Edinburgh Fringe 2010: Review – Hannah Gadsby – The Cliff Young Shuffle

Talented comedian and story teller extraordinaire is back for another year at the Edinburgh Fringe, this time with her new show “The Cliff Young Shuffle”. In what I can describe as an intimate hour long performance, Hannah takes us on an amazing personal journey of triumph over despair, physical and mental endurance, and her own personal hell.

Don’t be dissuaded by the sombre tone of my last sentence, this is a well thought out show with Hannah threading small titbits of humour and personal insight amongst the constant backdrop of her hilarious core story.

Of course, we start with the basics, who is Cliff Young and what is the “shuffle”?

If you’re an Aussie, you’re bound to know the ultra-marathon runner Cliff Young. If not, you need to get to Hannahs’ show so that she can do the formal introduction as he is without doubt, an Australian icon and inspiration to many.

With introductions to one side it sets the right mood for Hannahs’ own story. How many of you can say that you’ve walked across the United Kingdom? That’s right … from coast to coast, east to west? In what seems a torturous endeavour, Hannah takes us with her recounting her journey from last year as she attempts to walk across the continent.

Hannah is a superb story teller and its her often “awkward” delivery that suits this story so well. The hour is full of humour and at the same time Hannah lets us into a very personal world, revealing various truths about her herself which adds further strength and reference to the main story. There were times during the hour long performance that I felt Hannahs emotions were on a knife’s edge and its a self-deprecating Hannah that leaves us at the end of the hour, right there on the walking track with her, feeling her every sore muscle, blister and broken bone as she inches herself closer to the coastline.

Does she make it or does she quit on the second day? You’ll need to go along to find out for yourself. I have to admit this show took some time to come to grips with afterwards and I really liked the top rate humour throughout, but there’s something deeper and more meaningful that one can take away from Hannahs show. She raises questions about body image, the treatment of depression and of course the big one for me, why? Why would someone who has no (she admits) fitness, no history of physical endurance and with no preparation even attempt to put herself up for so much pain and suffering trying to achieve something so seemingly impossible, all alone!

Hint … she reveals it all in the show!!!

Hannah is an award winning Australian comedian and this show won a Directors’ award at this years Melbourne International Comedy Festival. Its a show well worth seeing, its funny and at the same time moving and inspirational. Showing, Assembly @ George through the whole month.

Where:		Assembly @ George Street
		West Drawing Room
When:		Mon 9th Aug – Sun 29th Aug

By Anthony