Jo works as a director, writer, dramaturg and actor. He is a graduate of Melbourne University and the Ecole Jacques Lecoq. As a director he has particularly specialised in new work, both written and devised, but loves a bit of good commercial theatre as well.

Select directing credits include: Pilgrim in development with Kate Walder for Steps and Holes, The Girl Who Glows with Zeeko for Street Theatre ACT, Ubu Ekzotica for Idiomatic Arts, Small Mouth Sounds, The Hypochondriac and Deathtrap all for Darlinghurst Theatre Company and Ruby’s Wish for Belvoir/Sydney Opera House/Arts Centre Melbourne.

As a writer, in 2012 Jo was artist in residence at the Sydney Theatre Company where he was commissioned to write In a Heart Beat (Playlab 2014). Other writing credits include, The Girl Who Glows with Zeeko for Street Theatre ACT, Ruby’s Wish for Belvoir/Sydney Opera House/Arts Centre Melbourne, Prison Songs for Darwin Festival, Max Remy: In Search of the Time and Space Machine, Ishmael and the Return of the Dugongs and Bookends, all for ATYP. Jo was also co-writer of the 2013 Helpmann Awards ceremony with Eddie Perfect.

Turner won the Critics Choice at Sydney Fringe for Le Voyage, Best Independent Design at the Sydney Theatre Awards for Deathtrap, and the People’s Choice Award at Short and Sweet for The Stallion of Death. He was also co-winner of Phillip Parsons Fellowship for Emerging Playwrights in 2016.