My name is Jess. I am a theatre-maker specialising in puppetry and dramaturgy. In 2011 I left the Land of the Living Skies for rainy Cardiff where I obtained a fondness for daffodils and a degree in Drama from the University of South Wales. In the final year of my degree I was given the opportunity to study alongside puppetry students at the University of Arts in Târgu Mureș, Romania, sparking an enthusiasm for puppetry which has only continued to grow. In 2018 I received a Master’s in Theatre Criticism and Dramaturgy from London’s Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, and helped co-found Little Bean.
As a theatre-maker I am driven to tell stories that help people feel less alone, by transforming difficult or painful moments into something beautiful. Memory, grief, and hope are themes I return to.
Outside of theatre-making, I have made a living managing frontline teams at festivals and in theatres and event spaces in the UK and abroad. When not at work I can be found dancing in my the kitchen to 80s bangers or wandering around niche museums in far-flung places.
Hello
It's nice to meet you.
IN DEVELOPMENT
Oh, Honey
Getting pregnant isn't always as easy
as the birds and the bees.
Nora, an amateur beekeper in her early 30s, is struggling with an ailing hive. Her aging queen is starting to show signs of decline and Nora knows how cruel the world is for queens who can’t reproduce. Nora wishes she could do more to save her friend. If only she were a bee.
Inspired by conversations with people with lived experience of fertility treatments. Approximately 45 minutes in duration, this devised story of fertility, resilience and honey will be told by a solo performer through movement and puppetry (shadow and rod) with accompanying projections.
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Dramaturgy and Puppetry Direction by Jess Andrews
Direction and Movement by John Chan
Stage Management by Ghost Chan
Performed by Yik Sau Chung
Visuals by Jeffrey Choy
Sound by Angela Hui Wai Nok
Lead Curator and Fundraiser Sandra Lam
Photo and video by Jane Lam
Supported by University of Southampton
PREVIOUS WORKS
Written and performed by Jess Andrews
with the voice of George Abbott as Bad Date Puppet
Dramaturgy and Direction by Katie Overstall
Direction and Stage Management by Jess Smith
Sound by Rob Sear
I Met All My Friends
On Dating Apps
(2024)
Married, in her 30s,
and dating for the very first time...
J likes bees, ice cream and the colour green. And, tonight she has a date. Join her while she gets ready, as she shares stories of entering the world of online dating in an effort to understand if poly is something that she is or something that she does.
Indecision about what to wear, dating app data vis, and a Brummy sock puppet. A reflection on the "friend zone", connection and confidence after one year of pursuing consensual non-monogamy.
I Met All My Friends on Dating Apps debuted to a sold out run as part of the Pinch of Vaults Festival in February 2024. Audiences described it as "heartbreaking and heartwarming", "an intimate little trip of human connection", "kooky, compelling and very funny".
When He Fell
(2019)
A god who chose to sleep.
A girl left awake.
An exploration of time, grief and mythology. When He Fell is the story of one girl trying to survive her own memories. This devised, physical theatre performance incorporates the Chinese creation legend of Pan Gu using shadow puppetry. Drawing on the experience of bereavement by suicide, this performance looks at the juxtapositions between a god whose demise created one world and the downfall that ruins another.
After appearing as a work in progress at the Camden Fringe in 2019 her semi-autobiographical show When He Fell made its international debut in Taiwan at the Taipei Fringe Festival. At that time Jess and her collaborators were the first group of entirely international members to present a show at the festival. For this performance Jess used vintage suitcases to create hidden shadow boxes, dozens of shadow puppets and effects and a Pan Gu puppet which was assembled in front of the audience.
Devised and performed by a team of
international female creatives:
Jess Andrews
Bonnie Chan
Kate Roche
Jess Smith
FOR LITTLE BEAN THEATRE
Boh Boh Finds Home
What do you do when an alien lands in your front yard? Help him get back home!
Boh Boh Finds Home is an interactive adventure that allows families to travel through the galaxy together, stopping at different planets to help our friend Boh Boh the alien find home. We sing and dance through space, expanding Cantonese vocabulary, working on motor skills and most of all having fun!
Suitable for children aged 2-7 years old and accompanying adults.
As a co-founder for Little Bean (the first and only Cantonese children's theatre company in the UK) Jess is a part of the core creative team of the company responsible for devising, writing, performing, puppet making and workshop facilitating. Her creation of the titular character Boh Boh has allowed her to connect with audiences across the globe.
Previous performances include:
October 2023 - ENHK, London
October 2023 - Bloomsbury Festival, London
July 2023 - Migration Matters Festival, Sheffield
Boh Boh's New Friends
Boh Boh’s unique qualities make him stand out in a crowd. But, will he be able to make new friends on a strange planet where everything looks quite the same?
Join our friend Boh Boh the alien on a holiday to an undiscovered planet and meet a crabby king who is stuck in his ways. Help Boh Boh teach the king how wonderful it is to be different. With original songs, our second interactive adventure explores themes of acceptance and friendship, and helps improve Chinese vocabulary through sensory play.
Suitable for children aged 3-6 years old and accompanying adults.