Jess Latham

About

Jess's story

A loud little girl from rural Arkansas who found theatre at eight years old and never really put it down.

Section one

Early life

Jess grew up in Cabot, Arkansas, a small town in a very rural part of the United States. She was the middle child in an all-girls household, surrounded by wide open spaces and almost no neighbours, which taught her something useful early on: she could be as loud as she liked. Nobody was close enough to hear her anyway.

At eight years old she found theatre, and what started as a after-school activity turned into the thing she wanted to do with the rest of her life. She spent the next decade building it, year on year.

By high school she had started teaching. From 16 to 18 she worked at Limelight Performance Academy, a children's theatre, giving vocal instruction to young performers while developing her own work onstage. Teaching and performing have run alongside each other ever since.

Jess as a young child, smiling in a portrait photograph
Cabot, Arkansas. The beginning.

Section two

Theatre & performance

Eight productions across two countries, a Greek tragedy in the title role, and a one-woman play about a king's discarded mistress.

  1. Henderson State University, Arkansas

    Antigone

    The titular role in the Greek tragedy, directed by Courtney Bennett. Jess also worked as electrician on the production, and won an Outstanding Acting Achievement Award for it.

  2. Henderson State University, Arkansas

    Pippin

    Fastrada, directed by Claudia Beach. Another Outstanding Acting Achievement Award.

  3. Henderson State University, Arkansas

    Men on Boats

    Andrew Hall, directed by Lacy Klinger, in the all-female retelling of the 1869 Colorado River expedition.

  4. Henderson State University, Arkansas

    Lovers/Winners & Welcome to the Moon

    Woman in the Brian Friel two-hander, and Betsy in the John Patrick Shanley short plays. Award-winning performances in both.

  5. London College of Music

    The Lightning Thief

    Mrs. Dodds and chorus, directed by Anna Fox, at LCM Theatre in London.

  6. London College of Music

    Fable

    Thea, directed by Simon Pollard. Jess also took part in the Fable workshop with writers Kurt Kansley and Oliver Lidert.

  7. Ropetackle Arts Centre, Shoreham-by-Sea

    Pretty Witty Nell

    Eleanor Gwyn, the ousted mistress of King Charles II, in the award-winning one-woman play written and directed by Ryan J. Smith. Her first professional role after graduating.

Jess in a red robe performing a dramatic stage scene under theatre lighting
Onstage in Arkansas.
Watch the performance reel
Jess in a red graduation gown with her arms raised

Section three

Education & training

Jess began at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, studying Theatre for two years. Alongside performing she learned the other half of the job: lighting operation, set construction and costuming. She also took Shakespeare workshops and picked up the title role in Antigone.

After two years she wanted a change of scenery, and found a considerable one. She packed up and moved across the Atlantic to London, where she studied Musical Theatre at the London College of Music, University of West London.

Alongside the degree she earned a licentiate qualification to teach vocal instruction to children aged 5 to 14, which is the formal basis for the teaching work she does now.

  • Musical Theatre, London College of Music (UWL)
  • Theatre, Henderson State University
  • Licentiate, vocal instruction ages 5 to 14
  • Shakespeare workshops
  • Directors workshop, Simon Pollard
  • Audition workshops, Keddie Scott Associates and Pearson Casting

Section four

Career

Performing, teaching and working backstage. Jess has done all three professionally, and still does.

Professional performance

Musical theatre, straight plays and live singing. Most recently Pretty Witty Nell at Ropetackle Arts Centre, with live gigs across the UK running alongside.

Vocal instruction

Vocal coach on Spamalot, Lion King Jr., Peter Pan Jr., Seussical Jr. and A Charlie Brown Christmas, plus drama teaching with DramaKids International.

Backstage & direction

Stage manager for Rogue Shakespeare at St. Albans Amphitheatre, assistant director on Grease, and electrician or costumer on five university productions.

See the full CV
Jess Latham in a black lace top, photographed indoors

Section five

What Jess is doing now

Jess is based in the UK, taking on gigs and performance work while holding down what she calls her muggle job as a dental receptionist. The performing has never stopped, it just shares the diary now.

Her current musical direction is a new one: country. She has a run of country nights at Hickory's Restaurant in Milton Keynes through November and December, and is building a set around the repertoire.

She is open to gigs, functions and professional enquiries.

All upcoming dates

Work with Jess

Live performance for your venue or event, or a professional enquiry.

Get in touch