Jessica is currently starring in the UK touring production of An Officer and a Gentlemen, her other credits include Frenchy in Grease The Musical (Dubai), Factory Girl/Cover Fantine in Les Miserables (International Tour), Ali in Mamma Mia! (West End), Tess Durbeyfield in Tess of the D'Urbervilles (Stepping Out Theatre), Baroness Elberfeld/Cover Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music (UK/Ireland Tour) and Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music (Woking). She took some time out of the tour to answer some questions for us!
Tell us a little bit about the story of An Officer and a Gentlemen and your character, Lynette.
An Officer and a Gentleman is set in Pensacola, Florida, in the 80s. It centres around the story of Zack Mayo and his quest to ‘get jets’, as he trains to become an Officer in the U.S Navy. Along the way, he falls for local factory girl, Paula Pokrifki, and forms a strong friendship with fellow Officer candidate, Sid Worley. His life is not made easy by drill Sergeant Foley, who works him down to the bone when he arrives with just a little too much swagger!
Lynette is Paula’s best friend, who also works in the paper factory in Pensacola. She dreams of a breaking out and making something more of her life, after a very rough upbringing, and thinks the only way she can do this is by marrying an Officer and to quite literally fly out of there. She’s determined, self-assured and absolutely always up for a good time. She meets Sid Worley and thinks that he might be her lucky ticket out of there!
