Bio

Jessica Papst is a singer, actor, dancer, writer and choreographer who, now calling Melbourne home, has been performing across Australia for the past 10 years.

From musical theatre to cabaret to plays, choreographing hip-hop, contemporary and jazz and now to her latest creative endeavour - the original music of JESSIE + THE TRIBE OF MISFITS - this passionate Australian performer has a reputation for being hard-working, engaging and, "in possession of a fine, versatile instrument - her own voice” Anthony Hawser theatreguide.com.au

At the start of 2017 she featured in the critically acclaimed new Australian play, SPRINGSTEEN, written and directed by Emmy Award-winning Melbourne writer, Gabriel Bergmoser.  By the end of the year, she had appeared in two workshops of a new Australian musical by Lucy O’Brien, A SHARP INTAKE OF BREATH; the second for Home Grown’s acclaimed development program, The Grassroots Initiative.

In 2016 Jess completed a national tour of CAROLE KING – THE SONGBOOK OF HER LIFE and the Melbourne premiere season of the hilarious comedy-cabaret THE ROAD TO STOCKHOLM (with Matthew Hadgraft).  In 2015 Jess toured Australia with her third cabaret, ONLY THE GOOD DIE YOUNG (arrangements and music direction by Greenroom Award-winning composer Shanon Whitelock); a soul-rock celebration of some of the greatest musical legends, gone before their time.

Previous musical theatre productions include: JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR (Trio 1, Arts Centre Gold Coast), LEGALLY BLONDE (Paulette Buonafonte), HAIRSPRAY (Female Authority Figure, Harvest Rain Theatre Company/QPAC), A CHORUS LINE (Diana Morales, Twelfth Night Theatre), CHICAGO (Velma Kelly, Blue Fish Theatrical), INTO THE WOODS (The Witch), THE BOY FROM OZ (Liza Minnelli, Ignations: opposite Dale Pengelly as Peter Allen) and many more.  Jessica has been nominated for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical (Palm Awards) in 2011, 2013 and 2014 for EUROBEAT (Boyka), INTO THE WOODS (The Witch) and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (Frau Blucher) and was the winner of the 2014 Your Theatrics International Cabaret Contest (Queensland Division).

WIth her musical roots in gospel, country and rock, Jess is a passionate musician and creative whose work is honest, large and full of heart.  Her latest adventure, JESSIE & THE TRIBE OF MISFITS, is a collaborative musical project which gives life to Jess' songwriting.  Her EP of original songs (co-written with Melbourne musician Caleb Garfinkel) is due for release in 2019.

An unrelenting passion for music is the backbone of her art, so it’s no surprise that Jess has collaborated with New Zealand singer-songwriter Nick Tipa to form the duo JESSIE + NICK. Based in Melbourne, the duo are committed to revisiting and reinventing the best musical storytelling from the 60s to now for audiences from the backyard to the ballroom.