Jillian O'Dowd

Notes

Jillian returned from her 5 years working in the UK and Europe November 2012 to live and work back in Australia. Jilly has been a permanent resident of Australia since 1988 and is now an Australian Citizen since 2023. Her base for Sydney work is in Glebe. When not working in Sydney she resides close by in Bomaderry NSW, travels for her work and has living bases in other cities and towns. She has 30 years plus of credits in Acting(Film/TV/Stage) Music, Singing, Drumming, Voice Overs, Directing, Producing, Teaching, Facilitating, Coordinating, Training, Assessing and Course Design. Jillian is a vocal director and coach for CST 'Centre Stage Theatrics' in NSW, Recently on SHREK the Musical 2023 at The Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. Jillian played Marya in the electro -pop opera 'Natasha & Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812' for The Darlinghurst Theatre Co. 2023. 4 stars in Time Out. Jilly played the lead role of Dorothy in Melissa Bubnics 'Ghosting The Party' for Griffin Theatre Co., debuting in Australia in 2022, receiving 4.5 stars in the Sydney Morning Herald. Jilly launched her new EP 'Reel to Real' with singer-songwriter Baxter Stone 2022, as part of their 'Sweet Beats n Blues' event celebrating live original music in Cambewarra NSW. Chocolate Dogs launched their song 'Back into the Zone' with a music clip shot by filmaker Harry Kielly 2022. Available on You Tube and Spotify. Jillian and Baxter's duo features in the Burradise Festival 2024. Jilly played Constable Janine, cast local bit players and coached on set for director Victoria MacIntyre on her Feature Film shoot 'The Flood' in March 2019. The Flood is available on STAN and other platforms internationally. Jillian played multiple roles in The ARTS LAB's production of 'The Turn Of The Screw' in March 2020. The Season was very well received. Jillian co-directed, performed the inner voice and wrote the soundscape to a new Australian work 'Safety Nets' written by Sarah Butler. Development was supported by Shark Island Institute. It received 5 stars in the Adelaide Advertiser 2022 as part of the Fringe Fest. Jillian recorded a new version of Australian Children's radio play 'PIP!" by the late Martin Wesley-Smith in 2020. She plays 3 characters, The Narrator and performs 9 songs. EDUCATION & AWARDS & NOTED POSITIONS 2015-25. Holds a Current Working with Children Check. 2012 National Youth Achievement Award, Singapore. ‘Excellent performance in Oliver Twist’ 2008-11 Acting and Audition Technique Teacher/Director at the London School of Dramatic Art 1995 NIDA Acting Graduate - Bachelor of Dramatic Art - Solo singer for NIDACAPPELA with Avigail Herman 1993-95. Monte Verdi 2nd Soprano. 1996 GLUGS Award Jeffery Joynton-Smith Performer on Their Way (Dead White Males for Sydney Theatre Co.) 1994 NIDA Hazel Treweek Award for Shakespeare (Role of Portia in The Merchant Of Venice) 1994. Choral Singer in 'Dear World' for The Victorian State Opera. 1996 Co Founder of Re:actor Acting Services @ Fox Studios, Sydney 1992 LTCL Teachers Dip. in Speech, Drama, Music - Trinity College of Music, London 1986-87. Classical Singing Training - Opera. TEACHING, TRAINING AND ASSESSING. Jillian is currently a Film,TV, singing, drumming coach for children, teenagers and adults in The South Coast NSW. She delivered The Four C's Hub workshops at The Kangaroo Valley Primary School - Calm, Clarity, Confidence and Creativity, as part of their regular well being programme. At The London School of Dramatic Art, her role was 'Training and Development Consultant', Teacher, Director, Trainer, Administrator and Assessor of Participants. 2008-2011 (4 years) . Jilly directed two part time graduate plays 'Love and Money' and 'Independence'. 'Six in the City' Film/TV Casting Technique and Life coaching Secret Summer Vocation course, London, 2011. Teaching, Directing, Training and Assessing. 30+ years experience as teacher & course designer, trainer and assessor.(Film/TV/Stage) Re:actor Acting Services; Founder/Director/Teacher at Fox Studios Sydney and The Randwick Literary Institute 1997-2001 ( Film/TV/Stage) - Teaching Casting Technique with John Mildren ( I4 Casting - Director) Music and Movement for the Disabled; Blackheath Neighbourhood Centre 2001-2004 'On Camera Careers' Casting Technique Workshops; Blue Mtns Grammar, Springwood, High Schools 2003 DIRECTING 2022. Back Into the Zone Music Clip for Baxter Stone, Harry Kielly on Camera. 2018. 'Fear Of falling' Music Clip Director/Writer/Performer for Baxter Stone and the Chocolate Dogs. 2017. Songs about Girls and their Fingertips - The ARTSLAB KV in assoc.' with Shark Island Institute (Co Dir) 2016 SHAKE YOUR SPEARE KV Teen Drama 2015 ONE TIME ALL YEAR KV Senior Drama 2014 FIRST DO NO HARM KV Senior Drama 2013 THE APPLE TREE Berry Dance Studios Shoalhaven Entertainment Centre. 