Qualifications & Certifications:

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• University of London, Goldsmiths College 1975-1979 - B.Ed Degree (hons) Drama
  Brighton School of Speech and Drama- Diploma in Stage Technique. ANEA. New Era Academy and Guildhall School of Speech and Drama LGSM.

• Trained Arts Awards Advisor

• Equity no: 92587

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Career:

Spanning 45 years  of theatrical and TV experiences from high profile extravaganzas with the BBC Playaway team in 1980, living in London for 28 years, now living in rural Herefordshire and continuing her work bringing quality theatre alive in remote places.
  A truly professional and experienced performer, storyteller, writer, musician, director. Also a qualified teacher, working in local junior and Secondary schools with her fun drama workshops and her  one to one special coaching at her home enabling others to have the same confidence and  performance  skills that she has learnt over the many years in the business.

Storyteller/performer, poetry and prose.

The Village Quire: Touring 2018-2019 Songs for Silas HE Bates ( My Uncle Silas)
The Village Quire : 2018 Out with The Old, Christmas show. Touring village halls and churches, Arts centres. The Globe in Hay on Wye December 15th.  
 
Artistic Director/Trustee of Hay Theatre CIC  2013-2023

2022 Alice in Wonderland funded by Lottery Wales, cast of 33 in Cusop Churchyard. Promenade, site specific production especially adapted and directed by Janine.

2021 A Midsummer Nights Dream, site specific, promenade theatre 
post pandemic, socially distanced community production, cast aged 7-79.
The Flower Fairies were incorporated into Titania's world to enable isolated kids to join in, after social isolation restrictions. It was a magical production in Cusop Churchyard and funded by The Co op community fund.
2020. The Good Old Variety Show, working with Hay day Creative Cafe  for people with or at risk of dementia. Song workshops fortnightly followed by a sparkling variety show performed for 2 nights at Clyro village hall by Hay Adult Theatre Studies  ( HATS),workshopped, rehearsed, compiled and directed by Janine.
"Someone's Home"  a  2018 tour of day care centres, Luncheon clubs and hub cafes. Visitors arrive at an elderly lady's home most unexpectedly, including... Elvis.
A delightful extravaganza of song and dance for people at risk of or living with dementia."
"I loved performing as well as devising and directing  this one, it was heart warming, the fabulous reaction of the audience when happy memories are promoted through familiar songs and characters from the past."
"Henry V and The Battle of Agincourt" 2015/2016 a humorous and accessible adaptation of Will Shakespeare's classic into a  site specific, audience interactive piece performed at Hay Castle and Cusop Castle. Writer/Director.
"Reflections on a Train Journey Home" 2013/2014, a village hall tour along the route of The Hay to Brecon railway line. A reminiscence piece based on local stories. Writer/Director.

" Not Burns Night" 2015, an alternative to the traditional Burns Night serving a favourite national dish of curry with a vast array of song and dance and toasting. A village hall winner. Writer/Director.
" Nothing that you see by Hay Theatre Company, will ever be what you quite expect. Look out! You may find yourself in it."   The Times


The Courtyard Theatre Hereford. Director/Writer
"The Borrowers", a new adaptation for theatre 2005-2006. UK tour including Xmas season at The Stables Theatre in Wavenden for Johnny Dankworth and Cleo Lane.
"Stig of the Dump", a new adaptation for theatre 2006 . Summer season  including Book Week in main house at The Courtyard Theatre, Hereford.
 

Midland Arts Centre ( MAC) Birmingham.
" The Borrowers"  an updated and modern adaptation for  theatre 2008 Christmas season at MAC. 

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New Theatre Works Hereford
"Another Cook Up" a sequel to " It's a Cook Up" set in The Courtyard Theatre's Restaurant was another site specific piece, set this time in a kitchen, also touring Food Festivals demonstration tents. This madcap adventure of 3 women who all think they are the expert in the kitchen in their own field,  ends up in an hilarious display of gross competitive behaviour.  Look out Mary Berry. Writer/ Director.
 

" What to do?" When Sri Lankan people are in trouble, they smile and say " What to do?" this specially written new theatre piece   toured   Southern Sri Lankan schools and temporary shelters, following along the tsuami wrecked shoreline.
Bob the Birmingham zoo elephant, finds his Sri Lankan roots." it was so good to see people laughing again". An interactive show full of humour and love for animals and humankind. Also toured Birmingham and Hereford primary schools including workshops. " Simply amazing, the way the actors reached out to their audience and had them all participating in the second half of the play." Stephanie Rosser, head teacher of Ewyas Harold Primary School. 2007.
Director, and adapted for non English speaking audiences.
 

"A Drop in the Ocean" workshopped and included traumatised teenagers from war-torn Trincomalee, Northern Sri Lanka ,in an interactive performance of their own making. The project devised a show a week in Community centres working with professional and multicultural performers.( dance, song, puppetry) . The show explored conflict resolution. Writer/Director, devising workshops. 2010.
Producer Dr Ellie Parker. 
 

