An Actors Blog . . .

Saturday 17 October 2009


Myself And David Reynolds Now Run Staurday Morning Drama Club
Extract taken from Urban Voice Limited www.urbanvoice.co.uk



Saturday 17th October marks the beginning of a brand new drama club for young people in Years 4, 5 & 6 in the Pelsall, Rushall and Shelfield area of Walsall!

Urban Voice Art's Workers, David Reynolds & Jessica Harper will be delivering six 2 hour workshops over the coming weeks that will help participants meet new friends, learn new skills and have loads of fun!
The 30 strong group of children who have been selected from a large number of applicants arrived this morning and took part in their first session.
If the six week trial goes well - the drama club could become a regular activity for local kids - so watch this space!

Jessica Says:

What A great first Re-hearsal, I Thoroughlly enjoyed my first week running "The Saturday Morning Drama Club" Both Dave and I are going to work really hard with this project and make sure that the outcome is the best standard of directing we can give. I hope the kids enjoy it and can begin to understand what Drama is really about. My aim is to help the kids learn new aspects of Drama and Performance on a weekly basis. I want them to go away every Saturday with the excitement of coming back next week.

Friday 16 October 2009


Working With Foursigh Theatre: The Corner Shop Oct - Nov
Foursight Theatre
23rd Oct (7.30), 24th (4.00 + 7.00), 28th (1.00 + 7.30), 29th (1.00 + 7.30), 30th (1.00 + 7.30), 31st (1.00 + 4.00 + 7.30), 5th Nov (1.00 + 7.30), 6th (1.00 + 7.30),7th (1.00 + 4.00 + 7.30) and 8th (4.00 + 7.30)  Mander Centre Wolverhampton

This is an on-going blog. So I will keep it up-dated after every re-hearsal and performance. Hopefully photographs will appear very soon.





I am currently re-hearsing for Foursight Theatre's performance of The Corner Shop. It is being held in the Mander Centre wolverhampton. Foursight theatre are also running a corner shop blog please click the following link to be directed straight there:
They also have their own website.



16th October
(First Re-hearsal)

Well This is the first time I have ever worked with Foursight Theatre. I am really excited as I have seen them perform such wonderful pieces that I have always wanted to be involved with. "Thatcher The Musical" and "6 Dead Queens" So I turned up for re-hearsal. I was suprised to see that the show "The Corner Shop" is  being performed in a shop. But it works really well. It just adds to the atmosphere and the authenticity of the piece. It is a shop (or many shops) in a shop. Which is wonderful. I got to meet the company and cast. They are all great and are wonderful to watch perform. I was introduced to my performance group and they gave me a brief of the story line and actions. Whilst warming up I learned a few new songs. Baby 1,2. Love it!
So now to really test me ... I was thrown into the deep end. We ran through our first street scene a few times untill we had got it right. I managed to slot myself in just fine. I just had to make lots of noise and joke around alot. That's not too difficult.
For my next scene, I had to become somewhat of a menace. I was to become a gang member, a hoodie a yob! So that's what i did. I stole some chocolate from the corner shop and looked mancingly upon the shopkeeper only to be disturbed by a regualr customer that said he knows my mates mom. Bad times!

So Re-hearsal went really well today. I thoroughlly enjoyed it. The show looks amazing and I am so excited to be a part of it. Looking forward to coming back tomorrow!

17th October
Uh oh! Electrics!

Re-hearsal was a little later today. (So I could get a spot of shopping in before hand! ;-))
Un-fortunatley there had been a major electrical probelm and we had been plunged into darkness, which means we had to resort to the lighting of downstairs, offset. Not to worry though we soon created a stage and begun our re-hearsal. Before I knew it bins were thrown in to the session. (Not literally) But Steve did wish us to use 2 bins in our next scene. So that's what we did. Me and sarah hopped into a bin while the lads pushed us around. This is my favourite scene. Although the bin is quite small so slightly bruised knees but hey ho! This is a very fast and pacey scene and it tells alot in such a short time. (You will have to come and see the show if you want to know any more!)
Later we watched and were then put into the finale. What A wonderful display of sounds, colours and cultures. What a way to finish a show! I hope the audience enjoy this part of the show as much as I do being in it. It's a real feel good ending!

