Denbigh Alumni stars in Wicked in the West End

Former student Jessica Aubrey took her first ever Curtain Call on a West End stage when she took on the role of Elphaba in the smash hit musical Wicked.  Jessica is an ensemble cast member in Wicked and understudy for the lead roles of Elphaba & Nessarose.  When Jessica got her chance to step in as Elphaba she performed superbly in this iconic role.  Her outstanding performances in the cast of Wicked have been recognised with a nomination for a West End ‘Wilma Award’ for ‘Best Ensemble Member’.

Jessica’s talent and love for the Performing Arts was clear when she was a Denbigh student.  She threw herself into every school production with the highlight being her memorable performance as Eponine in Les Miserables.  She also trained as a dancer out of school with the dream of pursuing a career in Dance and Musical Theatre.  

Jessica knew how competitive a career in the Performing Arts was and ensured she had a strong academic background as well.  She studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at Warwick University and was a key member of the University’s Musical Theatre Society.  After Warwick, she secured a place at the Royal Academy of Music to study a Masters in Musical Theatre.

Since graduating from the Royal Academy, she hasn’t looked back, securing roles in Grease, Frozen, Bedknobs and Broomsticks and ‘But I am Cheerleader’ before her current success in Wicked.  

Jessica is grateful for her time at Denbigh School and how it encouraged her talent and passion for the Performing Arts.  Jessica has offered advice to Denbigh’s next generation of aspiring performers telling them that: ‘The key to success is practice and self-belief, so be creative: get writing, use singing, dancing, acting and directing to discover who you are and show it.  The world is in need of new stories, and I promise, with music as an outlet, you’ll feel joy, healing, expression like nothing else.’ 

Mr Steed, Headteacher at Denbigh said: ‘We are so proud of Jessica’s success on the West End stage.  She has shown talent, determination and persistence to succeed in this highly competitive industry.  We are delighted that the dreams Jessica had when she was at Denbigh are coming true and grateful that she has taken time to help inspire our current generation of talented performers.’