BIOGRAPHY
Joanna is a multi award-winning British playwright, actress and screenwriter. Her plays have sold out in New York City, Paris and London. They are available at The Drama Book Shop in New York. In 2023, she performed her debut one woman show Don't Harm The Animals at The Chain Theater New York City. In 2022/23, Bad Victims sold out at The Courtyard Theatre in London, starring Pickering and Richard Emerson (West End Chess, ENO Coliseum), directed by Erica Gould (Neil Labute/Theresa Rebeck), who described the work as "Sarah Kane meets Noel Coward with the devious of Phoebe-Waller Bridges to flip a scene." Cat and Mouse was read at The Drama Book store with Broadway TV star Dan Lauria. In 2022, The Endgame premiered off-Broadway at New Perspectives Theatre Company, directed by Illana Stein (award winning best director) before moving to Paris at The Big Funk Company. In 2021, Truth, Lies and Deceptions played to sold out audiences at Le Pave D'Orsay Theatre in Paris, with Joanna performing a lead role and receiving national press. Sylvie and Sly was read at Julia's reading room at The League of Professional Theatre Women (LPTW) by Caroline Aaron (Marvelous Mrs Maisel). In 2023, Joanna won Best Actress at New York Women in Film Festival, Los Angeles Film Awards, Austin Film Festival, and The Actors Awards for her film work on Diva. She is a member of The Actor’s Studio Playwright Directors Unit, Theatre 68, The Actors Gym, The International Centre Of Women Playwrights, The League of Professional Female Playwrights, NPTC's Women's Work LAB, and The Parity Database. Joanna is represented by 3 Arts Entertainment, Metropolis Agency, Talented in Paris and she is a SAG member.
Stage Works
Don't Harm The Animals, One woman show, Chain Theatre, Summer Festival, June 2023, SOLD OUT nights New York City (premier)
Cat and Mouse, The Drama Book shop, SOLD OUT, April 2023, New York City
The Endgame, Big Funk Theatre Company, SOLD OUT December 2023, Paris (reading)
The Endgame, New Perspective Theatre Company, SOLD OUT July 2022, New York City (development)
Bad Victims, The Courtyard Theatre, SOLD OUT, April 2022, London, UK (development)
Bad Victims, The Courtyard Theatre, SOLD OUT, October, 2022, London UK (development)
Dolly, The Playwrights Round Table, Reading, Florida, 2021.
Truth, Lies and Deception, Pave D'Orsay, SOLD OUT, December 2021, Paris (premier)
Three short plays by Pickering: Cat and Mouse, Sylvie and Sly, and Beach Break, The League of Professional Theatre Women (reading). SOLD OUT.
Misty and Rover Primitive Grace ensemble workshop, 2019, New York City, The Playwrights Round Table, Reading Florida, 2021.
Beach Break, Primitive Grace Ensemble, 2019, The Bridge Theatre, New York City.
Cat and Mouse, The Drama Book shop, SOLD OUT, April 2023, New York City
The Endgame, Big Funk Theatre Company, SOLD OUT December 2023, Paris (reading)
The Endgame, New Perspective Theatre Company, SOLD OUT July 2022, New York City (development)
Bad Victims, The Courtyard Theatre, SOLD OUT, April 2022, London, UK (development)
Bad Victims, The Courtyard Theatre, SOLD OUT, October, 2022, London UK (development)
Dolly, The Playwrights Round Table, Reading, Florida, 2021.
Truth, Lies and Deception, Pave D'Orsay, SOLD OUT, December 2021, Paris (premier)
Three short plays by Pickering: Cat and Mouse, Sylvie and Sly, and Beach Break, The League of Professional Theatre Women (reading). SOLD OUT.
Misty and Rover Primitive Grace ensemble workshop, 2019, New York City, The Playwrights Round Table, Reading Florida, 2021.
Beach Break, Primitive Grace Ensemble, 2019, The Bridge Theatre, New York City.
Stand Up Comedy
Extroverted Actress, Introverted writer ( I am not a comedian), June 202, New York Comedy Club, New York City.
