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Hannah Gadsby
 The notoriously accident-prone Tasmanian comedian Hannah Gadsby, who took to the stage never having seen a comedian before, describes herself as "super laid back. Any more laid back, and I'd drift off to sleep." Yet somehow over the course of her chequered career she has developed prophetic abilities, found harmony picking broccoli and enraged British national treasure Pam Ayres.
Gadsby left Tasmania, in her own words, as "everyone was a little too ... related. A little too friendly!" Her many attempted career paths include stop-motion animation. "I'm not particularly good at it, I discovered! I thought I would be. The people who do it have extraordinary powers of patience."
Broccoli harvesting relaxed her. "You're out in the fresh air, the weather's nice." A position as a film projectionist came to an ignominious end after a damaging series of international cycling mishaps. "One was a miss-and-run - they didn't quite hit me but I swerved into a parked car; one was a car door opening. I was hit by my fourth car in Vienna."
Unexpected success followed Gadsby's surprise win at the 2006 Raw Comedy competition at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, which a friend forced her into. From there to the Big Apple: the New York comedy circuit was competitive. "It's tough. They're pretty comedy-savvy. But I did all the exciting clubs." Invited to perform in 'So You Think You're Funny?' at the Edinburgh Fringe, Gadsby took the opportunity to sample Scots cuisine. "I was impressed with the deep-fried Mars Bar. But I don't think it's something you can have twice," she emphasises.
The new show that modern-day Nostradamus Gadsby is bringing to the Adelaide Fringe is based on a prophetic book she wrote in Grade Two about her brother's imaginary friend, which has been uncannily accurate in foretelling events in her own life.
Her notorious run-in with Pam Ayres occurred when attempting to follow her mother's advice on humour. "She said, 'You don't have to swear to be funny. Ever heard of Pam Ayres?' So on stage, I'd say, 'Pam Ayres is a hilarious comedian poet. Her material includes such gems as, "I wish I'd looked after me teeth."' And, granted, there's a little bit of tone in my delivery." Unfortunately, someone played Gadsby's lewd parody of the poem to Pam Ayres when she was visiting Australia. "She said, 'That's not particularly funny: it's just an excuse to use a foul word.' Which is right - but it's funny! "
Rosie Clarke
Hannah Gadsby performs Downstairs in the Rhino Room from Tues 13 March
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