Jess Sole is an actor and musician who is annoyingly talented. Thankfully, she’s self-deprecating and self-aware enough to make sure you don’t feel too annoyed by your own lack of talent. If you’ve been in the Durban music scene for a while, you might have enjoyed Jess’s vocal performances in acapella trio Dr Fly and the Nurses. Or, you might know her from Veranda Panda’s Pineapple Sunday. These days, you can find Jess on theatre stages across the country as she morphs herself into different characters for some of South Africa’s biggest (and occasionally smaller) productions – or taking the piss out of acting life and Instagram culture in her Instagram stories.
Jess is hilarious, smart, and so full of insight, as well as many opinions. Thankfully for both of our careers, we didn’t dive into too many sticky topics. We do get an honest look at the life of an actor in South Africa – specifically in theatre. While Jess is a top-class actor getting to play incredible roles, there are still many struggles to deal with. Of course, it’s also an incredibly fun and exciting job, so we also dig into what makes it rewarding, and learn why Jess chose this path over other lanes open to her. If you’re interested in becoming an actor, or just want to know the reality of what it’s like, this podcast is for you. Enjoy.
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