Panto season is coming...Oh yes it is
The first thing you notice when you meet Joanne, is how tiny she is, with flawless skin, great big eyes and fabulous hair. So you can understand why she landed the role of Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, this year's Panto at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre.
Most of you will recongise Joanne, as the award winning presenter on Central Tonight, alongside Bob Warman, but there is a lot more to Joanne than meets the eye. Born and bred in Moseley, Birmingham, it was her mum who took her to her first ballet class, and introduced Joanne to the world of dance, which later became her chosen career. "I was a very shy girl and used to hide behind my mum's skirt." This seems surprising as Joanne comes across as a very confident woman, with an outlook on life of 'nothing is impossible'.
She explains that her love of dance and performing took her to a Gong Show, where a talent scout spotted her and asked if it was the direction she wanted to go in, this had never crossed Joanne's mind. "At first I wanted to be a librarian, then an accountant or pursue a marketing career, dancing was the last thing I thought of doing."
At 18, Joanne had made sure that she could become an accountant or have a career in marketing as she won places to go and study but it was my mum who told me to follow my heart." Her talent as a dancer gave her the opportunity to move to London and study performing arts at the Italia Conti Academy.
The rest is history, her first role was at the Hippodrome, back in her home town of Birmingham, along side Russ Abbot (where by coincidence Bob Warman interviewed her). "It was lovely to get home and see mum and dad." Eventually working on the QE2, Joanne explained that as a dancer you retire by the age of 30. So, with this in mind she hung up her dancing shoes and studied National Council for the Training of Broadcast Journalists at Portsmouth, graduating with distinction and also wining a prize for Best Documentary. You can see a theme running here of a woman who is not afraid of moving in another direction and being very successful along the way, and the early drama training was undoubtedly a major bonus in her transition between dancer and performer to presenter.
You can't help but warm to Joanne, and you definitely get the impression she is very excited to be back on the stage with her role in Cinderella, again the commitment to be successful comes across, having to juggle her Presenter job and a busy schedule on stage. "I've joined a gym and weight watchers as I need to loose about 13lbs, and Maisy my chocolate labrador is power walking with me." Is there nothing this lady can't do? She truly is a real inspiration to all.
Deborah Taylor
Cinderella is on at the Lichfield Garrick from December 6th to January 6th.call 01543 412121, www.lichfieldgarrick.com
