She Ready! From the Hood to Hollywood!

Tiffany Haddish performs with a physical style that works best when she’s telling highly specific, borderline unbelievable autobiographical stories. The centerpiece of this hour is her recounting of taking Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith on a swamp tour in New Orleans using a discount Groupon. Haddish plays both herself and her bewildered celebrity companions with animated intensity, leaning on her expressive facial expressions and contorted posture to sell every beat of the bizarre outing.

Filmed at the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center in Los Angeles, this 2017 Showtime special arrived at a pivotal moment in Haddish’s career. Released just after her breakout performance in the film Girls Trip, the hour serves as an introduction of her theatrical stage presence to a mainstream audience. She recounts her upbringing in South Central, including her experiences in the foster care system, playground tetherball bullies, and getting revenge on cheating ex-boyfriends, bringing each memory to life with physical movement and a rubbery face.