21st October
Full Runthrough

Well today was the first time I have seen the full run through and it was great! Really great! The set is wonderful! Just the fact that you are watching a performance in a shop is pretty great enough but the way the audience wander with the performance is pure magic. So all is well . . . well . . . apart from the fact that I fell out of the bin. We were taking that bend quite gently I though untill KERPLUNK! she's down. Nice one! But no Injuried were incurred . . . This time! haha! Seriously we need to get some sort of license for driving those things. Great fun though, being pushed around in a weelin bin, who'd a thought  it.
On a serious not, The Corner Shop is wondeful. It is an explosion on Vibrancy, colour thrown at you from every angle. The performances are rich with culture and truth. You are taken on a journey you didn't think possible from a night a the Theatre. You experience real life, real stories and real feelings. From the second you walk into the shop you are thrown, head first into a whirlwind of excellence. What a show. I am very proud to be part of it.



22nd October
An Audience Member

Well today was officialy the first propour (Dress re-hearsal) run through. Frances managed to gran a few audience members out of Costa. Free night out, champion! I myself was an audience member too. I was quite excited to see how it was going to all come together with an audience of plenty. It really is a great show, easy to watch and easy to understand. The audience, as far as I could hear thoroughlly enjoyed the performance. There was thumbs up all around! I really enjoyed watching it. Now I'm really looking forward to doing it on Wednesday. Cant Wait! :-)

28th October
My First Show

So although the show has been running for a few days now, today is my first show. You see the community cast is split into seperate groups. So we have different show timetables to everyone else. Anyway, we got ourselves all warmed up. I learned some songs that I had never heard before which really helped me to concentrate. un-fortunatley we went on a little late today, only by 15 minutes but all the same. So we hear the audience stampede their way in and the music starts. So far so good! All is looking and sound wonderful. Not too many in the audience this afternoon, but enough. My sister, Brother and Cousin were there watching in amazement as they were led through to different rooms, hearing different tales and seeing different sights. Luckily the Wheelie bin scene went all to plan, as I had a new pusher for this performance. My favourite bit of the whole show is the finale, it is just so lively and you can just dance and sing your way through it. The audience clapped along and gave a big cheer when we bowed. Wonderful. For me, what a great first show. Now only the evening show left to do today!

Evening Performance

Ok so we are starting on time tonight. Infact we have to because tonight is a very important night. It is VIP night. No the queen didn't turn up, how rude! Anyway knowing that made tonight all that bit more nerve racking. They dont call them Very Important People for nothing now do they!? Right so what could possibly be werse than splitting your trousers on stage, getting out of a dist bin? Nothing! and ... That's what I did. I split my trousers whilst clambering out of a dust bin! Not good! Not only that but I had to carry on the show with that oh so lovely gaping hole. Ah well . . . Maybe there are werse things that could of happened. I'm thinking no one noticed but i'm sure that that is pure optimism. Hmm
The audience were loud and really responsive. I thoroughlly enjoyed this performance actually. It felt like the audience we really engaging with us! :-) It's that time again, the finale! :-) Yay! I'm dancing and singing away and the audience are clapping and cheering away! Great stuff!
After the show we had a chance to meet the audience over a glass of wine or 2 .. 3 ...? Actually I settled on mango juice as I was driving. :-( Boring me. But all the same it was lovely to meet them and hear their kind words about the performance. I think they all really enjoyed it. (THUMBS UP!)



30th October
 (matinee)

Iv'e had a little break from the show, so better get my brain back into gear! So having to wear different trousers for this showing, obviouslly. The original bin pusher has returned. The show seemed to go well this afternoon. Slightly smaller audience but just as much enthusiasm from both them and us! I am really enjoying these performances.

Evening Show

So... In between shows I went and had some lunch and a did a little shopping. My mom, Dad and Brother came to this showing. They loved it. My Dad thought it was wonderful. That's good. My mom said it was brilliant and it's my borthers second time to watch it so he must have loved it. The audience was quite large so the atmosphere was great! :-)

5th November
After Show Curry

Had a little break from the show. Which I don't mind but would much prefer to be there most nights being thrown around in a dustbin :-) Right so tonight I have 2 friends and a Fiancee coming to watch. Nervous? Slightly I must say! It was quite a full audience actually this evening. St Peters Collegiate School's Theatre Studies class were in taking notes. So yeh, Full! Infact I'm sure the word on the street is "Sold Out" Great stuff.  The show went really well. I'm so enjoying my time in "The Corner Shop" It's wonderful and it's about to get so much better, as a curry was the next stop. Bharti had arranged for us to go for some food after the show so that's what we did. All 25 of us ploughed into a teeny tiny Indian restaraunt on Borad street and filled our faces. Personally, I had a chicken tikka massala as always and A GREAT LAUGH! what a great night!

