Jackie's new stage 'I'M LITERALLY IN MY PRIME'

The entertainer is taking her diva-filled show to a whole new audience

- Elise Cacace

Jackie Clarke is no stranger to the spotlight, wowing Kiwi crowds for more than three decades with her maverick entertainment style. But with age, she’s found fewer opportunities, so the 57-year-old diva decided to create her own.

“I love my wrinkles!” she declares. “They’re an expression of the life and love I’ve experienced, and my humanity. So when the doors started closing on me, I just built my own house and opened my own doors, making my own opportunities.”

Her determination to stay on the stage is hardly surprising, given she joined her first band, Marching Orders, at the age of 16, stole hearts with her rock group The Lady Killers, then spent the last three decades pursuing various other roles, including as a judge for New Zealand Idol and Saturday Live co-host.

“You have to really want to make it in this business in New Zealand because it’s such a small country and it’s hard to keep going. I’m proud of the fact I’m still here. I refer to myself as a hardy perennial,” she laughs.