Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Last updated
Francesca Amewudah-Rivers
Born
Education Oxford University
Occupation(s)Actor, Musician, Composer
Years active2021–present

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is a British television and stage actress, musician and composer.

Contents

Early life

Amewudah-Rivers was born in Brighton to a Ghanaian father and Nigerian mother. [1] [2] She trained with the National Youth Theatre [3] and studied Music at Oxford University. [4]

Career

She appeared in two series of BBC Comedy series Bad Education as Blessing, alongside Jack Whitehall. [5] She also composed the music for the short films Medea, Minutes and Messenger. [6] She was awarded the 2021 Evening Standard Future Theatre Award for Audio Design. She was music intern on Inua Ellams’ adaptation of Chekhov's play Three Sisters for the Royal National Theatre. [2]

On stage, she has appeared in Shakespeare theatre productions of MacBeth , and Othello for the National Youth Theatre, [7] [8] as well an adaptation by Merlynn Tong of Sophocles' Greek tragedy Antigone at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester, [9] for which The Guardian positively reviewed her "sensitively delivered" performance. [10]

In 2024, she was cast as Juliet cast alongside Tom Holland in a West End production of Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York's Theatre. [11] More than 800 black performers signed a letter denouncing the online backlash to the casting, including Lashana Lynch, Freema Agyeman, Susan Wokoma, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste. [12] [13]

Personal life

She is a classical and jazz pianist who also plays guitar, bassoon and djembe drum. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Romeo and Juliet</i> Tragedy by William Shakespeare

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<i>Antigone</i> (Sophocles play) Tragedy by Sophocles

Antigone is an Athenian tragedy written by Sophocles in 441 BC and first performed at the Festival of Dionysus of the same year. It is thought to be the second oldest surviving play of Sophocles, preceded by Ajax, which was written around the same period. The play is one of a triad of tragedies known as the three Theban plays, following Oedipus Rex and Oedipus at Colonus. Even though the events in Antigone occur last in the order of events depicted in the plays, Sophocles wrote Antigone first. The story expands on the Theban legend that predates it, and it picks up where Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes ends. The play is named after the main protagonist Antigone.

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References

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  9. "Interview: Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, "I have a lot of theatre trips planned!"". The Arts Dispatch. 8 October 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  10. Wiegand, Chris (8 October 2021). "Antigone review – gender switch sparks striking take on Sophocles". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  11. Bernabe, Angeline Jane (28 March 2024). "Tom Holland, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers and more to star in West End production of 'Romeo & Juliet'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  12. Wagmeister, Elizabeth (10 April 2024). "Tom Holland's 'Romeo & Juliet' costar Francesca Amewudah-Rivers receives support after her casting sparks racist remarks". CNN. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  13. Ramachandran, Naman (April 10, 2024). "'Romeo & Juliet' Star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers Backed by Over 800 Black Actors in Open Letter Condemning 'Racist and Misogynistic Abuse'". Variety. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.