No More A Gadabout

Tasmanian comic Hannah Gadsby isn't chasing fame, money or a lavish lifestyle. She's just after somewhere safe she can pop her glasses while she sleeps. That's the heart and soul of her new hour-long stand-up show, Happiness is a Bedside Table.

“It's just all about settling down,” she says. “I've always been a bit of a drifter. That's the comedian's lifestyle, touring all the time, of course, but to be honest I was nomadic before I did comedy. I've never lived anywhere longer than six months. I've always been in other people's spaces, really, and I've never owned stuff. So for the first time in my life, I own stuff! Useful stuff, like furniture.”

Gadsby pauses, taking stock of how her enthusiasm has leapt skywards during her last two sentences. “It feels very adult, but it sounds very juvenile to say. I'm a 35-year-old woman, I really should have chalked this up before now.”

Gadsby's on the phone from her new-found and long-term digs, a flat above her brother's fruit and vegetable shop. She's settled in nicely already; as we speak she's playing Wii Tennis on the pride and joy among her “stuff”, a giant television.

“I found out that if you're on television, a television is tax-deductible, so I thought I'd make use of that. I've never owned a television before, I've not even hooked it up to the aerial, I just watch DVDs... Oh, great rally, just one down the line there if you don't mind,” she says, momentarily distracted by her onscreen efforts. 

“But you know, beggars can't be choosers. This flat is a shithole, but it's mine because it's something I can afford. I was only at home three months of last year so it seems silly to maintain a place while travelling, but I can do that with this place. There's no heating, no cooling, so there's only about two months of the year where that's okay in Melbourne, and it's got ugly carpet but I love it. I've found the secret of happiness is to have really low expectations.”

As well as touring her show around the country's comedy festivals this year, during her run in Melbourne Gadsby will again be doing her extremely popular art-themed show at the National Gallery of Victoria. Becoming an annual tradition, it ties into one of Gadsby's dearest hobbies and is always funny as well as informative. Last year's show looked at the role of the Virgin Mary as a muse for artists.

“I love doing that show because it's a chance to talk about anything but myself. I studied art history and curatorship at uni, back when I thought I might be normal,” she says. “I had no ambition to be an artist, no, because I had no talent. I just loved art. Maybe it was all the naked women. I'm doing a show all about nudes this year – I got sick of doing the virgin,” she laughs.