Irish Newspaper Article: "What Jessie Buckley Did Next."

[Taken from the Country Life section of the Farmers Journal.]

One year after wowing Andrew Lloyd Webber on hit BBC 1 show I'd Do Anything, Kerry girl Jessie Buckley is London's leading lady. Maria Moynihan talks to Jessie about her West End stage debut.

Jessie Buckley might be a West End starlet, but on a recent trip home to Kerry, she was quite happy to stay out of the spotlight.

"I went to see my two sisters in Oliver Twist in the Killarney Musical Society, so I was in the front row cheering them on for a change," she laughs.

It's hard to believe that, just 12 months ago Jessie, was gracing the very same stage as the leading lady in the local production of Carousel. But after making the BBC talent show I'd Do Anything - and winning over Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber - the sparkling 19 year old from Killarney has just made her West End debut.
"I'm still pinching myself," she admits. "Little did I know this time last year that I'd be doing what I'm doing. It's a dream."

Musical Background

Music is in Jessie's blood. The eldest daughter of Tim Buckley and Marina Cassidy - a professional harpist and singer - she started playing piano when she was just four years old. She blossomed into a natural performer, whether on stage with Killarney Musical Society or in school productions at the Ursuline Convent in Thurles, where she credits her teacher Mary Butler as an inspirational mentor.
"I was lucky enough to realise I had a passion that needed to be fed from really early on," she explains. "It didn't matter what knockbacks I got, I was just going to do it."
Indeed, she was "gutted" last year to make the final round of auditions for the prestigious Guildford School of Acting in London, only to miss out on getting a place.
But true to form, she picked herself up and joined the queue of hopefuls auditioning for I'd Do Anything, a BBC talent show searching for an actress to play Nancy in a new West End production of Oliver! The rest is musical history.

I'd Do Anything

Jessie soon found herself singing live every night before an estimated audience of 8 million viewers and a judging panel chaired by Andrew Lloyd Webber, who compared her to a young Judy Garland.
With voting only open to UK residents, she made it to the final two on talent alone, and was named by Lloyd Webber, director Cameron Macintosh and actor Barry Humphries as their Nancy.
And while the public vote eventually swung in favour of Blackpool's Jodie Prenger, Jessie has no regrets.
"I've gone to see Jodie; she's just fantastic, and I know I didn't win that part for a reason," says Jessie. "When you get that far, you're going to be devastated, and you're going to say 'Oh, God, I'm crap' and you're going to cry your eyes out. But, in a way, I think it's been the best thing in the world for me not winning. In the long run, I couldn't have asked for a better result."

West End Star

Jessie certainly didn't crumble when the cameras stopped working. She signed to United Artists, did a RADA Shakespeare course, performed at Andrew Lloyd Webber's birthday concert in Hyde Park and, in one of her first auditions, landed a leading role in the London revival of Stephen Sondheim's A Little Night Music.
Directed by Trevor Nunn (Cats, Les Miserables) and co-starring the acclaimed Maureen Lipman, Night Music is a complex and sophisticated affair that has won over reviewers and audiences alike. Jessie plays against type as Anne Egerman, a naive and spoilt bride, who discovers her much older husband is having an affair with an old flame. She is revelling in the role.
"To be honest, it is just a present to be given a score and a script like this, because it's just golden," she enthuses. "I'm lucky to be on my first job around really talented actors. I've just stood back and learnt so much from them. They've never been patronising, and they've always been willing to help me."
After an initial run in the Menier Chocolate Factory, A Little Night Music recently transferred to the Garrick Theatre on London's West End until 25 July, with the possibility of an extension until September.
Jessie, understandbly, can't quite believe her luck. "Everyone go out and buy these tickets, because we'd love to be in the job for another month or two," she laughs.

London Life

Jessie lives in South London with fellow I'd Do Anything finalist Niamh Perry, from Co. Down. Off-stage she keeps busy with classes and loves to wander around Notting Hill, visit the National Gallery or grab a coffee and read a script at the National Theatre along the Southbank. Despite her fame, she tries to live "as normal life as possible."
"I'm still a normal 19 year-old girl in London, and I have to worry about water bills and taxes and all that craic," she says. "I always like to learn more and keep growing as a person. London has so much to offer, and you're silly if you don't take advantage of it. Your life is short and you have to seize the moment."
Asked to name her dream role, Jessie is unable to pinpoint just one part. She wants to do Shakespeare and Chekhov, musicals, TV, even film. She would also like to lend her talent and time to an Irish charity. "Ireland has been very good to me, and I'd like to go back and do something for people at home," she says.
But whatever the future holds, one thing is for certain: in Jessie Buckley, a star has been born. "I thank my parents every day for supporting me and encouraging me, because without them I wouldn't be here," she says. "I'm very lucky."