Maimuna Memon

Last updated

Maimuna Memon
Born
Maimuna Enya Memon

1992
Preston, Lancashire, England
Alma mater Oxford School of Drama
Years active2015–present

Maimuna Enya Memon (born 1992) is a British actress, singer, composer, and playwright. She won a Laurence Olivier Award for her performance in the musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 , having previously been nominated for her role in Standing at the Sky's Edge .

Contents

Early life

Memon was born in Preston, Lancashire to an Irish mother and a Pakistani father and spent her early childhood in Darwen. [1] [2] As a teen, her family moved to Australia, where they settled in Chuwar, a suburb of Ipswich near Brisbane. [3] Upon returning to England at the age of 18, Memon studied at the Oxford School of Drama, graduating in 2015. [4]

Career

Upon graduating from drama school, Memon made her professional stage debut as Florinda in the Manchester Royal Exchange production of Into the Woods . [5] The following year, she made her television debut in an episode of the BBC One medical soap opera Doctors , [6] and appeared in The Busker's Opera at the Park Theatre and Lazarus at King's Cross Theatre. [7]

In 2017, Memon played Mary Magdalene in Jesus Christ Superstar at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. [8] She wrote the music and lyrics for, and performed in, James Meteyard's Electrolyte in 2019. [9]

Memon originated the role of Nikki in Richard Hawley's musical Standing at the Sky's Edge , which premiered in 2019 at the Sheffield Crucible. Memon reprised her role when the musical returned to Sheffield in 2022, and in 2023 at the National Theatre in London. [10] For her performance, she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical. [7]

Memon began releasing music in 2022, beginning with the singles "First Born Child" and "Calling". Her one-woman play Manic Street Creature premiered at the 2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, where it won a Fringe First Award, before having a London run at Southwark Playhouse in 2023. [11] She also composed a score for Henry VIII at Shakespeare's Globe and, as of 2023, was in the midst of composing a score for Portia Coughlan. [12]

In 2024, she portrayed Sonya in the London premiere of Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 at Donmar Warehouse from December until February 2025. [13] She received widespread acclaim for her performance, which earned her the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical. [14]

Discography

EPs

Singles

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2016 Doctors PC Kelsey PhillipsEpisode: "Grey Area"
2018 Unforgotten Officer1 episode
2022 Sherwood Anoushka Aram1 episode
2023 Time Tahani
2024 Domino Day VeditaSeries Regular: 5 episodes

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
2015 Into the Woods Florinda Royal Exchange, Manchester
2016The Busker's OperaJenny Diver Park Theatre, London
2016–2017 Lazarus Teenage GirlKing's Cross Theatre, London
2017Winnie and WilburVariousBirmingham Repertory Theatre
Jesus Christ Superstar Mary Magdalene Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
2018The Assassination of Katie HopkinsShayma Theatr Clwyd, Mold
2019Hobson's ChoiceSunitaRoyal Exchange, Manchester
ElectrolyteAllie TouchMusic
Edinburgh Fringe Festival
Ghost Quartet Pearl White/Sheherazade/Soldier/Lady Usher/Camera Shop OwnerBoulevard Theatre, London
2019, 2022–2023 Standing at the Sky's Edge Nikki Crucible Theatre, Sheffield / National Theatre, London
2021The Band Plays OnJessSheffield Theatres
Living Newspaper Edition 6C Royal Court Theatre, London [15]
Nine Lessons and CarolsSinger Almeida Theatre, London
2022 Henry VIII —Music
Globe Theatre, London
2022–2023Manic Street CreatureRiaPlaywright
Edinburgh Fringe Festival / Southwark Playhouse, London
2024 The Grapes of Wrath Band vocal, banjo, woman with guitar Lyttleton theatre
2024–2025 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Sonya Rostova Donmar Warehouse

Awards and nominations

YearAwardCategoryWorkResultRef.
2022 Edinburgh Fringe Festival Fringe First AwardManic Street CreatureWon [16]
2023 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Musical Standing at the Sky's Edge Nominated [17]
2025 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Won [18]

References

  1. ↑ Morgan, Fergus (14 March 2021). "Maimuna Memon - actor, musician, songwriter". The Crush Bar. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
  2. ↑ "MAIMUNA MEMON shares new single 'Insomnia'". XS Noise. 29 April 2023. Retrieved 5 July 2023.
  3. ↑ Caldwell, Felicity (18 May 2010). "Teens show Ipswich has got talent". The Courier-Mail . Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "Maimuna Memon Graduate". Oxford School of Drama. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  5. ↑ Hewis, Ben (4 August 2017). "A week in the life of: Jesus Christ Superstar's Maimuna Memon". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  6. ↑ "Maimuna Memon | Actress". IMDb. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  7. 1 2 "Maimuna Memon | Knight Hall Agency". www.knighthallagency.com. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  8. ↑ "Maimuna Memon - Our Heritage". Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  9. ↑ McGoldrick, Aimee (1 February 2019). "Electrolyte by James Meteyard with music by Maimuna Memon". Drama & Theatre. Retrieved 20 July 2023.
  10. ↑ "Maimuna Memon". National Theatre. January 2023. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  11. ↑ Wood, Alex (6 July 2023). "Maimuna Memon's Manic Street Creature announces London run". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  12. ↑ Wood, Alex (6 October 2023). "Maimuna Memon: A creative on a mission to rebrand music theatre". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  13. ↑ Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 cast announced for London premiere
  14. ↑ Wiegand, Chris; editor, Chris Wiegand Stage (6 April 2025). "Olivier awards 2025: Giant, Benjamin Button and Fiddler on the Roof triumph". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 7 April 2025.{{cite news}}: |last2= has generic name (help)
  15. ↑ "Maimuna Memon". Royal Court. Retrieved 9 July 2023.
  16. ↑ "Theatre awards". Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Retrieved 19 July 2023.
  17. ↑ "Olivier Awards 2023: Complete List of Nominations". The Guardian . 28 February 2023. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 28 February 2023.
  18. ↑ Stage, Guardian (4 March 2025). "Olivier awards 2025: complete list of nominations". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 4 March 2025.
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