The comedian delivers uncharacteristically feel-good content in their third comedy special Something Special.
Following the wild success of two-time Emmy-nominated Hannah Gadsby: Douglas (2020) and the Emmy and Peabody award-winning Hannah Gadsby: Nanette (2018), stand-up comedian Hannah Gadsby is back with Hannah Gadsby: Something Special. This time, Gadsby challenges themself to tackle the chaotically humorous elements of existence — from life after notoriety and their recent marriage to family dynamics and bizarre animal encounters — in what they’ve described as their first “feel-good show.”
Gadsby, whose previous specials were notably tragicomic, continues to probe life through the prism of gender, sexuality, and mental health in Something Special, albeit through a more-lighthearted lens. “This is not a trap,” they quip when an anecdote veers into the not-so-feel-good. “I’m not doing the thing I’m famous for.”
Hannah Gadsby
Filmed at the Sydney Opera House, the comic showcases a bit of their romantic side in Something Special, recounting the story of their engagement and marriage to partner, creative collaborator, and producer Jenney Shamash with flair. Gadsby critiques the “reverse engineered spontaneity” of wedding proposals while detailing their own panic attack-laden road to popping the question, and shares how they tricked a Christian bakery into supplying a great white shark-themed cake for their wedding. Something Special proves that Gadsby’s ever-evolving storytelling can be sweet, thought-provoking, daring, and yes, feel-good, all at the same time.
