Jo Gibb

Last updated

Jo Gibb
Born
JoAnn Gibb

18 April 1976[ citation needed ]
Bo'ness, Scotland
Occupations
  • Actress
  • dancer
  • singer
SpouseAlex Bourne

JoAnn Gibb is a Scottish theatre actress best known for her role of Rumpleteazer in the 1998 film of Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cats , [1] [2] and as the replacement Pearl the Observation Car in the original production of Starlight Express . She also played Belle in the 2006 UK Productions tour of Beauty and the Beast and appeared as Columbia in the 2000 UK national tour of The Rocky Horror Show .

Contents

Career

Gibb first began her training at the Dance School of Scotland in Glasgow, then continuing in Epsom at Laine Theatre Arts. [3]

Her first appearance in a London West End show was at the New London Theatre playing Rumpleteazer in Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical Cats , 1996–1997. She also understudied and played the roles of Demeter and Jemima in that same production. She subsequently played the role of Rumpleteazer in the 1998 Cats film.

In 2003 Gibb played the young Jesse Matthews in the West End production of Over My Shoulder – The Story of Jesse Matthews at the Wyndham's Theatre. [4] [5] Her performance in the role was reviewed as "pert and sweet if somewhat underpowered" by The Times . [6] The Times praised Gibb's performance as Ruby in the 2005 musical Time's Up stating that she gave "a performance of enormous appeal". [7]

Some of her other theatre work includes Belle in Disney's Beauty and the Beast , at the Dominion Theatre, London, and on tour; [8] [9] Columbia in the national tour of The Rocky Horror Show ; [10] and Pearl, in the final cast of the original London production of Starlight Express at the Apollo Victoria Theatre. [11] Her work in The Rocky Horror Show was described as "impressive" in a review in the Coventry Evening Telegraph . [10] The Evening Standard called her "musical queen Jo Gibb" in an article on Beauty and the Beast. [12]

Gibb then appeared as Hell Let Loose and Rosalind in Beautiful and Damned in 2004 at the Lyric Theatre, also understudying and playing the lead role of Zelda Fitzgerald, and as Truly Scrumptious in the musical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in 2005. [13]

In 2014 Gibb played the part of Vera in the West End production of Songs for Victory at the Dominion Theatre. [14]

She regularly performs around the world as one third of the singing group "The Patriot Girls". [15]

Personal life

Gibb is married to former Beauty and the Beast co-star Alex Bourne. [3]

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References

  1. ↑ Lloyd Webber, Andrew; Lynne, Gillian; Mallet, David; Paige, Elaine; Mills, John; Page, Ken; Ford, Rosemarie; Gruber, Michael; Partridge, John (2000). Cats. ISBN   978-0-7832-4966-7. OCLC   45949230.
  2. ↑ Wainwright, Julia (12 December 2014). "West End Musical Christmas". East Anglian Daily Times .
  3. 1 2 Beacom, Brian (14 July 2006). "I've landed role of Beauty . . . but my husband would make a great Beast! Jo returns to Glasgow stage to play lead in lavish musical at King's". Glasgow Times .
  4. ↑ "Over My Shoulder – The Story of Jessie Matthews". ThisIsTheatre.com. October 2003. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  5. ↑ Hemming, Sarah (30 October 2003). "Over My Shoulder Wyndhams Theatre, London". Financial Times . p. 17.
  6. ↑ Nightingale, Benedict. "So-so story of a Soho singer". The Times . 30 October 2003.
  7. ↑ Marlowe, Sam (3 November 2005). "Time's Up". The Times .
  8. ↑ Hetherington, Jan (20 November 2006). "Be their guest!". BBC . Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  9. ↑ Dayani, Alison. "Lavish slice of Disney magic: Two shows rich in colour, song and dance. Beauty and the Beast". Birmingham Mail , Worcester edition. 26 October 2006. p. 6.
  10. 1 2 Summers, Kathryn (28 March 2000). "Horror Show hits the right note". Coventry Evening Telegraph . p. 12.
  11. ↑ "End of the line for Starlight Express". Evening Standard . London. 11 January 2002. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  12. ↑ Beacom, Brian. "Jo Rings a Bell: Show brings Disney's famous cartoon characters to life." Evening Times. 27 July 2006. p. 17.
  13. ↑ "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". Evening Standard . London. 15 March 2005. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  14. ↑ "Songs for Victory – cast". SongsForVictory.co.uk. Retrieved 12 August 2020.
  15. ↑ King, Emily (9 December 2016). "The Patriot Girls return to Leeds Castle Classical Concert next summer for Battle of Britain celebration". Gravesend Reporter. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
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