Jessica is a theatre practitioner, director and acting tutor.

She is joint Artistic Director of Red Handed Theatre Company, a New Writing company which focuses on creating vibrant, original work. She is currently directing The Glass Tower by Katie Bonna for production in 2007 (London and tour), and regularly runs master classes and workshops for the company.

She trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, with an award from the AHRC, and graduated with an MA with Distinction in Advanced Theatre Practice- Directing. Previously she achieved a First Class Honours Drama Degree from the University of Exeter, having trained previously with Italia Conti part-time and at Linda Butler’s School of Dance.

She has worked as assistant director at the National Theatre with Out of Joint, for Max Stafford-Clark on The Overwhelming, and also for Greenwich Theatre with Jonathon Moore and the Northcott Theatre, Exeter, with Ben Crocker. She now directs freelance for a range of companies including New Zealand’s London based company, Shakey Isles Theatre and for a National Shakespeare festival. She has directed works including Cigarettes and Chocolate (Anthony Minghella), Be My Baby (Amanda Whittington), Twelfth Night (William Shakespeare), Animal Farm (George Orwell/ Peter Hall), Anansi (Alistair Cambell); A Midsummer Night’s Dream (William Shakespeare), 4.48 Psychosis (Sarah Kane), Amy’s View (David Hare), The Glass Menagerie (Tennessee Williams), Anowa (Ama Ata Aidoo) and several plays by new writer Colleen Campbell, including Between the Lanes and the verbatim play Sticks and Stones.

In addition to teaching acting, providing audition coaching and tutoring students for LAMDA exams, Jessica also works professionally as a dancer for Contrast Theatre Company. Her interest in movement and dance has influenced her work as a director and she enjoys creating physical theatre and using music in performance. She works as choreographer for a range of companies, and teaches a range of dance genres in London.