Jessica has lived in London for 20 years, at 16 different postcodes. But has she found home?
Enter into the funny, moving world of Jessica's personal, real-life city stories inspired by true tales of love and landlords, of mice and men and more, each one landmarking a life spent as Generation Rent.
Whether it's a life changing phone call in Greenwich or the kiss of her life behind a KFC, the kindness of Pret workers in Brixton or auditioning to play a neanderthal in her underwear you'll help her find her way through an entirely unique hour where each night the audience select stories from her trove of 16 - one for each postcode. It’s never the same show twice. Much like her address most years.
If you’ve ever left home, if your life does not look like how you thought it would, if a person, place or job has ever broken or healed your heart or if you feel like the property ladder has impaled your hopes and dreams.…this powerful, hilarious show is for you.
Following a smash-hit ★★★★★ Edinburgh Fringe run, 16 Postcodes comes home to the place it all began; London.
We sat down with writer, director and performer Jessica Regan to learn more about the show.
What inspired you to write 16 Postcodes?
On a long pandemic walk around my then neighbourhood I totted up all the places I’d lived in London…It just sounded like a good title, 16 Postcodes. I knew I had so many stories and it felt like I landed on a good place to put them.
On a long pandemic walk around my then neighbourhood I totted up all the places I’d lived in London…It just sounded like a good title, 16 Postcodes. I knew I had so many stories and it felt like I landed on a good place to put them.
How do you feel your experiences in London’s rental market have shaped the stories you choose to share in 16 Postcodes?
As difficult and challenging and at times dispiriting as it has been to move around so much, I feel so lucky in other ways. New environments, connections, friendships, jobs…it’s never been dull, that’s for sure. It’s a show that documents some hard times but is filled with hope and persistence. I chose stories that had light and shade to varying degrees to reflect that.
As difficult and challenging and at times dispiriting as it has been to move around so much, I feel so lucky in other ways. New environments, connections, friendships, jobs…it’s never been dull, that’s for sure. It’s a show that documents some hard times but is filled with hope and persistence. I chose stories that had light and shade to varying degrees to reflect that.
Can you tell us about a particular postcode that holds a special significance for you?
They all do, truly but the show is in many ways a love letter to E17. I was there for my longest stint on London yet and it was definitely the site of the most growth and healing in a way, as woo as that sounds. It looked after me for a long time.
They all do, truly but the show is in many ways a love letter to E17. I was there for my longest stint on London yet and it was definitely the site of the most growth and healing in a way, as woo as that sounds. It looked after me for a long time.
How does the interactive element of audience choices affect your performance each night?
It energises me, concentrates me and delights me. It’s nice not to have to steer every element and actually collaborate with an audience to make the show.
It energises me, concentrates me and delights me. It’s nice not to have to steer every element and actually collaborate with an audience to make the show.
Can you share a moment from your life in London that you find particularly funny or poignant, and how it has influenced your work?
I remember I had a really perfect London day one time. I was voicing a computer game that was so much fun, I headed to Southbank for dinner with friends, it was summer and golden hour, I headed towards home after the perfect amount of wine to feel fizzy and fun and as I got to Waterloo I thought I’ve nailed this day! I am actually winning at London, at life, this was just a casual Tuesday and it was…perfect. Then I fell really hard in some vomit I didn’t see while stepping onto the tube. The train pulled out and I slipped again and couldn’t get up, just slipping and getting covered in someone else’s vomit over and over until a guy handed me an Evening Standard to gain purchase on the ground and get upright. Draw from that what you will, but I was like, well played London. You never let me get too
comfortable….
I remember I had a really perfect London day one time. I was voicing a computer game that was so much fun, I headed to Southbank for dinner with friends, it was summer and golden hour, I headed towards home after the perfect amount of wine to feel fizzy and fun and as I got to Waterloo I thought I’ve nailed this day! I am actually winning at London, at life, this was just a casual Tuesday and it was…perfect. Then I fell really hard in some vomit I didn’t see while stepping onto the tube. The train pulled out and I slipped again and couldn’t get up, just slipping and getting covered in someone else’s vomit over and over until a guy handed me an Evening Standard to gain purchase on the ground and get upright. Draw from that what you will, but I was like, well played London. You never let me get too
comfortable….
How do you mentally and physically prepare for a performance?
I go over and over and over the stories, run through them with trusted collaborators and get their input and feedback. I go for long walks and listen to the recording of the show and music that gets me in the mood. I do the usual stretching and vocal warm-ups in the space right before. I drink a lot of Lucozade.
I go over and over and over the stories, run through them with trusted collaborators and get their input and feedback. I go for long walks and listen to the recording of the show and music that gets me in the mood. I do the usual stretching and vocal warm-ups in the space right before. I drink a lot of Lucozade.
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| Photo by Callum Baker |
What was a piece of theatre that had a big impact on your earlier years of your career?
The White Guard at the National Theatre directed by the late, great Howard Davies. I was like ahhh this is why I came here. It was another level. Still the greatest scene change I’ve ever seen. Beautifully told and performed and so much better than it needed to be. It showed me the potential of what could be achieved at a building equipped like the National.
The White Guard at the National Theatre directed by the late, great Howard Davies. I was like ahhh this is why I came here. It was another level. Still the greatest scene change I’ve ever seen. Beautifully told and performed and so much better than it needed to be. It showed me the potential of what could be achieved at a building equipped like the National.
What keeps you inspired?
My friends. Their tenacity, grit, passion and ability to pivot. I’m lucky to know so many extraordinary minds and hearts.
My friends. Their tenacity, grit, passion and ability to pivot. I’m lucky to know so many extraordinary minds and hearts.
What do you hope audiences take away from your show, especially in light of the upcoming Renters’ Rights Bill?
I hope they will gain more perspective on the situation they or people they know may be experiencing and for homeowners to realise the miracle of buy property in London in the last century. Property prices as of 2024, when I first did the show had risen by 518% in 20 years. Wages increased by 5.8% over the same time period. It is not the avocado toast or Netflix subscriptions that is stopping us from moving out of the rental sector. But really I just want people to connect with the stories in own way and emerge entertained and uplifted. Nothing like a good yarn or several.
I hope they will gain more perspective on the situation they or people they know may be experiencing and for homeowners to realise the miracle of buy property in London in the last century. Property prices as of 2024, when I first did the show had risen by 518% in 20 years. Wages increased by 5.8% over the same time period. It is not the avocado toast or Netflix subscriptions that is stopping us from moving out of the rental sector. But really I just want people to connect with the stories in own way and emerge entertained and uplifted. Nothing like a good yarn or several.
16 Postcodes runs at King's Head Theatre until Sunday 8th March. Tickets are available from https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/16-postcodes-jhby
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