By Adam Rafferty
As a 29-year-old Aussie, Jenny Tian is currently undertaking the right of passage that is moving to the UK and making a go of it abroad. And just like all those ‘antipodean’ kids before her, she’s accumulated a bunch of fun stories along the way about the differences between here and there, the weird accents and the even weirder flatmates.
But being a Chinese Australian comedian, it seems compulsory to have at least a goodly portion of your show also feature stories about your parents. In Jenny’s case it’s her mum, affectionately known as Chairman Ma, for her time living under Mao’s Communist regime meant Jenny grew up in a home full of strict rule and genuflection. Her mum’s firmness at times meaning Jenny has missed out on fulfilling her dreams, such as stopping her from travelling to live and work in the US instead of the UK, while also having other dreams preserved by the insistence that she freeze her eggs for when a yet-to-happen relationship fails.
Tian’s structured upbringing hasn’t made her a shy flower however, for discussion of Jenny’s preferences in both fellatio and cunnilingus are delivered with only the tiniest of blushes, mostly due to the fact this performance was delivered with the house lights on and no stage spotlight due to technical difficulties. Even though she isn’t shy of a bit of crowd work, staring into the eyes of your audience as you present your filthiest jokes can be ever so slightly intimidating.
Jenny Tian’s greatest strength it seems is her refreshingly candid and shameless style, effortlessly blending very funny anecdotes with unexpected moments of depth. Fun and freewheeling singles and others who have made the trek to the UK in their youth will find a kindred spirit in Tian, and plenty to laugh about.
