Jayne Wisener

Jayne Wisener
Born 19 May 1987
Ballymoney, Northern Ireland
Occupation Actress, Singer
Years active 2006–present

Jayne Wisener (born 19 May 1987) is an actress and singer from Northern Ireland. She is best known for playing Johanna in Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.[1] She also briefly played Lauren Harris in The Inbetweeners.

Background

Wisener was born in Ballymoney and grew up in Coleraine, Northern Ireland, where she attended the Coleraine High School for girls.[2]

In 2005, she represented Antrim in the Rose of Tralee competition.[3] Wisener also was part of Musical Theatre 4 Youth, and appeared in a workshop production of Falling.[4]

While performing in a youth production of West Side Story at the Millennium Forum in Derry, Wisener was spotted by a talent scout, who asked her to audition for a role in Sweeney Todd. Wisener was, at age 19, deemed too old to play the 15-year-old Johanna Barker. When told this, Wisener "e-mailed them some pictures [of herself] without make-up. Usually looking young does [an actress] no favours at all but [she was] quite pleased this time".[5]

She trained at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama for one year but left after landing the role of Johanna in Sweeney Todd.[1]

Wisener made her stage debut in the UK premiere of the musical Parade at the Donmar Warehouse theatre in 2007.

She appeared in Boogeyman 3 playing the role of Amy and in November 2008 created the role of Sophie in a West End showcase of the new musical The Lost Christmas by Laurence Mark Wythe at the Trafalgar Studios, London.

In 2009 she appeared in one episode of The Inbetweeners - "The Field Trip" Season 2 Episode 1.

In late 2009, until early 2010 she appeared on stage playing the role of Mary Lennox in The Secret Garden at the West Yorkshire Playhouse.

In March 2011 she played Sally, a young woman in a centre for female juvenile delinquents, in The Runaway, based on Martina Cole's novel.

In March 2012 she played the role of a student named Sandie, in the BBC Northern Ireland drama "6Degrees" [6]

Jayne also played the lead character 'Jay' in 2012 UK feature film, Life Just Is. She starred alongside Paul Nicholls and the two play a couple trying to work out their complex relationship.[7]

From December 2012 to January 2013, Jayne starred as Cinderella at The Grand Opera House, in Belfast in the pantomime, Cinderella.

Select credits

Year Film Role Notes
2007 Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street Johanna Barker Film debut
2009 Minder Maria Grant Episode: A Matter of Life and Debt
The Inbetweeners Lauren Harris Episode: The Field Trip
Boogeyman 3 Amy London Irish
Bullets Music video
2010 Casualty Simone Lewis 7 episodes
Vexed Lucy B Episode Three
2011 Jane Eyre Bessie Lee
Injustice Lucy Wilson 4 episodes
Misfits Stacie 1 episode
A Kiss for Jed Orla
The Runaway Sally 1 episode
2012 Life Just Is Jay
6Degrees Sandie Morrow Main role (12 episodes)
Nick Nickleby Kat Nickleby Main role (5 episodes)

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 "Jayne Wisener". IMDb. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  2. Henry, Lesley-Anne. "Ulster girl lands role of a lifetime" Belfast Telegraph. 23 December 2006.
  3. Hetherington, Mhari. "Impassioned, experiential theatre." Scottish Theatre. March, 2006.
  4. McDaid, Brendan. "Black Pearl." Black Pearl. 15 September 2006.
  5. "How the crisis in TV drama here is easing by degrees - News Analysis, Opinion". Belfasttelegraph.co.uk. 21 February 2012. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  6. "Life Just Is - Cast". Lifejustisfilm.com. Retrieved 27 August 2012.

External links