I work freelance in the performing arts, but it's a bit of a portfolio career. I would say I'm a theatre practitioner, which takes on choreography, directing, writing, and performing. It also involves teaching and facilitating dance for all ages and abilities.
I did dance-award training at school and was always involved in shows and writing plays. I went to the University of Edinburgh to do a Medical Science Degree, but I was halfway through it when I realised that I wanted to pursue a career in the performing arts.
I started from scratch. I didn't go to drama school, so I had to do it the unconventional way - the hard way. Everything took a while. After a time, people don’t really care where you train, they’re more interested in the quality of the work you make.
READ MORE: Glasgow Lives, Libby: West End, Filmmaker
The concept for my character, Jesus L’Oreal, began in 2014. I never expected it to get to where it is now. It originally started as a burlesque routine, this idea of a Jesus-type figure. I explored this partly because everybody said I looked like Jesus.
I devised a five-minute non-verbal dance comedy piece to The Bangles track, Eternal Flame. The routine went down so well my producer at the time asked if I could do a whole one-hour show based on it.
I was very aware that you don't satirise a controversial figure like Jesus without knowing your subject really well. I made a very conscious effort to do a lot of research so if anyone took issue, I was able to talk, discuss and debate it.
I wrote three full hour long shows and decided to take the best of all the material and refine it into my most favourite title of the three: ‘Nailed it!’- an interactive musical-comedy portraying Jesus as a fitness and lifestyle influencer, which I’m performing at The Edinburgh Fringe in August with Gilded Balloon.
It feels like everything's normal now, but I’m still aware it's not quite normal yet. I've been quite lucky in the last year because Jesus L’Oreal has been booked on several cruises. I haven't performed in Scotland, though, since pre-pandemic, so I'm looking forward to performing this summer.
I live in Glasgow and work in Edinburgh where I teach at Dance Base and in addition to their studio programme, they run an outreach programme where over the years I’ve been able to work with a lot of marginalised, underprivileged, and less-able groups including kids who’ve been kicked out of school and older people in care homes. Because of my background in science, I was interested in how movement and music affect people on a cognitive level, particularly those living with dementia.
Even if there's a language or cognitive barrier, music and dance is a brilliant way of communicating with anybody really. Ultimately, music is great for making us feel good. It’s an endorphin rush.
For more information, head to: gildedballoon
READ NEXT:
Glasgow Lives: Andrew, 51, West Glasgow, Founder, owner and peddler of Velo-City Deliveries
Glasgow Lives: Steven, West End, Artist and Musician External
Glasgow Lives, Marco, 40, Milton, musician and producer
Glasgow Lives: Louise, Langside, Singer/Songwriter
Glasgow Lives: Orla 23, Merchant City, Head Barista at Five March and Guid Egg
