Akiya Henry

Akiya Henry
Born
London, England, United Kingdom
Alma materEugene O'Neill Theater Center
OccupationActress
Years active2001–present

Akiya Henry is a British actress. She is best known for her theatre work, winning a WhatsOnStage Award and earning a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

Early life

Henry was born in London and, at six months old, placed in foster care with her siblings, through which she was raised in Weston-super-Mare, Somerset by a British-Maltese couple named Joyce and George Dymock.[1][2] Henry joined the National Youth Music Theatre. She earned a scholarship to study at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Connecticut[3][4] and also trained with Gail Gordon, then Head of Dance at Bristol Old Vic Theatre School.

Career

In 2001, Henry made her professional stage debut as one of Billie's Babes in the Pet Shop Boys musical Closer to Heaven at the Arts Theatre. Henry also featured as a vocalist on the original cast recording. The following year, she made her television debut with a guest appearance in an episode of the BBC medical soap opera Doctors. Henry had roles in the ensemble of Anything Goes and then in Love's Labour's Lost at the National Theatre in 2002 and 2003 respectively, and in Trevor Nunn's Skellig at the Young Vic.

In 2004, Henry made her feature film debut with a small role in De-Lovely and appeared in A Midsummer Night's Dream in Chichester in 2004 as Hermia, a role she would reprise on tour in 2013. She played the Zebra in the musical Just So, also in Chichester, and featured on the cast recording, originated the role of Toby in Helen Edmundson's 2005 play Coram Boy at the National Theatre, and appeared in the comedy film Unhitched. This was followed by role in Coriolanus and Under the Black Flag at Shakespeare's Globe in 2006.[5]

Henry appeared in every episode of the 2008 CITV series Captain Mack. In 2009, she played Miranda in The Tempest and Minnie Fay in the London revival of Hello, Dolly, both at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre.

Henry voiced Amma in the CBeebies series Bing from 2014 to 2019, and Jolli and Willi in the CBBC series Bottersnikes and Gumbles from 2015 to 2017. Her stage work at the time includes Deposit at the Hampstead Theatre[6] and The Little Match Girl back at Shakespeare's Globe.[7] She starred in Medea at Bristol Old Vic in 2018.[8]

Also in 2018, Henry starred as Lady Macbeth opposite Mark Rowley in Kit Monkman's film adaptation of Macbeth.[9] She would play Lady Macduff in The Tragedy of Macbeth at the Almeida Theatre in 2021. For her supporting performance in the latter, Henry won a WhatsOnStage Award[10] and was nominated a for Laurence Olivier Award. She also starred in Giles Terera's The Meaning of Zong at Bristol Old Vic had a number of voice roles in the Disney series 101 Dalmatian Street, CITV series The Rubbish World of Dave Spud, and the Sky series Moominvalley. She went on to star in Much Ado About Nothing at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre as Beatrice[11] and Mad House at the Ambassadors Theatre in 2022,[12] and Phaedra at the National in 2023.[13]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2004 De-Lovely Chorus
2005 Unhitched Bride
2018 Macbeth Lady Macbeth
Thomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures Various Voice role

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2002 Doctors Echo Doyle Episode: "Shattered Dreams"
2005 Casualty Mona Rachu 2 episodes
Little Britain Rochelle 1 episode
2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Lissa Borden Episode: "Smile"
2008 Captain Mack Yolanda Yummy / Rosie Raucous / Wendy Whizz 52 episodes
2009 Noddy in Toyland Voice role, 5 episodes
2010 Silent Witness Ruth Gardiner 2 episodes
2011 Tinga Tinga Tales Woodpecker Voice role, episode: "Why Caterpillar is Never in a Hurry"
2014–2019 Bing Amma Voice role, 41 episodes
2015–2017 Bottersnikes and Gumbles Jolli / Willi 11 episodes
2016 Obsession: Dark Desires Jeneane Episode: "Beauty in the Bronx"
Holby City Blake Summerton Episode: "Song of Self: Part Two"
2018–2020 101 Dalmatian Street Various Voice role, 10 episodes
2019–present Moominvalley Snorkmaiden Voice role
2019–present The Rubbish World of Dave Spud Little Sue Voice role
2020 Shaun the Sheep: Adventures from Mossy Bottom Voice role
Hilda Additional Voices Voice role, 13 episodes
2021 Dodo Kayla Madani Voice role, 7 episodes[14]
Ninja Express Voice role
2022 Best & Bester Rocky Voice role
2022–present Supertato Broccoli Voice role
2024 Death in Paradise Oona Martin Episode: "#13.2"
TBA Protection TBA Upcoming TV series

