West End performer 'empowered' by Burlesque role

Jess Folley, 22, joined the musical as a composer before being asked if she had acting experience

A young performer who is playing the lead in a West End show about self-discovery and expression said the role had taught her to be empowered in a way she could not before.

Jess Folley, 22, from Brentwood, Essex, plays the role of Ali Rose in Burlesque the Musical at the Savoy Theatre - performing as the character made famous by Christina Aguilera in the 2010 feature film of the same name.

This is her first theatre role, but she started performing aged three at a local dance school and said she "never wanted to do anything else".

"I felt so fortunate to grow up in a place where creativity was really encouraged," she said. "I felt really lucky to have those opportunities in Essex."

Folley won the first series of The Voice Kids in 2017 aged 13, with a rendition of Beyonce's Love on Top.

She said making her West End debut was a way of her returning to her theatrical roots.

"I didn't initially come on as an actor. I came on as a composer," she said.

She met with show producers, who were trying to get the musical off the ground, to speak with them about how she could get into writing for theatre. Instead, producers were struggling to "hit the nail on the head" with the lead's "I want" song.

"[Ali Rose is] a 20-year-old girl and I think they really wanted that song to come from the most authentic place possible. I found it quite easy to tap into that mindset.

"It was the song that got me involved in the project and from there I carried on writing and they asked me if I could act. It all led on from each other."

Folley (right) said she did not want to be a "carbon copy" of the role made famous by Christina Aguilera (centre)

The musical, which is based on the 2010 film featuring Cher and Aguilera, had a four-week run at the Opera House Manchester last year, before transferring to the West End in July.

Folley said she wanted to build on the "incredible foundations" of the character she was playing, rather than be a carbon copy.

The character goes on the hunt for her biological mother which takes her from a small town in Iowa to New York city, where she ends up becoming the star of a Burlesque club "decked out with amazing musical numbers".

She said: "I feel like the journey Ali goes on through the show, she goes on that transitional period from a girl to a woman and I think I've gone along that journey with her.

"I've learnt a lot about myself. It's taught me so much about standing in my own space and not being afraid to take up space and lead a company.

"I've learnt to keep myself empowered in a way I couldn't before."

Jess Folley said she grew up listening to musical theatre show cast albums

While Folley has released music before, she said she would feel "really proud" to have the song she composed for the show, Got It All From You, feature on a cast album, which is due to be released.

She said: "It's my first song I've written for theatre and it opened all these doors to me and it opened my eyes a lot to opportunities and to a space I didn't see myself [in] before.

"I grew up listening to theatre cast albums so it means a lot to me that people are going to be able to listen to it."

Reflecting on the show's run, she said she was grateful to be a part of it.

"I've just been very proud of the young girl that continued to fight for herself and keep pushing. Keep putting herself in those spaces.

"I feel very proud."