Jonty Bennett is fresh on the scene. He made his comedy debut in 2017 when he was runner-up for the Best Newcomer award and won Spirit of the Festival at the Comedy Carnival. Since then he has produced his own show, taken it down to Dunedin and found his feet in the world of dry, cynical humour.

How did you stumble into comedy? I've been comedy-adjacent for a long time, with some friends involved in the scene egging me on to give it a crack. I eventually entered the inaugural Fresh Comedy Competition in 2017, where I forgot my closing bit and was hooked immediately.

What’s your day job and how does that fit in with your comedy? I currently work in retail, which has offered some flexibility when it comes to performing out of town. It can be a good source of material in some ways.

What words of advice do you have for aspiring comics out there? Record your sets and perform frequently. You never know when you'll have an off-the-cuff line or comment that kills and you can't remember afterwards – and repetition breeds comfort. Audiences relate and react much quicker when you're comfortable and look like you belong on that stage.

Do you have a pre- or post-show ritual? Pre-show for me is usually a Red Bull and a high-energy playlist on Spotify – a lot of punk rock and hardcore. I like to get to the venue with time to spare to settle in and have a beer, and if it’s my first time at a venue I like to check out the stage area before the audience arrives (so I know where they'll be, possible sources of noise, how the lighting is etc).

What’s the comedy scene like in Christchurch? The Christchurch comedy scene is pretty friendly and down to earth, and there's always advice as well as banter floating about. We've had our growing pains over the last couple of years but the scene has handled them reasonably well and has managed to keep quite a diverse mix of acts and performers active through those.

What or who do you find funny? I like dry, cynical humour the best – that's the kind of style that I go for.

What’s the most common misconception about comedians? That we'll tell you a joke when you ask us to. A lot of comedy is contextual, with a story or set-up behind it and is more than just one line. Most of us are naturally funny in conversation, but come to a gig if you want the best stuff!

Highlight of your time as a comedian so far? Taking a show to the Dunedin Fringe Festival in 2018, just after the one-year anniversary of my first gig. It was the first show I self-produced and managed. I took a couple of other acts that started at the same time as me and did a three-night run in a 25 to 30-seat venue (Inch Bar). With a full house for the last two nights and a koha entry fee, we made enough to cover costs and take home a bit of pocket money each. The show was titled Same-Same but Different. It was based on the three different styles of comedy we had and has continued in a slightly different format since – highlighting a different mix of acts, styles and energies than you'd typically see booked together. The next one is coming up during the Comedy Carnival in September at darkroom.

Funniest moment on stage? Performing in my home town of Timaru for the first time, in the back room of a family restaurant, standing on a shipping pallet and just riffing with the crowd at the start. Great fun.

What’s something that only your mother knows about you? How much I hated school growing up.

How do you relax and unwind? Music. Loud Music.

If you could invite any three people living or dead to a dinner party, who would they be and why? Rowan Atkinson, Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. I bingewatched Blackadder recently.

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