Cast & Creatives
Cast | Creatives
Jessica started her career at sixteen, singing with her jazz pianist father at several prestigious London venues. After graduating from London University with a BA honours degree in English and Drama she developed a solo cabaret act as a comedy impressionist. She performed on the comedy cabaret circuit and soon landed her first prime time television success, appearing in the highly successful London Weekend Television impressionist show Copycats. This led to a regular spot on Spitting Image, appearances on variety and chat shows as well as guest appearances on a number of Royal Variety shows.
Jessica made the transition into the world of musical theatre when she starred as Sally Smith in the West End production of Me And My Girl at the Adelphi Theatre for two years, followed by a sell out national tour.
Other leading roles include Mabel Normand in Jerry Herman’s hit West End musical Mack And Mabel at the Piccadilly Theatre, Nellie Forbush in a national tour of South Pacific, Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz, the Olivier award nominated productions of Babes in Arms and The Card, both at the Open Air Theatre Regent’s Park, Mrs Lovett in Stephen Sondheim’s Sweeney Todd at London’s Bridewell Theatre, and Trudy in Dick Vosburgh and Denis King’sA Saint She Ain’t, at the King’s Head Islington.
Other plays include Candida, Surprise Party andLarkin with Women plus numerous radio credits including her own Radio 2 special set in forties Hollywood Cybill Liberty, Ned Sherrin’s Review of Revues for BBC Radio 2, and the role of Alma Cogan in Radio 4’s Stage Mother, Sequinned Daughter. She recently playedBarbra Streisand in the Radio 4 playJack Rosenthal’s Last Act, directed by Maureen Lipman.
Jessica has also enjoyed success with her one-woman show Sunset Bitch at the New York Fringe Festival. She created a new musical comedy Taste The Love, which premiered at the Jermyn Street Theatre in 2004 and played Pippa and Sylvia in Exclusive Yarns at the Wimbledon Studio Theatre later that year. She returned to Jermyn Street with Danny and Sylvia in November 2005.
In 2006 Jessica toured in the Nottingham Playhouse production of Tracy Beaker Gets Real, playing Tracy’s mum. She also performed in the premiere of Dick Vosburgh and Denis King’s The UnAmerican Songbook.
She performed in a new two-hander play Unnatural Acts by Nick Awde and Chris Bartlett at the Gilded Balloon for the Edinburgh Festival 2007.
Jessica continues to be much in demand as a cabaret artiste and has just launched her new act Unlimited Engagement as part of The American Songbook In London season at Jermyn Street.