Comedian Sarah Kendall's best friend at school was the joker in the pack.

It was her friend who was the witty one, winning popularity and wielding the power.

"My best friend is one of the funniest people I have ever met and I saw this. It is most attractive. I think many professional comedians are the friend of the funny person. We are more static, we write and edit our comedy,'' said Sarah.

The Australian-born comic is bringing her freshly edited story telling show, One-Seventeen, to Swindon next week (Friday, June 29).

"It's a collection of stories, falling down a wormhole and jumping through the ages. It is based on true life, well the bare bones,'' she said.

It has been 17 years since the comedian upsticks, for the sake of an Englishman called Henry, to move to the UK. She swiftly made a name for herself as star of the BBC Radio 4 series Australian Trilogy and notched up nominations for Perrier awards at the Edinburgh Fringe.

She has worked with some well respected names in the business including Alan Davies, Dave Gorman and Russell Howard.

"Alan is lovely, he has generous laughter which made me instantly like him. I met Dave through an old friend of mine Chris Addison who has become a radio producer for BBC 4. He came to see my show. I collaborate with him, we have a short hand language between us. We often lie on the couch telling stories,'' said Sarah.

Sarah was a guest on Russell Howard's Good News and she was featured on one of Richard Herring's celebrity podcasts.

"Russell Howard is such a good man, hard worker, nice guy, it's a pleasure to work with him. I've known Richard Herring for years, we did the podcast and we have the same sense of humour so we talked for hours, for two hours, and the podcast was downloaded by a quarter of a million people,'' said Sarah.

The comedian says she has no desire to become an actress, at least not a straight dramatic actress, although she dipped her toe into drama, appearing in one episode of the BBC 2 series Motherhood.

"I go back years with the writers Holly Walsh and Sharon Horgan. I played a horrible nanny and it was good fun. It all went clickety click, everyone was happy and laughing, a most delightful experience over the three days,'' she said.

"But for me dramatic acting is a no, and comedy acting is just us showing off.''

Having two children herself Sarah says she now understands the anguish of being a parent, and the worry her parents felt when she decided to go into comedy.

"My parents trusted my work ethics and knew that I worked hard at everything I try, but I do now understand the horrors for parents,'' she said.

Her own daughter wants to an actor and Sarah is attempting to give her the hard lessons of attending auditions before she makes her mind up.

"I tell her she must audition first, be realistic not just want to be famous. It is all part of the terrain. I really want her to go behind the camera.''

The comedian was also asked to appear, as herself, in an advertisement for Georg Jensen jewellery.

"That was a weird one, I was asked as it was aimed at women from the world of life, who wouldn't wait for a man to buy them jewellery, women who would buy their own. There was me, a boxing girl champion, a Three Star Michelin chef and a film director. It was a successful ad, I didn't eat much beforehand to look good, and we had three days filming in Barcelona,'' said Sarah.

One-Seventeen is at Swindon Arts Centre, Devizes Road, Old Town on Friday June 29 at 8pm. tickets are £16.50 from 01793 524481 or visit www.swindontheatres.co.uk - Flicky Harrison