Who is Jenny Wynter?
I’ve been turning friends and family into audience members since 1979. I’m a comedian, cabaret artist, writer, actor and mother of five million children (note: this number might be less. There’s so many, I cannot be exact).
What would you do differently from what you do now?
Get better at maths. And I’d also like to spend more time around goats because they appear to be God’s comedians.
Who inspires you and why?
People who excel at their craft and get all the accolades and “success” yet still manage to stay nice human beings. That, and for aforementioned reasons, goats.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
I’d love to invent a portal which allowed you to spend 24 hours living somebody else’s life. I suspect that may be the only way to world peace. Until that time, my goal is to make the world feel a tiny bit lighter here and there by making people laugh.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Canmore, Canada. I lived there for a couple of years when my kids were small and fell head over heels in love with it. The mountains, the people, the delusion that I could be a professional postnatal snowboarder… it’s magic.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
When my friends come to town I AM the attraction, baby! We’ve actually just moved from Brisbane to Gympie, so I would also take them to this little town’s crown jewel: Australia’s last standing all-you-can-eat Pizza Hut.
What are you currently reading?
Everybody in My Family Has Killed Someone. The first week we moved here the author Ben Stevenson was doing a reading at the local library: turns out not only is he a comedian and a hilarious and successful crime writer, this latest offering is in development with HBO. And it took Gympie to introduce him to me!
What are you currently listening to?
My teenage son is obsessed with early gangster rap, so I have a remarkable array of NWA and Tupac lyrics in my head at all times. I’ve no idea how appropriate this is. I’m guessing not very.
Happiness is?
Pancakes. I think this secret has been suppressed by the illuminati for far too long.
What does the future hold for you?
I’m developing a TV comedy series at the moment which I’ve got high hopes for! On the personal front we’re right at the start of our green-change, so hopefully the immediate future involves patting goats between bouts of comedy writing. Oh, and lots and lots of pancakes.
Jenny stars with Queenie van de Zandt in the Funny Mummies Cabaret Spectacular – which will be presented at Kingston City Hall on Saturday 14 September 2024. For more information, visit: www.funnymummiestouring.com for details.
Image: Jenny Wynter – photo by Joel Devereux