Hannah Gadsby Is Coming Back With "Douglas", Her Follow-Up to "Nanette"

Get ready for the tension.

Hannah Gadsby’s Earth-shattering, paradigm-shifting, debate-inspiring, absolutely brilliant (and yes, still very funny) special Nanette was meant to mark her explosive retirement from stand-up comedy.

But then, she became a global megastar, appearing at the Emmys and getting impersonated on SNL.

So, it's both surprising and not-at-all surprising that she's just announced a follow-up show, titled Douglas, which she'll begin touring in March, beginning with sold-out shows in Melbourne before continuing to the US. Don't worry though, she'll be back in the land of Oz in December in case you missed out.

Named after her dog, the tour announcement says the only thing Douglas has in common with Nanette, which took its title from a random barista, is that "they've inspired Hannah to put pen to paper and turn out a show you couldn't possibly expect".

In an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, she said she decided to un-retire from stand-up because "my whole life and world has changed, so there's no real reason to change absolutely everything."

"With Nanette, it was clear what I was stewing on," she added, referring to the way in which she tackled toxic masculinity and the inherent damage of a career in self-deprecating stand-up.

"This year, of course, I've got a whole new sort of life that I've had to wrangle with. I'm deeply unsettled by the amount of positive attention that I'm getting; the negative attention, I'm well learned in handling that!"

Nanette, of course, became a cultural touchstone a few months after she toured it around the world, thanks to the release of a Netflix special filmed in New York. THR supposed demand will be massive for Douglas, with potentially competing offers from Netflix and Amazon to release it widely.

Her response: "I'd be surprised if no one was interested! (Laughing.)"

But before it's released on a streaming platform, catch Douglas in the flesh when Gadsby returns to Australia later this year in December. Grab your tickets here when they go on sale from Friday 29 March.

Dec 7 – Palais Theatre Melbourne, Melbourne
Dec 11 & 12 – Theatre Royal, Hobart
Dec 14 – Canberra Theatre Centre, Canberra
Dec 17 – 21 – Sydney Opera House, Sydney

Update (25/3): This article was originally published on 5 February 2019 but has been updated to include the new tour dates.

Header Image: Token