Extroverted Actress, Introverted writer, (I am not a comedian), May 2021, Bungalow 3 at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles.
In the pandemic, to keep writing and performing, Joanna took to stage for stand up comedy in venues that returned before theatre and performed to full houses at New York Comedy Club and invite only shows at Bungalow 3 at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles
Extroverted Actress, Introverted writer, (I am not a comedian), May 2021, Bungalow 3 at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles.
In the pandemic, to keep writing and performing, Joanna took to stage for stand up comedy in venues that returned before theatre and performed to full houses at New York Comedy Club and invite only shows at Bungalow 3 at Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles
Published Works
A Trilogy: Truth, Lies and Deception (Cat and Mouse, Sylvie and Sly, Breach Break) published with Next Stage Press, 2021.
Nothing Dries Sooner Than A Tear, Memoir, Burning House Press, 2020.
The Paradox Of Color, short story, finalist Screencraft cinematic stories, 2020.
Nothing Dries Sooner Than a Tear, Memoir, Burning House Press, 2019.
Hugh Hefner: The myths of the sexual revolution, Louder Than War Magazine, 2018 and BellaCaledonia Magazine.
The Boy's Are Not Alright: addressing gender inequality and Patriarchy, BellaCaledonia Magazine, 2018.
Respecting Black Art with in its Cultural Framework, Indie Soul Magazine, 2018.
Backstage Expert: Shifting the Power balance for Auditions and Meetings, Backstage Magazine, 2018.
Backstage Expert: Keeping Auditions Positive despite rejections, Backstage Magazine, 2018.
Backstage Expert: Advice for choosing which country to act, Backstage Magazine, 2018.
Nothing Dries Sooner Than A Tear, Memoir, Burning House Press, 2020.
The Paradox Of Color, short story, finalist Screencraft cinematic stories, 2020.
Nothing Dries Sooner Than a Tear, Memoir, Burning House Press, 2019.
Hugh Hefner: The myths of the sexual revolution, Louder Than War Magazine, 2018 and BellaCaledonia Magazine.
The Boy's Are Not Alright: addressing gender inequality and Patriarchy, BellaCaledonia Magazine, 2018.
Respecting Black Art with in its Cultural Framework, Indie Soul Magazine, 2018.
Backstage Expert: Shifting the Power balance for Auditions and Meetings, Backstage Magazine, 2018.
Backstage Expert: Keeping Auditions Positive despite rejections, Backstage Magazine, 2018.
Backstage Expert: Advice for choosing which country to act, Backstage Magazine, 2018.
TV and Scripted, Consultancy
Vegas and Back By Suzanne Kraus, consult session, 2023.
Content is King, Documentary, Interviewed as writer, nominated for daytime Emmy Award, 2022.
Being Julia by Joanna Pickering commissioned drama TV series, treatment, bible 2022, 3 Arts.
Nanking Road by Joanna Pickering drama TV series, on spec, director Phil John (Downtown Abbey), in development.
Black out by Sadie Frost, script consultant, London, 2022.
I Can Die Too by Frances Ruffle, Alan Cumming, Sally George, script consultant, London 2022.
Fleet Street Girls by BBC Julie Welch, Sony Head of Drama, Serena Williams, freelance development consult, 2020 to 2021.
One Rose by Richa Rudola, script consultant, New York, 2021, winner of best screenplay Nashville Film Festival 2021.
The Subordinates, in development with Emmy Nominated Sonja O'Hara, 2019.
Boardwalk by Joanna Pickering, screened Anthology Film Archives, 2019, New York City.
Early Writing
Joanna self-published monthly autobiographical memoirs under a pen name on her extensive world travels on The Brown and Skinny for several years. The writing gained cult following in UK and was picked up by journalist Innes Reekie (The Times, The Scotsman) after he read her piece from Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York, before its gentrification. Reekie felt compelled to write a feature article on Joanna's work and published it in Louder Than War Magazine. When it revealed Joanna's pen name, she removed all her work from the public domain and the article. However, she had created a platform that gained her a first book deal (with Rawmeash publishing cooperative by best selling novelist Emir Martin) and praise for her intuitive style from the literary world. She attracted Berlin editor C. C.O'Hanlon, who published Nothing Dries Sooner Than A Tear on Burning House Press from Joanna's travels in Morocco, on one condition—the writing commanded her own name.
