Sweetman Podcast # 264: Jo Marsh

Hi and welcome to episode 264 of Sweetman Podcast with support from our sponsors – T Leaf T and Yeastie Boys and thanks to you readers and listeners.

Now – as you probably know, as well as the usual platforms (this site, soundcloud, iTunes/Apple) you can get to Sweetman Podcast on Spotify – follow it there and have it saved in your Spotify library. It’s on most of the podcast platforms besides the ones mentioned here.

This week I had a conversation with Jo Marsh. She is an Australian-born, now Wellington-based burlesque performer, comedian, MC, actor and producer who now works and appears under the stage-name JoJo Bellini. We had met last year briefly when she was flatting with two other previous podcast guests. They’re now living in separate houses but I like to think this is the first time I’ve collected up every member of a household to podcast – her flatmates at the time were Sameena Zehra and Mike McKeon (aka Mike Blue). And you can click those links to be taken to those episodes.

Jo, Sameena and Mike knew each other in the UK and all found themselves locked down in New Zealand last year. They’re staying. Jo has been producing shows herself and appearing on the bill elsewhere as part of various packages – you can check out her site for all details around her various shows and appearances.

We got into a big chat about arts, appreciation and admin – but we also got into Jo’s story. Which involves a harrowing, near-fatal car accident and how the rehabilitation from that is what introduced her, late in life, to the community of burlesque. She has a background in ‘serious’ acting as well as huge experience in running theatres, booking shows and general arts-admin. But with burlesque she has found her way back to the stage as performer. So I loved the journey of this conversation.

And I hope you do too.