saw her on telly showing where she was from on her map of Tasmania. She's the most delightful thing on the ABC (lovely Adam Hills, we want more of Hannah on Gordon Street) but she's so much more gorgeous, smart and funny in the flesh. This is stand up with the kind of heart and guts that gives hope that we really are heading in the right direction, and will get there faster once we're over the prejudicial bumps.
This review appeared on AussieTheatre.com