In New York City, Joanna, merged her love of acting and writing at her first theatre group, Primitive Grace Theater, in their mission to produce works containing García Lorca's spirit of duende. In 2018, she wrote her debut one act play BEACH BREAK. It was selected for The Duende Readings by artistic directors David Zayas and Paul Calderon. The play became an official top five finalists for HBO'S Catalyst Content festival (ITV) airing as a live broadcast, an official finalist for Screencraft Stage Plays judged by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights, The Gotham Group, Ava Duvernay and Oprah Winfrey's Queen Sugar writers. It aired on avant-garde British Radio, Resonance FM in UK, February, 2019. The play has since won innumerable writers residencies, retreats, and scholarships. Joanna's debut short film BOARDWALK screened at The Anthology Archive Film Theater in September 2018, described in press as "fluid, beautiful and sensational." It was award nominated for Best Film and Best Mystery Thriller at NY Web Festival 2019. It was part of the women in film challenge founded by Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre.
Her writing has now received testimony from Shonda Rhimes' producer Tyrone Finch, The Samuel Beckett Estate, David Nicholls, John Patrick Stanley, Emily Carmichael (Jurassic World), and Philip John (Marvel, Downton Abbey) among many more. Joanna is grateful to have Robert Schenkkan as one of the referees of her ongoing stage work, as well as working with Corey Mandell's Professional TV and Film workshops for her screenplays, who is coach to many Academy award-winning writers.
In New York City, Joanna, merged her love of acting and writing at her first theatre group, Primitive Grace Theater, in their mission to produce works containing García Lorca's spirit of duende. In 2018, she wrote her debut one act play BEACH BREAK. It was selected for The Duende Readings by artistic directors David Zayas and Paul Calderon. The play became an official top five finalists for HBO'S Catalyst Content festival (ITV) airing as a live broadcast, an official finalist for Screencraft Stage Plays judged by Pulitzer Prize-winning playwrights, The Gotham Group, Ava Duvernay and Oprah Winfrey's Queen Sugar writers. It aired on avant-garde British Radio, Resonance FM in UK, February, 2019. The play has since won innumerable writers residencies, retreats, and scholarships. Joanna's debut short film BOARDWALK screened at The Anthology Archive Film Theater in September 2018, described in press as "fluid, beautiful and sensational." It was award nominated for Best Film and Best Mystery Thriller at NY Web Festival 2019. It was part of the women in film challenge founded by Katrina Medoff and Tracy Sayre.
Her writing has now received testimony from Shonda Rhimes' producer Tyrone Finch, The Samuel Beckett Estate, David Nicholls, John Patrick Stanley, Emily Carmichael (Jurassic World), and Philip John (Marvel, Downton Abbey) among many more. Joanna is grateful to have Robert Schenkkan as one of the referees of her ongoing stage work, as well as working with Corey Mandell's Professional TV and Film workshops for her screenplays, who is coach to many Academy award-winning writers.
Acting for film
Joanna has most recently won best actress for her work on Chris Mack's DIVA (2023), including Best Actor at The LA Awards, Best Actress at The Actors Awards, Best actress in an indie film, Best performance, at Austin International Art Festival and NY women in film festival. Joanna first trained at The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute in New York City (home to James Dean, Marlon Brando, Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, Dustin Hoffman) and is experienced in Method Acting, including extensive training in acting for camera in television and film, stage and radio. Joanna has worked worldwide on over 30 films, both commercial and independent feature films in lead roles. In 2019, she had a small role in Danny Boyle's Creation Stories movie written by Irvine Welsh and Dean Cavanagh, completed a pilot as principal role for award-winning indie show "Street Smart" with Sopranos and Goodfellas cast. Her credits include Creation Stories, Svengali, The Other F Word (amazon prime hit series), Pelleas with co-lead Alice Eve (Star Trek), as well as principal cast in Alice Fades Away starring alongside William Sadler (The Shawshank Redemption) and Blanche Baker (Handmaids Tale) (film completed shooting but her US movie theatre debut screening was pandemic cancelled). She has performed in two films screening at The Whitney Museum, as the Dada artist Baroness Elsa Von Freytag Lorinhoven and in The Incomplete History of Protest exhibition in Pelleas. Her film Four Keys won awards addressing immigration issues.
