Joanna trained at The Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, where she had a very unusual and extremely special secondary school education. After completing the Junior School course, where Joanna won the junior school singing prize, she went on to attend the 3 year Performing Arts Course.
Joanna made her West End debut at the age of 13, creating the role of Collette in “Bernadette The Musical”,which ran at the Dominion Theatre. She would perform again at the Dominion several more times appearing in “The Children’s Royal Variety Performance” and “Royal Variety Performances”, which were televised for the BBC.
Joanna’s next West End appearance was at the Strand Theatre, (now re-named Novello Theatre), where she created the role of Charlotte in the play “The Weekend”, which had a national tour before the run at the Strand. (Creating the role was very exciting and her name can be found in the front of the published version of the play). Written by Michael Palin of Monty Python fame, this was to be his very first stage play. It was produced by Robert Fox and David Pugh Associates, and directed by Robin Lefevre. Joanna was thrilled to be working alongside Richard Wilson as her grandfather and such an excellent cast.
Joanna toured Europe as a soloist singer in “The Best of Broadway” .She has also appeared in England’s oldest theatre, The Margate Theatre Royal in their summer rep seasons 2005/2006 playing Gloria, in Frederick Knot’s thriller “Wait until Dark”, Louise, in Noel Coward’s “Private Lives”, Kelly Butcher in Alan Ayckbourn’s “Game Plan” and Edith in another Coward, “Blithe Spirit”.
Joanna’s other Theatre credits include, “Forty Glorious Years” in the presence of and in honour of Her Majesty the Queen, Henriette/Annette in the Georges Feydeau farce “The Primrose Path” tour, PeggyHesslerigge and in Arthur Wing Pinero’s “The School Mistress” Theatre Museum, Covent Garden. She appeared at the Royal Albert Hall as a nasty Slytherin Prefect at the Clear Channel/Bloomsbury Publishing event, “JK Rowling and the Order of the Phoenix”, Hotel Manageress in George Bernard Shaw’s “The Millionaires”, Julie Ann in Ayckbourn’s, “Role Play” tour, and Circus Performer, “Barnum”, Union Theatre. Joanna has also appeared in the new musical “Thumbelina The Musical” at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, playing Thumbelina.
Joanna has appeared in several productions at the beautiful outdoor performing space at the National Trust Museum of Bernard Shaw’s home, Shaw’s Corner. Playing the roles of Essie Dudgen in Shaw’s “The Devil’s Disciple”, ensemble, “St Joan” and Miss Constance Neville in Oliver Goldsmith’s, “She Stoops to Conquer”.
Christmas has been a busy period for Joanna as she has appeared in several Christmas Seasons for Qdos Entertainment playing ‘Wendy Darling’ in “Peter Pan”, at venues such as, The Mayflower Southampton, The Grand Opera House, Belfast, The Theatre Royal, Nottingham, The New Victoria Theatre, Woking, The Cliffs Pavilion, Southend, Theatre Royal, Newcastle, and the Swan, High Wycombe, appearing alongside household names that include Shane Ritchie, Steve Mcfadden, Leslie Grantham, Joe Pasquale, and Paul Nicholas. Joanna most recently played the role at The Capitol Theatre, Horsham.
Joanna toured with the musical “Dr Dolittle” playing a lead role of Tommy Stubbins, a Bill Kenwright production, directed by Bob Tomson, choreographed by Karen Bruce and starring Tommy Steel as the Dr. Joanna enjoyed rising to the challenge of spending a year as a boy!!.
She has voiced talking Fisher Price Toys - the talking calculator, “The Calcubot”, and the reading aid “The Alphabet Buddie”. More Voice over work includes, Boots, Marmite and Quality Street, adverts, voicing Sonya, in the animated cartoon “Mad Sonya”, and the voice of Mother in the audio book, “William’s War”. Joanna can be seen in commercials for the ‘Yorkie…it’s not for girls!’ campaign. Other advert work: Honeycomb Cereal, Kool Aid Drink, and “Rule Bet” arcade game.
Television work includes, “The Upper Hand” Central Television, playing Katie for several episodes directed by Martin Dennis and starring Joe Mcgann, a series regular for “Think About Science” for BBC Schools playing Jenny, directed by Adrian Hedley, and Karen in ‘Agony’, Live TV’s Daily Soap. Joanna can be seen in The Beautiful South’s Music video, “The Living Thing”.