The British Council Sri Lanka 2011
A tour of Southern Sri Lanka, theatre skills workshops for English teachers in Sri Lanka." Confident Classroom Voices" Writer/ Director and workshops.
The British Council Saudi Arabia 2012
"Seed" written, directed and performed by Janine Sharp and Chloe Harbour. Performed to 6000 children. First female performers described in The Arab Times as "  visiting child experts from  the UK". Producer Seamus Harkin.

 The Courtyard Theatre Hereford 2010

Commission for  a reminiscence play to be written based on the stories from local elderly people who live in The Golden Valley, Herefordshire." Story train" was performed in village halls following the Golden Valley Railway track, from Pontrilis to Hay on Wye. Writer/Director/ Project Manager.

New Theatre Works 2000-2004  Performer
"Hocus Pocus" an elderly magician plans his final disappearing act.
" Menage a Trois" Dame Baba-Drag-Baggery launches her new book.
"Wheels within Wheels" the audience take their seat on board a 1953 bus into The Welsh hills on a theatrical journey they'll never forget. 2001
" Down to the River" the audience are taken on a 3 mile walk along the River Wye with some unexpected historical and hysterical events along the way.
" Carry on down the River" the audience go on board  2 King Fisher ferry boats for a theatrical journey down the river Wye, they'll never forget. 2002.
" It's a Cook Up" The audience book their table in the restaurant for the unforgettable meal of their lives.2003
" F'Art" Farming and art when mingled like a carefully shaped cow pat, take the audience onto some strange farm land for an unusual taste of the countryside. 2004.
These were professionally led devised site specific works, with a massive community cast working with 6 professional actors, director, musical director  and crew, with loads of music and specially written songs. Performer, writer and musician.  Producer Dr Ellie Parker.

Celtic Chaos 1994-1998
" I  am the Hill Where Poets Walk"  The Birds Nest Theatre, Deptford London 1995
" Ovulation Day" The Oval Theatre, Oval, London 1996
" Kumari Devi" Lewisham Art House, London 1997
" Blood Ritual in the Sky" Lewisham Art House, London 1998.
Celtic Chaos mixed ancient poetry and text with electronic keyboards, sax, pennywhistles, into a melting pot of cross art performance, including dance and pottery. Original songs and haunting themes telling stories from the NE tip of Africa to the West Coast of Ireland, following the trading routes or the trail of nomadic tribes of the Tuatha da Danaan. Celtic Chaos were based at The Art House Lewisham for 4 years.Director, performer, musician, dancer and co-writer.
 

St Georges Theatre Luton
" Ali Baba and the 14 Thieves" Assistant Director and Performer ( Genii of the Lamp)  Christmas show/panto 1993. Director Doc Watson.
 

Theatr Powys" Llandrindod Wells
" The Night Garden" a 3 month tour of Theatres in Wales, Christmas season 1992.
Director Louise Osbourne. Performer and musician.

  "Von Magnet"  Barcelona/Paris.
"Computador"  A multi cultural cast take Flamenco and original electronic music in this performance art piece touring London warehouses/docklands and southern Spain. Performer/ sax player and timpani. Director Phillipe Von Magnet. 1990-1991
 

NXT Theatre based at Goldsmiths College, London 1987-90
Translations by Brien Friel  ( Bridget)
The Rover by Aphra Behn ( Lucetta  and  singer)
David Mammet Collage ( sax player)

These professional productions directed by Nesta Jones targeted audiences from sixth form colleges and workshops were led by the cast after the performances.

 Age Exchange Theatre, Blackheath London
Westminster Theatre and The Queen Elizabeth Hall 1984-5 . Writer/Performer

"Pensioners Daze", with Maureen Lipman , Clive Dunn and Neil Kinnock.

Quick Silver Theatre London tour.
" Riders of the Sea"  Performer/ musician . Director Guy Groen.

The Half Moon Theatre Whitechapel. 1983-1984
"Popeye", Christmas season. Performer, director, writer.
" Sink the Pink" a female pool player takes on a macho champ. Performer, sax and pool player, a devised piece with original music by Steve Byrne.

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London Weekend Television ( LWT)
" Christmas Past" a Drama/ docu looking at the roles of the servants on Christmas Days throughout the ages. Actress playing the servant. Broadcast Christmas Eve 1986, Director Gavin Waitman.

Advert for The Bank of Ireland. Irish TV.

Walking a 23' tight rope dressed as a graduate ( the financial tightrope) and jumping off into the safety net of The Bank of Ireland. 2 day shoot at Chessington Zoo, circus tent. 1985. Tightrope walker.

BBC Playaway 1981-82
Joining Brian Cant, Jonathon Cohen and their team for BBC 2 Saturday afternoon song and  sketch show for kids (and adults) Performer/presenter. Producers Anne Reay and Cynthia Felgate.

Pentabus Theatre, West Midlands 1980-81
Touring the five counties of the West Midlands, village halls and small scale venues
this company gave the equity card needed to launch Janine's  career.
" This bunch of professional actors were the funniest I ever worked with. I owe my sense of comedy to them." Directors Alun Bond and Jonathon Cross.
Performer, fire blower, tight rope walker, musician, writing and devising shows to tour.

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The Company Touring Theatre 1977-79 ( non Equity)
The  Two Gentlemen of Verona ( Sylvia)
Romeo and Juliet ( The Nurse)
Midsummer Nights Dream.( Titania)

 

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