Acting for stage
On stage, Joanna performs in her own plays to excellent review. She played Jade and Layla in Truth, Lies and Deception, in 2021 on stages in Paris. She played her character Jane in The Endgame, London at The Courtyard in two consecutive sold out runs in 2022 and 2023. She performed her one woman debut Don't Harm The Animals at The Chain Theatre in 2023 directed by Melody Brooks. Joanna played Lady Macbeth on stage in Paris in 2023 with The Big Funk Company, having prepared the role prior in Pittsburgh summer 2018, on stage and for TV series called Actors ON, with support from PSTV and Shakespeare in The Park. She performed in Eve Ensler's The Vagina Monologues in New York City summer 2018, as well as King Herod in David Heron's and Eston Lee Jamaican classic. In 2019, Joanna was selected from her performance work by directors Paul Calderon (Bosch, Pulp Fiction) and David Zayas (Oz, Gotham, Blue Bloods) (also original founders of The LAByrinth theater), and was a proud member of Primitive Grace Theater Ensemble. Her play Beach break was picked with the shared mission to bring the spirit of "duende" to stage and Joanna performed in her own work for the first time. Joanna gained an acting scholarship to coach for a semester with Russian award winning coach, Aleksey Burago at The Russian Art Theater now Theatre 86, in New York. She is a performing member of Theatre 68, and was referred to workshop with academy award-winning Bobby Moresco at The Actors Gym in New York, 2020, of which is she a proud member.
Sponsors
Joanna has a wealth of expertise, and actively is involved in bringing in her own sponsorship and finance for her work. Her recent sponsors for her theatre plays are:
Vu Limited Event Company, Victor Ugobu, (England Rugby Team) —The Endgame.
On Kew Gardens, luxury film locations and rehearsal studios, Tiffany Newton (producer) — Bad Victims
Delta Airlines—Executive PA services between US and Europe productions.
Joanna successfully pitched a TV show for funding by CCTV at The Guardian Edinburgh Television Festival. Joanna has presented at NATPE (National Association of Television Producer Executives) gaining the praise of CEO Rod Perth for ability to penetrate major Television at such level, as well as MIP TV Cannes, and Cannes Market at Cannes International Festival, and backing from Delta Airlines. She has extensive network with major stateside and UK studios, from Lionsgate, STARZ, BBC Worldwide, Time Warner and Ingenious. From this experience she was able to set her own production company Strange Pilgrim Productions. Strange Pilgrim produced it's first short, multi award-winning Diva by Chris Mack in 2023, in which she stars and has won best actress five times.
Vu Limited Event Company, Victor Ugobu, (England Rugby Team) —The Endgame.
On Kew Gardens, luxury film locations and rehearsal studios, Tiffany Newton (producer) — Bad Victims
Delta Airlines—Executive PA services between US and Europe productions.
Joanna successfully pitched a TV show for funding by CCTV at The Guardian Edinburgh Television Festival. Joanna has presented at NATPE (National Association of Television Producer Executives) gaining the praise of CEO Rod Perth for ability to penetrate major Television at such level, as well as MIP TV Cannes, and Cannes Market at Cannes International Festival, and backing from Delta Airlines. She has extensive network with major stateside and UK studios, from Lionsgate, STARZ, BBC Worldwide, Time Warner and Ingenious. From this experience she was able to set her own production company Strange Pilgrim Productions. Strange Pilgrim produced it's first short, multi award-winning Diva by Chris Mack in 2023, in which she stars and has won best actress five times.
