A graduate of the National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Art (Christchurch, NZ), a stint Francine Cote’s Clown and Comedy School (Montreal, CAD) and the infamous Celebration Barn (Maine, USA), Jess is a clown, street performer, MC and podcaster.
Jess has been performing across New Zealand and internationally in a variety of festivals, circus tents, streets, and theatres. Highlights include performing her comedy juggling show Jess The Mess at Wembley Stadium for London’s World Busking Day, and hosting Blackboard Theatre Collective’s Isolation Mix Tape concert with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra. She tends to say yes to a lot of things which would explain the last minute shows she performed in Kuwait, the month-long gig at a flower festival in Canberra while suffering from extreme hayfever, and the tour of regional towns in Poland... She has no regrets!
It was in 2014, during her final year of drama school, that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), and after a dramatic health scare at the end of 2019, Jess was inspired to connect and share stories to spread awareness and hope. This led to the creation of a weekly podcast That's So Chronic, where Jess interviews people from all around the world that are living with chronic illnesses, life changing injuries, and potentially disastrous diagnoses.
Jess is also currently studying towards a Bachelor of Health Science (Public Health) at the University of Canterbury.
When Jess isn’t performing or working on That’s So Chronic, she can usually be found watching documentaries, dreaming of travel plans, eating gluten free pizza, and laughing at her own jokes!
