Hervey Bay comedian Angela Greensill launches children’s books

A former Hervey Bay farm girl who has become a fixture of the state’s comedy scene is now turning her attention to a new venture.

Headlining Queensland comedian and former Hervey Bay farm girl Angela Greensill, whose resume includes solo shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and who recently has been blitzing regional pubs and hotels across the Wide Bay including at Hervey Bay, Gympie, and Gin Gin, has added an author’s hat to her wardrobe as the self-publisher of a series of children’s books.

A one-time Hervey Bay farm girl who took Melbourne’s well-known comedy scene by storm is now expanding her repertoire in a new direction: children’s tales.

Headlining Queensland comedian Angela Greensill, whose resume includes solo shows at the Melbourne Comedy Festival and who recently has been blitzing regional pubs and hotels across the Wide Bay, including at Hervey Bay, Gympie, and Gin Gin, has added an author’s hat to her wardrobe after writing a series of children’s books.

Ms Greensill is self-publishing her series, which includes five books so far ranging from more traditional prose to poems.

She said it was the inevitable result of Covid, which stopped the nation’s live entertainment scene in its tracks for more than a year.

Ms Greensill said this left her “stuck in Maryborough with her niece and no gigs” and only two choices: “Go stir crazy or write children’s books”.

Angela Greensill said this left her “stuck in Maryborough with her niece and no gigs” and only two choices: “Go stir crazy or write children’s books”.

And, she said, some may argue she “did both”.

The step into authorship is the latest in a career progression which could be described as unique.

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Ms Greensil said the stories reflect her own regional Queensland roots and while “you can take the girl out of the bush, but you’ll never take the bush out of the girl … or her punchlines”.

Ms Greensill started her journey on a farm at Hervey Bay, after which she “traded cow paddocks for coffee shops” by moving to Brisbane to pursue a psychology degree.

After a decade as a social worker in cities ranging from Darwin to Canberra, she struck a midlife crisis that “didn’t come with a Ferrari – it came with an open mic and a punchline” and turned to comedy in 2006.

A move to Melbourne and its well-known comedy scene ensued, only to hit a wall when Covid stopped the live entertainment industry in its tracks.

She has self-published five books so far,

Ms Greensill said the stories reflect her own regional Queensland roots and while “you can take the girl out of the bush, but you’ll never take the bush out of the girl … or her punchlines”.