Jo's latest work to date along side playing Wendy in Office Song is playing the Armenian Grandmother in Fatih Akin's film ' The Cut ' part of a trilogy to be screened at Cannes this year - ( his other films have included ' Edge of Heaven ' & ' Soul Kitchen '. )
Television roles in Lee Mack's ' Not Going Out ', ' Ideal ' with Johnny Vegas & ' Casualty ' are her more recent appearances. Others include ' Coronation Street '( 7 episodes ) ' Casualty ' ( 5 episodes ) ' The Bill ' ( 4 episodes ) ' East Enders ', ' Morse ', ' Only Fools & Horses ',' Children's Ward ' ( two series ) ' Agony ' ( one series - with Maureen Lipman ), ' Pork Pie ' & ' Tenko ' ( Miss Hasan in series 2 ). Recent Theatre Roles: H.R.H The Queen in Roald Dahl's ' The BFG ' at Derby Theatre, the Wicked Witch in ' The Wizard of Oz ' Aberystwyth Arts Centre, the Witch in Theatre Royal Stratford East's production of ' Hansel & Gretel ' & Muriel in George Orwell's ' Animal Farm ' & 'Arabian Nights ' at the Derby Playhouse.
Jo's theatre work has spanned many years but she feels most privileged to have played Clara in ' The House of the Spirits ' the stage adaptation of Isabel Allende wonderful novel, adapted by the author herself & Michael Batz the director, which toured nationally ( including The Tramway, Glasgow & West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds. ) Frau Death in George Tabori's ' Mein Kampf - Farce ' at Edinburgh 's Traverse Theatre & a second production at The Riverside Studios London. Also at The Riverside studios the title role in Bristol Express's production of 'Boudicea' , Ruthie in George Tabori 's ' Weismann & Copperface - a Jewish Western ' again at The Traverse, Dulle Gret, Joyce & Louise in Caryl Churchill's ' Top Girls at Northampton's Theatre Royal & the Marquise de Merteuil in Heiner Muller's ' Quartet ' at the Edinburgh Lyceum as part of Tom McGrath's ' Off The Wall ' season. Other theatre work has included three Shakespeare plays: ' A Winter's Tale ' playing Perdita at The New End, Hampstead, Nerissa in ' The Merchant of Venice ' Queen's Theatre, Hornchurch, & Olivia in ' Twelfth Night ' at Theatre Royal, Stratford East. For the RNT : Lorca's ' Blood Wedding ' & ' Wicked- Yaar ' Bristol Old Vic: Madame Wong in David Hare's ' Plenty' & ' Bremen Coffee '. The Young Vic Studio, London: Dario Fo's ' Obscene Fables ' & Lorca's ' Comedy Without Title ' both for Yorick Theatre Company. Director Michael Batz. Edinburgh Festival & Scottish Theatre Company Tour: Nerves in Tom McGrath's ' Animal ' Edinburgh Lyceum:Sylvie in the Female version of ' The Odd Couple ', Ben Elton's ' Gasping ' at Northampton Theatre Royal,' Penthesilea' by Henrik Von Kleist with Susannah York in the title role at The Latchmere, Battersea, Hanif Kureishi's ' Borderline ' at The Nuffield, Southampton, David Halliwell's ' Prejudice ' ( also known as ' Creatures of Another Kind ') at the Old Red Lion, London & The Sheffield Cruscible. ' The Disputation ' at The New End, Hampstead & Bernard- Marie Koltes's ' The Struggle Of The Black Man & The Dogs ' at The Gate Theatre, Notting Hill, London. Musicals: ' Pilgrim ' a national tour for the Prospect Theatre Company. Director Toby Robertso ' Godspell ' at Leatherhead's Thorndyke Theatre. Director Andy Hines. West End: ' Carte Blanche' Director Clifford Williams Radio: Most recent: 'The God Of Small Things ' & ' Jewel in the Crown ' V/O for T.V ' The World About Us ' ( Tibet ) Stories for the World Service ( Commonwealth )
