The first woman to win the coveted Perrier Award at the Edinburgh Festival in 1995, Jenny Eclair is a stand-up comic, novelist and actress. She has also published five critically acclaimed books, including the Sunday Times bestseller Older and Wider – A Survivor’s Guide to the Menopause. In 2018, her stand-up show How to be a Middle-Aged Woman (Without Going Insane) sold out across the UK and Australia. jennyeclair.com
The first album I loved was The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. Discovering Bowie marked my transition from teeny bopper to serious music aficionado (who still watched Top of the Pops religiously).
I’m musically a heathen – I’m 63 and still don’t really like classical music. That said, I pay huge attention to the pre-show music played to my audiences when I’m on tour. I like a mix of lippy lady singers and glam rock, with a bit of The Rolling Stones thrown in. Sometimes I Shazam tunes from adverts!
What's everyone reading?
The book that influenced me the most as a young woman was anything by Jilly Cooper and Fay Weldon – two writers I felt really understood women – and Lynne Reid Banks’ The L-Shaped Room.
I’m currently reading the Scottish novelist John Niven’s emotional non-fiction account of his brother’s suicide, O Brother. Next up is Ordinary Human Failings by Irish wunderkind Megan Nolan.
My favourite film is whatever black and white crime caper [like The Asphalt Jungle] is on Talking Pictures this week. I’m a sucker for a diamond heist. I like films featuring basement night clubs, beautiful women and bad men.
I spend far too much time on social media and painting terrible pictures.
My best-loved quote is ‘Fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. It’s naff but horribly true.
My ideal art collection would include anything by Pauline Boty [Celia Birtwell and Some of her Heroes], a Basquiat, a Duncan Grant, some Ivon Hitchens and a Paula Rego.
My favourite gallery is Tate Britain – I love its permanent collection and it’s near my house. I’m also a fan of the Whitechapel, but nothing beats arriving at the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice by water taxi.
Recent favourite exhibitions include Alice Neel at the Barbican, the Hockney installation ‘Bigger and Closer’ – I wasn’t expecting to like it but I was entranced – and Mike Nelson at the Hayward.
The greatest meal I ever had was a burrata omelette with mushrooms and pistachio butter in a place called Upstairs at The Department Store in Brixton. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
This year, I’m looking forward to popping into as many galleries as I can while I’m on tour with my stand-up show and seeing more of my grandson; the Crown Prince of Lambeth and the light of my life.
If I could bring back one trend it would be optimism. There’s very little around at the moment.