Scholarships, Grants and Fellowships
Thanks to: The Society Of Authors, The Dramatist Guild, The Drama Guild Foundation, Indiespace, The Actors Fund, SAG, The Episcopal Actors Fund, New Perspective Theatre Women's lab, The Rohm Literary Agency (Margaret Atwood agent Phoebe Larmore), Rocaberti Scholarship with mentor Jen Grisanti (on the verge at NBC) (pandemic postponed), David Paul Kirkpatrick (Paramount Pictures/Walt Disney pictures /Touchstone), HBO's VP Kelly Edwards (pandemic postponed), screenplay mentoring with John Patrick Shanley, Robert Mckee Story fellowship, Coverfly development program, Tom Denver at Screencraft Success Story Program, and 1 in 8 plays selected by the Dramatist Guild Institute (DGI) playwrighting with Michelle Lowe.
Activism
Joanna is the jury president for the NY2Paris and NYIFF, on the 2019 advisory board for The Chelsea Film Festival, speaks on women in power and entertainment panels, moderates the panel for The Imagine Female International Film Festival, and speaks on The Woman in Film Panel for The Independent film festival in New York City. She hosted the awards at The New York Web Series Festival 2018. She is regarded for choosing projects that support political or social activism over mainstream avenues, and is known as a strong voice for gender equality, diversity and inclusivity. She has published articles on the patriarchy and the entertainment industry, is a feature writer for Louder Than War, leading UK political magazine Bellacaledonia. She writes as an Expert for Backstage Magazine to help young actors. She is a participants speaker at United Nations with Create 2030. With a degree in pure mathematics, Joanna has taught math at inner city schools to refugees and children with special needs, Eltham Green School for boys, London. See further activism mission here.
Music
Mark Gardner from band RIDE provided the sound score for Joanna's play Don't Harm The Animals.
Angela Mcluskey and Telepop Music provided their songs for Joanna's play Truth, Lies and Deception in Paris.
Joanna wrote the lyrics for Drop on Apple iTunes for Spectorbullets.She has worked with John Cooper Clarke (punk rock performance poet) live filming documentary, Manchester Apollo, Manchester, UK. And received a thank you credit in production for bringing creative talent together on the award-winning music documentary, The Sound of Young Scotland."Joanna performs and is the front album cover for many Band of Holy Joy videos as well a the lead actress is experimental film Kubricks made by Dean Cavanagh and Alan Mcgee. Joanna has DJ'd and fronted rock and roll night, Death Disco (BP Fallon, Alan Mcgee), in Los Angeles, for Bella Union Records (Simon Raymond, Cocteau Twins) in New York City, and Dj'd hosted with Jon Spencer and Lydia Lunch at Berlin, NY.
Angela Mcluskey and Telepop Music provided their songs for Joanna's play Truth, Lies and Deception in Paris.
Joanna wrote the lyrics for Drop on Apple iTunes for Spectorbullets.She has worked with John Cooper Clarke (punk rock performance poet) live filming documentary, Manchester Apollo, Manchester, UK. And received a thank you credit in production for bringing creative talent together on the award-winning music documentary, The Sound of Young Scotland."Joanna performs and is the front album cover for many Band of Holy Joy videos as well a the lead actress is experimental film Kubricks made by Dean Cavanagh and Alan Mcgee. Joanna has DJ'd and fronted rock and roll night, Death Disco (BP Fallon, Alan Mcgee), in Los Angeles, for Bella Union Records (Simon Raymond, Cocteau Twins) in New York City, and Dj'd hosted with Jon Spencer and Lydia Lunch at Berlin, NY.
Representatives
Joanna is represented by 3 Art Entertainment for acting and literary talent, Beverly Hills, NYC in USA, Metropolis for acting in New York and Talented in Paris in France. Joanna has a USA 01 artists talent visa awarded by the Screens Actors Guild and The Alliance of Motion Picture and Television for USA, and is a member of Screen Actors Guild.