2012 HISTORY OF THEATRE Traffic of the Stage 2011 HISTORY OF THEATRE Traffic of the Stage – UK Tour. LOVE & MONEY LSDA Foundation Graduate Show - Lost Theatre, London 2009 INDEPENDENCE LSDA Foundation Graduate Show – The Lion and Unicorn, London 1997-01 RE:ACTOR ACTING SERVICES Scene Work, Monologues, TV, Film and Theatre - Sydney 1997-99 INDUSTRY SHOWCASES Griffin Theatre Co. Sydney PRODUCING 2022. Back Into The Zone Music Clip with Harry Kielly on Camera. 2022. 'Sweet Beats and Blues' Event EP launch 'Reel to Real' with Chocolate Dog Duo with Baxter Stone. 2018 'Sweet Beats and Blues' South Coast all ages music hall crawl at Cambewarra and Tomerong. 2018. 'Fear Of falling' Music Clip starring Roy Billing and Baxter Stone and The Chocolate Dogs. 2017 The Way of all Fish - The ARTSLAB in assoc' with Shark Island Institute - Dir:Stephen James King 2016 Songs about Girls and their Fingertips - The ARTSLAB KV in assoc.' with Shark Island Institute 2015 TEMPTING MORSELS ArtsLab in association with Shark Island Kangaroo Valley 2010 BEAUTIFUL BODIES Leicester Square Theatre ‘Six in the City’ UK. Dir: Caroline Devlin 2003 MADAME MELVILLE Downstairs Belvoir St/HOTDOG/Brown Paper Films Dir. Adam Cook. 2002 SWEET PHOEBE Court Theatre NZ/Downstairs Belvoir/HOTDOG Dir. Helen Dallimore MUSIC CAREER Jilly has been the Manager/Singer/Drummer with rock n roll band Baxter Stone and The Chocolate Dogs 2013-2020. Popular South Coast Rock 'n' roll band featuring original Australian music and 100's of classic and quirky covers. Jilly is currently with 'Chocolate Dog' Duo with singer-song writer Baxter Stone, with three original compositions under her belt, performed/recorded. CD launced their EP 'Reel to Real' 2022 as part of their 'Sweet Beats n Blues' Event. She wrote produced and performed in their latest clip 'Back into The Zone' shot by filmaker Harry Kielly. Available on Spotify and You Tube during 2023. Jilly produced, directed, wrote and performed in 'fear of falling' Music Clip 2018 starring Roy Billing 'UnderBelly' fame. DOP Sam Vines ( Friday on my Mind - Story of the Easybeats ABC TV bio pic) Shot and produced in KV edited by Hilary Balmond. It's been submitted for play on 'RAGE'. Go to you tube to view 'Fear of falling' Baxter Stone. Jilly has been a production team member for The ARTSLAB in association with The Harvest Lounge in KV NSW on all ages Music Events 2015-2019. Jilly produced Baxter Stone and The Chocolate dogs debut album launch 'Barking up the wrong Tree' in 2017 at the popular Jervis Bay original music venue ' Angels Bayside cafe' in Huskisson. Their band has a residency at the venue. She sings and plays drums on Baxter's original music. Jilly founded, produced and participated as a musician/MC in the South Coast All Ages Music Events ' Sweet Beats and Blues' in 2018 at The Cambewarra and Tomerong Halls. 2019 's scheduled for Sept 21 2019 at the Berry Pavillion and Youth Hall. It is a profit share for participating musicians celebrating original Australian music. Booking fee through Humanitix and Sth Coast Tix goes to the Womens Community refuge charity. Jilly founded and facilitates 'Bettys Busking Beats' for South Coast Teen musicians at Bettys Bar Kangaroo Valley NSW 2018-2019. In May 2019 she performed with The Acacia String Quartet on Nick Enright's 'The Maitland and Morpeth String Quartet' comedy poem with an extensive score by Vincent Plush for The Kangaroo valley Arts Festival. Her current voice gig is as a singer and actor in ‘PIP!’ for Wesley Smith Productions – a original NSW score/story to teach and entertain children on the origins of sound. She narrates, plays 3 characters and sings 9 songs in the recording for 2019. Jilly was Marina Prior's cover in 'The Witches Of Eastwick' playing the lead role of Jane for two weeks, as well as playing Eudora, Jillian covered the Judy Garland role for Chrissy Amphlet in 'Hugh Jackman, The Boy From Oz National Arena Tour' 2006, as well as playing Valerie. NB: Numerous NIDA Productions - available upon request Many voice overs for radio. TV and educational training Many Commercials and Corporate Videos in NZ,Australia and UK 100% and visual. Four years of 'Theatre in Education' credits as an Actor, Singer and Puppeteer prior to NIDA. ( before 1993- Skylark Theatre Co., Olivia Brown Prods, Troubadour Theatre,) Post - Traffic of the Stage UK. REFEREES Simon Burke, Performer, Producer, Writer, Director. [email protected] Baxter Stone, Singer- Song Writer, Sound Engineer and Sweet Beats n Blues Producer. [email protected] Helen Dallimore, Producer, Director, Actor, Music Theatre Performer, Writer. [email protected] Declan Greene, Artistic Director Griffin Theatre Co. [email protected]. Sarah Butler, Artistic Director for The ARTSLAB. [email protected] Andrew Smee, Principal of Kangaroo Valley Primary School. [email protected] Jake Taylor, Principal of The London School of Dramatic Art. [email protected] Mark Gaal, Head of VET The National Institute of Dramatic Art, [email protected]