COMMUNITY
merdale Farm actress. ‘It was like being in a dream. ‘There was a red carpet and a bank of paparazzi photogra- phers shouting my name. ‘The nominees were all put on the stage at the beginning of the ceremony and there I was with actors like Geoffrey Rush, Daniel Radcliffe, Edie Falco and host for the evening Katie Holmes.’
After a highly acclaimed Scot- tish tour in 2010, The Promise (previously Promises Prom- ises) helped to kick off Scot- land Week in New York. The play, from theatre com- pany Random Accomplice and written by Douglas Max- well, also received high praise from the New York critics – The New York Post described Jo’s performance as ‘the performance on a New York stage – and the actress was subsequently nominated for the Drama Desk Award. ‘Peter Tear, a Scot who runs 59E59 Theatre in New York persuaded the Scottish Gov- ernment to get us on during Scotland Week,’ Jo exclaims. ‘That in itself was hugely ex- citing but to be nominated for the Drama Desk Award was unbelievable. I was only on for three weeks and there must have been hundreds of plays but I was one of only six people nominated in my cat- egory.’ The Promise was directed by Johnny McKnight and featured Jo in a number of roles. Her primary character is a Scottish alcoholic substi- tute primary school teacher, Maggie Brodie, who objects
to community leaders carry- ing out a ritual on a Somalian girl in her class. Her interven- tion leads to drastic action and severe consequences for some of the characters. Jo regularly reads short sto- ries for radio and her next project in August will see her play a challenging role in the Auricle Ensemble’s Phasad, a production consisting Dame Edith Sitwell poems and Wil- liam Walton music. Her three London-based chil- dren have all followed her into the arts: John is a music writer and BBC Radio 3 broadcast- er, John is a music producer and Maggie is an actress.
Below: Jo, as troubled teacher Maggie Brodie in The Promise. t24jo1no
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