7th October
3 Shows

Goodness what I just said was true. 3 Shows. Oh tiring! Actually to be fair it all happened pretty quickly, over in a flash sort of thing. I think it is because it was our last show and well I didn't want it to be. First show was at 1. I like the afternoon performances because you can hear the hussle and bussle of the town cnetre around you and this really adds to the atmosphere of a hard working conrner shop. And of course you have members of the public who come and watch. They perhaps wouldn't have done so if the show was held in a more traditional way. This performance saw a crisp explosion, funny! We were trying to be all ard and hoods up. So the crisps are stolen and BANG they have exploded. Mind you I think it looked good. Added to the effect sort of thing ;-)
Slowly Corner Shop wolverhampton was coming to an end.
After the final show. I felt a sense of pride and happiness. I was so proud of everyone involved. How the set had come together, how people had gelled as a group, how we had come to understand one another. Also I was proud of myself. I was proud of myself for getting myself out there and doing it. I have made some great friends. Ones that I hope I can see more of, if not on stage then out for adrink or perhaps another curry :-) It has been an experience that I thank Foursight for greatly. An experience well worth experiencing I would say.
ALL THAT'S LEFT NOW IS THAT LITTLE PARTY ON THE MORROW!




I Get A New Showreel!
(Soon you will be able to watch my showreel HERE! up-load happening very soon!)

So that showreel desperatley needed up-dating and that is what I did. It is now looking pretty cool. It is defenatly ready to be sent off. Showreel Features:

  • Filmed Introduction (Speaking on camera)


  • Filth


  • Dalziel And Pascoe


  • Casualty


  • Doctors


  • Deserters


  • Oliver Twist


  • Casting Photograph and Contact Details

I would like to say a maseph thankyou to Matt Hickinbottom http://www.postofficestudios.co.uk/ for producing my Showreel for me!

Video available very soon!

Thursday 15 October 2009

My Website Re-vamp


 My Website Get's A Re-vamp

Click above Link to view



Quote: "What A wonderful site. Looks great and reads really well. I will defenatly be checking this regulary. Weldone Jessica your website shows that you are a true professional."
Please do have a look at my site. It has only recently been published and today has been up-dated.
The site includes the following pages:


  • Home page - Self description. Height, hair and eye colour etc


  • Television Credits - List of all television appearances


  • Theatre Credits - List of all proffessional (selected) Theatre appearances


  • My Headshots - Gallery of recent head shots. More coming soon!


  • Television Gallery - Gallery of photographs from Television appearances


  • Theatre Gallery - Gallery of photographs from Theatre appearances


  • BLOG! - A link to here . . . Of course!


  • Contact - A contact form to fill in that sends email straight to my inbox.


  • Downloadable C.V - Just a click away from my C.V

If you have any comments regarding my webpage please don't hesitate to fill in the contact form and let me know. I would be very appreciative of all your comments, big or small.

Many thanks goes out to weebly for helping create my website. www.weebly.com

Wednesday 14 October 2009


NEW! Jessica Harper Buisness Cards Arrive
Oh Yeah! Here's My card!






How exciting! I carry a few of these every where I go now! Many thanks go out to http://www.vistaprint.com/

Tuesday 13 October 2009

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

Monday 5 October 2009


My Fair Lady 2009
6th October - 10th October 2009 At The Grand Theatre Wolverhampton


(This is an on-going blog for the week. It will be up-dated daily. Hopefully I will get some photographs up!)


We are now a week away from the show. Only a few more re-hearsals to go. My costumes are all picked up, awaiting to be worn. Very exciting! Although I do have a slightly strange hat.

4th October 2009

Final re-hearsals fast approaching before opening night. So today we got into the Theatre and did a run. Dressing rooms all assigned. All went well! Ah . . . Except my Flower Girl hat is not "Dirty and Urchiny" enough. So best get that sorted. Well at least in "Wouldn't it be lovely" I'm on my way to getting my five a day. (I steal an apple you see.) So all that's left to do for tomorrow is to get my urchin costume sorted. I'm going for a total re-vamp!

5th October
Press Photograph! Express And Star Wolverhampton






So There we have it. That was the last re-hearsal before opening night.My costume is now officially changed all that's left to do for tomorrow is to dirty my face up a little. At present I am a clean and tidy urchin which really isn't working. So all went well. The set looks great. Just means alot less room than re-hearsed in but we will manage. The only thing that went slightly wrong today is, we are waiting on fold back for tomorrow you see. SO having no fold back today meant slightly out of tune singing. But hey ho as long as it is all sorted for tomorrow then all is well.

