Jenny Wynter

  

Jenny Wynter is an award-winning musical comedian whose one-woman cabaret "An Unexpected Variety Show" won the Award for Excellence in Cabaret at last year's Melbourne Fringe. The show is appearing at Adelaide Fringe Festival, Brisbane Powerhouse and Melbourne Comedy Festival and beyond in 2012.

The comedian fuses together stand-up, musical, improv and character comedy with a deeply personal story about the unexpected twists of life, from unplanned pregnancy to finding oneself in the mountains of Canada to having your wedding disrupted by an elderly man wearing nothing but a pair of Speedos.

She spoke with ArtsHub ahead of her shows.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Princess Leia. Once I outgrew that, I moved on to more realistic aspirations, like having my own personal Flashdance moment.

When did you know you would work in the arts?
There's never been a time when I didn't want to be a performer; I remember reading in an acting book once, the forward was by Judi Dench who said "If there is anything else you can be, then please, put this book down and go do that." I thought that was harsh at the time, but now, having been on the rollercoaster that is being a self-producing performer for some time now, I realise what she meant. It's a glorious yet difficult path: it's not enough to feel like "that would be nice to do!" It's got to be a part of who you are.

How would you describe your work to a complete stranger?
I am a comedy and cabaret performer who produces my own work. For now!

Is there a mission to your work?
I really want to create comedy shows that are more than just "haha" amusing, but leave you with something more, to move you in other ways. I saw an interview with Billy Crystal talking about seeing a comedian onstage early in his career who was killing it (i.e. comedy speak for doing a rocking set). Billy turned to his agent and said "Wow, he was great!" and his agent said "Well, yes, but he didn't leave a tip." I want to be a tipper!

What's your background – what did you study to get to where you are?
I did a degree in Film and TV, then after uni worked in arts marketing roles while writing scripts and acting in plays in my spare time. It wasn't til a few years later when I had two small children that I fell into the world of improv and comedy. My City Council awarded me a Fellowship to study in the USA with Second City and the like, which was utterly incredible. It really blew my mind to see the standard and scope of improv comedy over there, it is held in such high regard, indeed you'd be lucky to find an actor WITHOUT improv training of some sort. In 2007 I moved (with my young family) to Canada to train and perform with Loose Moose Theatre, an amazing company which was started by Keith Johnstone (revered as the inventor of Theatresports, amongst other claims to fame) and that is where I can credit much of my onstage skills today. They changed my life.

What's the first thing career related you usually do each day?
It varies, I am much to my own disgust, not a creature of habit. I wish I was, I know it would help me! Some days I stretch, others I bash out a few melodies on the piano, I have only this year set myself a challenge to dance every day! Whether it's for a few minutes or for an hour, I'm committed to getting better at my unique brand of "daggy dancing" which I bring onstage!

Can you describe an "average" working day for you?
My typical day is very Jekyll and Hyde-ish. I have Mummy face on mornings, afternoons and evenings, where it's all breakfasts, cleaning, packing lunches, getting kids dressed, bathed, cuddled, whatever…then on my child-free days I am in production/promo mode. Lately I've found my most productive times are found taking my computer and notes to my local library and working from there. Listing my upcoming shows on websites, sending out media kits, inviting folks to see the show, writing blog posts for my website, organising the logistics of upcoming tours, getting excited about future opportunities I stumble across…it's pretty computer-heavy, I don't think some of my non-performer friends actually understand what my "work" actually is! Then night-times, once the kids are in bed, is usually my rehearsal/writing time; luckily I have trained my kids to sleep through noise from an early age!

What's the one thing - piece of equipment, toy, security blanket, – you can't work without?
A to-do list. Without it I am just a downward spiral of social media procrastination.

What gets you fired up?
Possibilities! My hubby has been known to exceed his eyeroll/chuckle combo quota when I come to him with the latest and greatest amazing opportunity that I've spotted online. I'm very lucky in that he's fully onboard with my career and open to my crazy ideas.

Who in the industry most inspires you?
I am most inspired by people who have managed to cultivate incredibly successful careers, while remaining nice human beings. That is very cool indeed.

What in the industry do you despair about?
People getting bitter and even nasty about other people's success. I hate it when I hear people moaning about how "such and such got this opportunity that I didn't get". Nobody just gets handed a career. Sure, people get lucky, but to capitalise on the luck you've got to have something going for you. If I do ever start thinking that way I do try to nip it in the bud pretty quickly!

What’s the most challenging aspect?
Constantly switching hats between mummy and stage diva can be a real challenge. Plus trusting that everything you're putting into your work is eventually going to pay off. Last year during Melbourne Fringe, despite having lovely reviews, I still was going out and doing the show to so few people, I was losing money night after night. I called my hubby and said "I'm so sorry, what have I done to our family's finances?!" but then two days after that conversation, I was presented with the Award for Excellence in Cabaret, which has gone on to open a number of wonderful doors and as a result, 2012 is looking unbelievably good. But I didn't know that back then in the thick of it: investing in your art takes a tremendous amount of belief in yourself!

What are the top three skills you need in this industry?
1. Persistence: to keep putting yourself out there, despite any knock-backs or rejections.
2. Eagerness to take constructive feedback: to have your ego's need for affirmation be overshadowed by your desire to get better at your craft.
3. Willingness to fail: it's not really failing if you learn from it, anyway.

What advice would you give anyone looking to break into your field?
There are always going to be reasons why you should delay starting; if you really want to do it, then just do it. Book a venue. Put on a gig. Google the living daylights out of "how to put on a gig." Get the stage-time. I've gone to my fair share of auditions, but I don't think by any means you need to sit back and wait for somebody else to "accept you"; if you want work, create it. Put on a show! Even if you fail, you're going to learn so, so much. Failing actually teaches you much more than succeeding does.

How do you know when you missed the mark?
With comedy it's pretty obvious; they're either laughing or they're not! One of the best things I ever learned at Loose Moose was how to be okay with failing onstage. Their whole philosophy was that the audience is as comfortable as you are; it really only has the potential to destroy the rest of your performance if you carry that failure with you in a negative way. I had the great privilege of seeing Bill Cosby live in Canada while I was there, which was such an eye-opener in many ways. Some of his jokes fell flat; he didn't even flinch, but just went on to the next moment like everything was as calm and cool as could be. And the audience went with him. It was a beautiful thing to watch.

Which of the below phrases best suits your career development to date and why?

"The road to success is always under construction. "
"Opportunity dances with those who are already on the dance floor."
"Success is best measured by how far you've come with the talents you've been given. "
"No one can cheat you out of ultimate success but yourself."

When do you know you’ve made it?
I read an interview a while back with a hot-shot young photographer who got to meet his idol, a meistro photographer now in his 90's, who told him something like "Look at me. I've made it. And now, I can hardly walk, my body's failing me…if this is making it, then making it sucks. For heaven's sake, make sure you enjoy the journey." I love that. I'm trying this year not to concern myself so much with the future, as excited and carried away with it as I can get. My kids really help me with this; to just enjoy the ride as it happens, because it will all be behind us soon enough.

THE LIGHT HOTEL - HIGH ROLLERS ROOM

141 CURRIE ST , ADELAIDE 5000
25-26 Feb FREE SHOWS
28 Feb, 1-4 March, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17 March Tix from $10 - $20
All shows 7pm

Buy tickets: http://www.adelaidefringe.com.au/fringetix/an-unexpected-variety-show/67f39c15-39d1-4d1c-8a38-97c5c99d654a