JESSICA MARTIN!

BIOGRAPHY of JESSICA MARTIN

(Jessica's Credits)

Jessica Martin is a multi-talented performer whose career has taken her from comedy impressionist to musical theatre leading lady and scriptwriter. She recently received critical acclaim for her one woman show Sunset Bitch at the new Waterloo East Theatre and was the first artiste to perform in cabaret at the newly refurbished Savoy Hotel. 

Jessica began her professional career at sixteen, singing with her jazz pianist father at the St James Club in Mayfair. She graduated from Central School Of Speech and Drama and London University with a B.A honours degree in English and Drama. Shortly after that she developed a solo cabaret act as a comedy impressionist. Regular gigs on the comedy cabaret circuit soon landed Jessica her first prime time television success as the sole girl impressionist in LWT's Copycats and voice work on Spitting Image with regular spots on variety and chat shows as well as guest appearances on a number of Royal Variety shows. 

Jessica crossed over to 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 andThe 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's A Saint She Ain't, at the King's Head Islington. 

Other plays include Candida, Surprise Party and Larkin 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 played Barbra Streisand in the Radio 4 play Jack Rosenthal's Last Act, directed by Maureen Lipman. 

She has had a long association with Ian Marshall Fisher's Lost Musical seasons amongst which she has played leading roles in On A Clear Day You Can See Forever, Finian's Rainbow, Fifty Million Frenchmen and Silk Stockings. 

Jessica has also enjoyed success with her one woman shows featuring her movie star alter ego Veronique Raymond in Blame It On My Youth, Where Was I, Veronique - A Life Long Cult and Sunset Bitch which played at the New York Fringe Festival in 2005. 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 two-hander play Unnatural Acts by Nick Awde and Chris Bartlett at the Gilded Balloon for the Edinburgh Festival 2007. 

Recent workshops include Bauhinia (National Theatre Studio), a new musical of Rebecca directed by Francesca Zambello and A Round Heeled Woman starring Sharon Gless at the Richmond Theatre. 

Jessica was one of the original company in the new Boublil, Schoenberg and Legrand musical Marguerite at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Following this she joined the West End cast of Sunset Boulevard at the Comedy Theatre covering and playing Norma Desmond. 

Jessica is currently developing various writing and cabaret projects. She has written a new one woman play Hallie's Comet based on the life of theatre heroine Hallie Flanagan, which will premier in 2011. Her screenplay Band Of Mothers is currently in development. 

She has also recorded four new tracks for her ongoing album projects with Mark Steyn and musical director Kevin Amos, this time celebrating the work of Frank Loesser. And there will be a brand new disco version of Marshmallow World coming out for this Christmas. She is also one of the featured artistes on the new Coronation Street album with songs composed by Trisha Ward. 

Earlier this year Jessica was proud to be one of the featured West End performers in the Sondheim At 80 concert for the BBC Proms. 

Her dulcet tones can also be heard as voice over on the current Bold 2 in 1 campaign on radio and televisionamongst other household brands! 

As a cabaret artiste, Jessica has performed in distinguished venues including The Ritz, The QE2 and several engagements for His Royal Highness Prince Charles. She has performed in New York and the South of France. 

She has also performed and will continue to perform cabaret engagements at The Savoy Hotel. 

Jessica performing in All I Want For Christmas at the Jermyn Street theatre. 

Jessica was thrilled to have been chosen to play 'Lady of the Lake' in the 2011 tour of Spamalot. 

Jessica has just completed performing in Mack and Mabel at the Southwark Playhouse. 

Meanwhile, Jessica is to perform in The Dark at the Top of the Stairs at the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry. 


Jessica Martin is an honorary patron of The Music Hall Guild of Great Britain and America. 

For further info about Jessica and her books, please visit her website! http://www.officialjessicamartin.com/