6th October
OPENING NIGHT

What a fantastic opening night.Wonderful. Not to sure it could go any better really. Today we met our new president who gave us a few words of encouragement before the performace. Then off he went to watch the show (I hope he enjoyed it!) 
So everything went the way it should habe apart from . . . tonight my apple turned into a pair and this is not a good thing as I don't like pears one bit. Someone stole my apple. I wasn't happy. Oh and some of the spoons went missing in "I'm Getting Married In The Morning!" But apart from that it was super! We were even in time with the orchestra the whole way through. Fold back was all set up tonight. Thank Goodness! Overall what a great night! And I would just like to thank Alison Bennet for my cups of tea today. (Ah this reminds me I must buy some milk for today!) :-) 

7th October
Matinee And Evening Performances




So I arrived at the theatre today far to early for my own good. Just sat and listened to the i-pod for a while. But once I was all costumed and made up I was ready to go. Todays performance held our biggest audience yet. FULL . . . bar a few seats. So it was a great atmosphere when you went out on to stage. Normally our matinee shows aren't that lively and awake but today they were really giving it some. Loving it infact. It was a great performance to be fair. No losing of apples, no baskets in the pits and no still wrapped cigars! haha! This afternoon was the filmed performance. So I am quite looking forward to seeing it! :-)
All That's left to do now after that show is grab some lunch and do the show again! And ... that is exactly what I did.
So evening show! . . . Little less full than this afternoon but all the same they needed just as good a show as earlier so that's what we gave them. Although I did nearly miss my cue. Sitting upstairs in the dressing room I heard the intorduction to "Wouldn't It Be Lovely?" I have never ran (jumped) down those stairs that quick in all my life. I literally threw myself donw them and ran straight on to stage. Luckily, just on time! Nice one! The evenings performance was equally a great show. I'm really enjoying myself. The atmosphere in the company is great. Everyone gets on with everyone. And ... I get cups of tea and wine every now and then, so I'm all smiles! Although I'm not too happy about my ascott gloves falling apart on stage and dropping my hankie! They are my Grandmas gloves to, not sure she will be best pleased!


Still awaiting photographs for this blog. They will be appearing shortly. That's a promise!

8th October

Feeling the strain of the show today. I think it's that midweek tiredness. Not to worry though . . . Friday tomorrow! Right well what a great show. The audience seemed to enjoy themselves. I'm sure at one point I even heard them singing along. Always good! I have noticed quite a large photograph of myself outside the theatre today. Oh Boy!
So... I didn't miss any calls today or miss out on an apple. I'm telling you I'm getting more organised as the week goes on! Oh actually I did forget to pop my gloves on for one number. Tut Tut! Oh we went for a chinease after the show! YUMMY! It was lovely. There was quite a few of us there enjoying the Cuisine! ;-)
Hope tomorrow goes just as well if not better as I have some family in!

9th October

Well to start a good day off I only had to work half a day today! So . . . I was already in a good mood before the show had even begun. Had my dinner at the pie factory and off to the theatre I went. Tonights show went really quickly. I believe that when your'e having fun time goes by quickly. Which is a good thing because my family were watching. They seemed to really enjoy it. Loved it infact. They were on the front row. Can you believe that? The front row. My sister has just had an operation on her foot so it's all bandaged up. She kept waving it around in the air, trying to make me laugh. She succeeded. I really nearly burst with laughter on stage. Luckily I managed to keep it together. Oh one bad thing . . . I didn't get an apple!

10th October
Matineee And Evening Performance



Oh a lie in ... Nice! So here we go again! The show just seems to be going by quicker every day. Ther afternoons perfromance was super. The audience were great to. Really laughing and enjoying it. It always helps when you have a responsive audience. They are much easier to perform too, I'd say. Well in Asscot Sarah decided to drop her Parasol. Right there, front row, middle of the stage, bang! There goes Sarah Parasol. I don't know how I managed to keep a straight face to be honest. But, some how I did!
So with that show out the way and pizzas ordered. It was time for tea and a chill. Man it was a good Pizza. Seriously. I gave my present to Jayne. I think she liked it. I hope she liked it. I bought her the book Pig Mailien. (Not too sure if that is the correct spelling.) Wehad to buy one present each, pop them in the middle of the floor and then someone else hands them out to different people. Great idea really. I recieved a My Fair Lady mug off of Dawn. It's really nice. :-)
So . . . FINAL PERFORMANCE OF MY FAIR LADY 2009! :-( I cannot believe it is over so quick. This really was a brilliant show. No dropping brollies, losing apples or hats, no forgetting lines. Wonderful! Thoroughlly enjoyed it. In the finale the audience were up and clapping. So we really gave it some and carried on singing longer than usual. Not too sure if that worked to well though. As we did literally just stand there singing for ages. But all the same it was fun! Great fun!
Well I think I can safetly say. What a wonderful week, a wonderful show and a wonderful cast. It has been great. I loved every minute of it.
Now for the after show party! :-) Food, drink and Karaoke. Now this sounds good to me! :-)