Hannah Gadsby on widespread acclaim for Netflix special Nanette: It's a bit much

Stand-up comedienne Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette met with a thundering applause from the viewers and critics alike, after it dropped on Netflix on 19 June. The show not only made for a joyful, rib-tickling watch in the first half but also opened a forum for the much-needed conversation about the representation of the LGBTQ community in day-to-day lives.

But what came as a shock was when Gadsby, during the course of the show, announced that she is bidding farewell to comedy. While speculations are rife about whether she will reprise her career in stand-up comedy or not, the Tasmania-born artist spoke to Variety and opened up about reactions post-Nanette and future plans.

Speaking about the inundation of appreciation coming her way after Nanette, the ever-quirky Gadsby said, “It’s a bit much. I’ve had to go into hiding.”

“I’ve been dipping in to see what people are saying, but it’s like a river. The only thing you need to know about a river is that it’s flowing,” she further added.

During the course of her show, Gadsby talks about a range of subjects such as “homophobia, sexual abuse, bad parenting, rape, the dominance of male perspective in art and how easy it is to get away with crimes against women – especially if one is a celebrity,” as mentioned in the review of the show by Firstpost.

The effect of Nanette lasts even more because Gadsby explains these societal vices through her personal experiences of being a queer woman as well as a comedienne as stark reflections to what’s wrong with the world. She never tries giving solutions, but just puts forth things as they are and leaves the audience to decide.

But when Variety asked Gadsby the most-important question — of whether she is really quitting comedy — she replied saying: “I don’t think I would have found the success if I hadn’t taken my place in the world apart. So in order to find this success, I really did need to declare I was quitting comedy and mean it. But you know, everyone’s allowed to change their mind.”

Read the whole interview of Hannah Gadsby with Variety here .

Nanette is currently streaming on Netflix.