Acting Testimonies
"Joanna in the very best sense of the word, is an animal - raw, instinctive, unpredictable and compelling. You can't take your eyes off her."
Phillip John, multi BAFTA nominated Director, Downton Abbey, Spotless, New Tricks, Being Human, ITV/BBC/PBS
"Joanna is a hard working, intelligent actor who is dedicated, and can take direction well, as well as drawing on her own initiative. She can bring to any role, no matter how small, or how challenging, a strong and committed performance"
Irma Sandrey, Method Coach, Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute (Al Pacino, Sienna Miller, Scarlett Johansson, Uma Thurman et al)
"Joanna's audition is impossible to forget; she has a raw, intuitive talent, rich in intensity. A definite talent."
Director Aleksey Burago/Russian Art Theater/HB Studio.
Joanna reminds me in all aspects of her acting work, elegance and power of Vanessa Redgrave, which having also worked with her, is the highest compliment I can give an actor. She is a truly great actress. She belongs on stage!
Bina Sharif, acclaimed playwright and director, New York City
"A great actress and creative: willing to learn and join in the development of a role. Great sense of humour and a joy to work with"
Dean Cavanagh, BAFTA nominated Writer/Director/TV Producer, Channel 4, HBO, BBC
Joanna was fantastic to have on set for Svengali! She was superb to work with, and even in a small part, brought so many great ideas to the table. I'd highly recommend working with her in any capacity on film, TV or theatre."
Jonathan Owen, writer and director, British indie hit "Svengali" starring Martin Freeman (The Hobbit) and BAFTA award winning Vicky McClure
"Joanna's greatest attribute as an actress - is the ease with which she can portray perhaps the most difficult task of all - vulnerability."
Alexa Oath, Senior Coach, Lee Strasberg
"Joanna knows how to deliver psychological realism."
Norman B Schwartz, senior coach and director, NYFA
Writing Testimonies
"People often send me their writing as I'm an editor and I'm forever being enthusiastic and encouraging when things are really only okay. I wasn't prepared for Joanna's writing being so fantastic. I hardly ever read someone who can paint the taste of something—darkness, and so forth - in words like that. It's a kind of New Beat, I think. Biggest thanks to her for letting us all read it."
Senior Editor , Pavilion Publishing
Incredible writing, which amazingly has reminded me of Black-American writers like Charles Perry (Portrait of a Young Man Drowning) to tell it how it is, no matter how bad it is, and no matter how desperate—someone needs to commentate, and Joanna has that capacity."
Innes Reekie, Writer and Journalist, The Times, The Scotsman (taken from Louder Than War article).
As a person who has worked in the world of books most of my life, I am compelled to say I loved this writing, it felt like a 2011 version of Just Kids, I want to read this book when it is done because it's surely underway."
Jane Darroch Riley, BBC London and Harper Collins, New York, Fiction Publisher
Joanna is part of a new breed of brave young writers and actors, unafraid of the world, alive to chance, and always ready to explore all possibilities.
Johny Brown, director and playwright, UK
Joanna has an extraordinary gift for creative writing"
Katerina Georgiou, Editor Assistant, Zani Magazine
Quotes
My strongest role model for these decisions has been Tilda Swinton. Before her rise to major success, I was watching her in 1999 as a kid, in "The War Zone" and observed her choices in the style of scripts she explored, refusing to go Hollywood or commercial. It has guided me in not being afraid to turn commercial scripts down."
Actress Joanna Pickering, interview New York City
Her favourite actresses? Easy, she replies – “Charlotte Rampling, Julie Christie, Tilda Swinton, Jessica Lange, Emanuelle Riva, Anna Karina, Francoise Dorleac… for today”
Feature Interview for Louder Than War Magazine, 2012, UK
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Any redistribution or reproduction of part or all of the contents in any form is prohibited. You may not, except with our express written permission, distribute or commercially exploit the content. Nor may you transmit it or store it in any other website or other form of electronic retrieval system.