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Jade Anouka

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English actress and poet (born 1989)

Jade Anouka
BornJade Anouka
(1989-06-12) 12 June 1989 (age 35)
Slade Green, London, England
NationalityBritish
EducationGuildford School of Acting
Occupation(s)Actress, poet
Years active2007–present
Spouse Grace Savage ​(m. 2022)​
Children2
WebsiteOfficial website

Jade Anouka (born 12 June 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her various stage roles and for her appearances in His Dark Materials on BBC One and the ITV dramas Trauma and Cleaning Up.

Early life and education

Anouka was born in London, the second of three children born to a maths teacher mother from Trinidad and a mortgage advisor father from Jamaica. She has a brother and a sister who pursued careers in science. She grew up in Slade Green and attended school in Bexley, London, but transferred to a school in Lewisham for sixth form. She ran track prior to transferring to Lewisham, as she did not want to compete against her old teammates.

Anouka took her first steps into acting while attending a Saturday morning drama club in Dartford, Kent. While at sixth form, Anouka received a scholarship to the National Youth Theatre and then attended the Guildford School of Acting. She was hired immediately after graduation by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, where she earned a postgraduate award in teaching Shakespeare.

Career

Anouka made her stage debut in 2007 with a role in Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad. In 2011, she received a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards for her 2010 performance as Ophelia in Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe.

Anouka had small television roles in Doctor Who (2013), Chewing Gum (2015), and Stan Lee's Lucky Man before getting a supporting role in the 2018 miniseries Trauma. She appeared in a 2020 episode (S9:E3) of Death in Paradise.

In 2014, she received the Stage Award for Acting Excellence for her one-woman show, Sabrina Mahfouz's Chef, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2015, she brought the show to London for a week of special performances.

Anouka took part in Phyllida Lloyd's all-female Shakespeare trilogy, starring as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse, Hotspur in Henry IV at the Donmar Theatre, and Ariel in The Tempest at the King's Cross Theatre, and at Off-Broadway's St. Ann's Warehouse. She earned rave reviews for her roles in the three plays, which were broadcast on the BBC in 2018. In 2018, she also played Margaret of Anjou in Jeanie O'Hare's Queen Margaret, at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. She was named among the InStyle BAFTA Breakout Stars for 2018.

In 2019, Anouka appeared in Cleaning Up, a six-part drama on ITV and the Netflix series Turn Up Charlie.

In August 2020, she confirmed that she was to appear as Ruta Skadi in series two of the BBC/HBO fantasy drama His Dark Materials.

Anouka performs her poetry on stage, and in 2016, she published a volume of her poetry called Eggs on Toast.

In 2021, it was announced that Anouka will star alongside Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton and Phil Daniels in a production of Mike Bartlett's Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, in 2022.

Personal life

Anouka identifies as queer and/or bi. On 14 December 2021, Anouka announced that she had given birth to a daughter. In May 2022, Anouka married musician Grace Savage. On 25 February 2024, Anouka announced she and her wife had had another baby.

Filmography

Key
† Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2009 That Serious Face Kellie Short film
2010 Love's Labour's Lost Maria Direct-to-video
2012 A Running Jump Jody's Friend Short film
2013 T-Police Field Police Officer Short film
2015 The Vote Chika Devan TV film
2017 Baby Gravy Alex Short film
2019 Fisherman's Friends Leah Jordan
Last Christmas Alba
2020 6:23 AM Short film
The Rhythm Section Laura Fuller
Her & Her Her Short film
Morbid Curiosity Newsreader Short film
2021 Zebra Girl Anita
Ear for Eye UK Woman
2022 Fisherman's Friends: One and All Leah Jordan Post-production
The Bower Terri (1991) Short film
TBA The Dark Channel† Mia Post-production
TBA Shaun† Beth Pre-production

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2007 USS Constellation: Battling for Freedom Conjo's Mother TV special
2010 Law & Order: UK Carla Episode: "Skeletons"
2012 Secrets and Words Ashley Episode: "Mightier Than the Sword"
2013 Doctor Who Waitress Episode: "The Bells of Saint John"
2016 Stan Lee's Lucky Man Ekua Nkomo Episode: "A Twist of Fate"
2017 Chewing Gum Danny Episode: "WTF Happened?"
2017–2018 The Donmar Warehouse's All-Female Shakespeare Trilogy Mark Antony/Hotspur/Ariel Mini-series, 3 episodes
2018 Trauma Alana Allerton Mini-series, 3 episodes
2019 Cleaning Up Jess Series regular, 6 episodes
Turn Up Charlie Tommi Series regular, 6 episodes
Great Performances Marcus Antonius Episode: "Julius Caesar"
2020 Death in Paradise Inez Farah Episode: "Tour De Murder"
Small Axe Mrs. Morrison Episode: "Education"
2020–2022 His Dark Materials Ruta Skadi Series regular, 5 episodes
2021 The Drowning Yasmin Mini-series, 4 episodes
Angela Black Dr. Cath Bradford Episode: "Series 1, Episode 3"
Beforeigners Adepero Recurring role, 3 episodes
2024 Dune: Prophecy Sister Theodosia Main role

