Jess Edwards

Jess Edwards is a Queer director and writer represented by Camilla Young at Curtis Brown. She makes work that is formally inventive and new. She develops ideas from scratch with writers and makers. She often explores the queer and female experience, and creates theatre that is iconoclastic, pop-tastic, subversive, and outrageous.


Most recently Jess directed HOTTER and FITTER at Soho Theatre in August 2021. She has directed work at HighTide, the Roundhouse, Southwark Playhouse, the Almeida Theatre, the Duke of York’s, Trafalgar Studios, Theatre503 and the Arcola Theatre (among others). She was the director of drag-girl-supergroup Denim and runs Flipping the Bird. She has twice been a finalist for the JMK Award. She is a proud supporter of Scene & Heard and sat on the Equity Young Members Committee. Her idols include Prince, Hedi Lamar and Ariel Levi. She is currently writing her first screenplay, and developing a new musical with Trafalgar Entertainment Group. She is currently being supported by Arts Council England DYCP for her writing practice.

Jess is also a live illustrator and yoga instructor. She holds a first in English from Oxford University and is originally from the West Midlands. Now, she lives between Tottenham and Margate.

Credits

DIRECTOR, Albatross, Playground Theatre, 2021, 3 weeks
DIRECTOR, Hotter & Fitter double bill, Soho Theatre, 2021, 3 weeks
DIRECTOR, Sparks, Radio 4, 2021
DIRECTOR, The Other Tchaikovsky, Radio 4, 2020
DIRECTOR, Passengers, Adelaide Fringe, 4 weeks, 2020
DIRECTOR, Funeral Flowers, Roundhouse, 3 weeks, 2020
DIRECTOR, Fitter, Soho Theatre, 4 weeks, 2019/20
DIRECTOR, Hotter, Soho Theatre, Underbelly Edinburgh, 5 weeks, 2019
DIRECTOR, Passengers, Summerhall, 3 weeks, 2019
DIRECTOR, Machinal, Arts Educational Schools, 4 performances, 2019
DIRECTOR, Sparks, HighTide, Pleasance Edinburgh, Vault Festival, 5 weeks, 2018
DIRECTOR, Nacktsängerin, BKA-Theater Berlin, 1 week, 2018
DIRECTOR, Denim World Tour, Soho Theatre, Underbelly Edinburgh, 2017/8
DIRECTOR, Heretic Voices, Arcola Theatre, 2 weeks, 2018
DIRECTOR, Punts, Theatre503, 4 weeks, 2017
DIRECTOR, Denim Titanic, Crazy Coqs, 6 month residency, 2016-7
DIRECTOR, Torch, Underbelly Edinburgh, 3 weeks, 2016
DIRECTOR, Haters Make You Famous, Almeida Young Company, 3 performances, 2016
DIRECTOR, The Cherry Orchard, Rose Bruford College, 6 performances, 2015
DIRECTOR, The Itinerant Music Hall, Lyric Hammersmith, 21 performances, 2014
DIRECTOR, Jekyll & Hyde, Southwark Playhouse, 3 weeks, 2013


ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, King Charles III, Almedia Theatre, Wyndham's Theatre, Birmgham Rep & tour, 7 months, 2014-5
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, Doctor Faustus, Duke of York's, 3 months, 2016
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, The Maids, Trafalgar Studios, 3 months, 2016
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR, Bull, Young Vic, 6 weeks, 2015
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Bakkhai, Almeida Theatre, 3 months, 2015
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, In The Next Room, Theatre Royal Bath, 6 weeks, 2013
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, The Double, Theatre Royal Bath, 6 weeks, 2012
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, Red Light Winter, Theatre Royal Bath, 6 weeks, 2012