Theatre

Year Title Role Venue Notes
Handa's Surprise Handa Little Angel Theatre, London
2007 The Penelopiad Melantho Swan Theatre, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon & National Arts Centre, Ottawa with Royal Shakespeare Company
2008 The Merchant of Venice Portia's Serving Woman Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon with Royal Shakespeare Company
The Taming of the Shrew Nicholas/Dancer Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon with Royal Shakespeare Company
Twelfth Night Olivia Theatre Royal, York
2009 Blood Wedding Bride Southwark Playhouse, London
Love's Labour's Lost Maria Shakespeare's Globe, London also, USA tour
2010 Wild Horses Zoe Theatre503, London
2011 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Octagon Theatre, Bolton
Hamlet Ophelia Shakespeare's Globe, London
2012 Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Rosa Royal National Theatre, London
Julius Caesar Calpurnia/Metellus Cimber/Pindarus Donmar Warehouse, London
2013 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Shakespeare's Globe, London
Clean Chloe Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Julius Caesar Calpurnia/Metellus Cimber/Pindarus St. Ann's Warehouse, New York City
2014 Clean Chloe 59E59 Theaters, New York City
Omeros Helen Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London
Chef Chef Underbelly, Edinburgh part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe
2015 Henry IV Hotspur Donmar Warehouse, London
The Vote PC Chika Devan Donmar Warehouse, London
Chef Chef Soho Theatre, London
So Here We Are Kirsty Royal Exchange, Manchester & HighTide Festival, Aldeburgh
Henry IV Hotspur St. Ann's Warehouse, New York City
2016 Doctor Faustus Wagner Duke of York's Theatre, London
2017 Cover My Tracks Sarah The Old Vic, London
2018 The Greatest Wealth The Old Vic, London
2019 Dear Elizabeth Queen Margaret Gate Theatre, London
The Phlebotomist Bea Hampstead Theatre, London
2022 Cock W Ambassadors Theatre

Video games

Year Title Voice role
2019 Control Helen Marshall
2020 Control: The Foundation Helen Marshall

References

  1. ^ Curtis, Nick (30 January 2018). "Trauma star Jade Anouka: There is nothing in the show about my race". Evening Standard. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  2. ^ Wise, Louis (26 August 2018). "Jade Anouka interview: the actress and poet on her role in Jeanie O'Hare's Queen Margaret". The Times. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  3. ^ Christie, Janet (5 January 2019). "Interview: Rising star Jade Anouka on her new TV drama 'Cleaning Up'". The Scotsman. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  4. ^ Harvey, Chris (8 January 2019). "Jade Anouka: 'Lead roles for black actors here are really rare'". The Independent. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  5. ^ Tutt, Louise (2 October 2017). "Stars of Tomorrow 2017: Jade Anouka (actor)". Screen Daily. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  6. Wise, Louis. "Here's to a Jumbo talent". Sunday Times. 27 May 2012.
  7. "Winners and Nominees of the Ian Charleson Awards 2011". WestEndTheatre.com. 30 June 2012.
  8. "The best of the Edinburgh Fringe". The Spectator. 16 August 2014. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  9. "Edinburgh theatre 2014: what to see". The Daily Telegraph. 24 August 2014. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  10. Moses, Caro (15 June 2015). "Jade Anouka: Chef". ThisWeek London.
  11. Gardner, Lyn (23 November 2016). "Shakespeare Trilogy review – Donmar's phenomenal all-female triumph". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  12. Kleeman, Tasha (6 January 2019). "On my radar: Jade Anouka's cultural highlights". The Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  13. "Loose Ends - Jade Anouka, Sindhu Vee, Ben Hart, Raphael Rowe, Black Pumas, Lady Blackbird, Christopher Eccleston, Nikki Bedi". BBC Radio 4. 1 August 2020.
  14. "Three To See on 19 Jun: Jade Anouka Poetry, Roman Candle, The Croydon Avengers". ThisWeek London. 12 June 2018. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  15. Thomas, Sophie (19 October 2021). "All the West End shows opening in 2022". London Theatre. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  16. Lukowski, Andrzej (26 September 2021). "Taron Egerton and Jonathan Bailey star in a richly-deserved revival for Mike Bartlett's early hit". Time Out. Retrieved 26 October 2021.
  17. Anouka, Jade (22 October 2021). "I lost a TV role because I was pregnant – and I'm far from the only one". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 December 2021.
  18. Anouka, Jade (5 June 2020). "That is the bisexual flag.Bi is the sexuality box that fits me the best(Because we all love to be squashed into boxes)Many already knew this about me..." (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  19. Anouka, Jade (14 December 2021). "Had a baby! Welcome Hazel" (Tweet). Retrieved 18 December 2021 – via Twitter.
  20. Jade Anouka (8 May 2022). "My Wife!!!!". Instagram. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
  21. Anouka, Jade (25 February 2024). "We had another baby.He is just wonderful. I am now a mother of two. Mad!" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 February 2024 – via Twitter.

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