Stage

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Closer to Heaven Babe Arts Theatre, London
2002 The Singing Group Chelsea Theatre, London
Anything Goes Ensemble Royal National Theatre, London
2003 Love's Labour's Lost Moth
Skellig Mina Young Vic, London
2004 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester
Ain't Misbehavin Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
2005 Just So Zebra Chichester Festival Theatre, Chichester
Cast recording
Coram Boy Toby Royal National Theatre, London
2006 Coriolanus Valeria Globe Theatre, London
Under the Black Flag
The Enchanted Pig Dot / Day Tour
2007 Safe Dionne West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds
Carmen Jones Myrt Southbank Centre, London
2008 Varjak Paw Varjak Paw Linbury Theatre, London
2009 The Tempest Miranda Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
Hello, Dolly! Minnie Fay
2010 Swallows and Amazons Titty Walker Vaudeville Theatre, London
2011 Oat's Beggar's Opera Jenny Diver Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
The Colored Museum Talawa Theatre Company, Victoria & Albert
2012 Mottled Lines The Sparkle Orange Tree Theatre, London
2013 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia Tour
2014 Perseverance Drive Joylene Gillard Bush Theatre, London
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King Marie Unicorn Theatre, London
2015 Deposit Hampstead Theatre, London
Sense of an Ending Sister Alice Theatre503, London
2016 Cake and Congo Amba
A Pacifist's Guide to War on Cancer UK tour
The Little Match Girl Various Globe Theatre, London
2017 Medea Medea / Maddy Bristol Old Vic, Bristol
2018, 2019 The Dark Ovalhouse, London / Tron Theatre, Glasgow
2019 Dirty Crusty Jeanine Yard Theatre, London
2021 The Meaning of Zong Bristol Old Vic, Bristol
The Tragedy of Macbeth Lady Macduff Almeida Theatre, London
2022 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon
Mad House Lillian Ambassadors Theatre, London
2023 Phaedra Omolara Royal National Theatre, London

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2022 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Supporting Actress in a Play The Tragedy of Macbeth Won [15]
Laurence Olivier Best Actress in a Supporting Role Nominated [16]

References

  1. ^ Sutherland, Gill (12 March 2012). "INTERVIEW: Akiya Henry on her inspirational upbringing and playing a fiesty Beatrice in the RSC's Much Ado About Nothing". Stratford Herald. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  2. ^ Fox, Killian (24 July 2022). "'Every one of us has a different story': a historic portrait of care system success". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  3. ^ "Pride Loves… Akiya Henry In 'Sense Of An Ending'". Pride. 3 June 2015. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  4. ^ Maxwell, Dominic (2 February 2022). "Meet the RSC's new Beatrice and Benedick". The Times. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  5. ^ "Akiya Henry". BBA Shakespeare. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  6. ^ Peterson, Tyler (20 February 2015). "Ben Addis, Akiya Henry & More to Star in DEPOSIT at Hampstead Downstairs". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  7. ^ "Akiya Henry". Shakespeare's Globe. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  8. ^ Booth, Martin (13 March 2019). "My Bristol Favourites: Akiya Henry". Bristol 24/7. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  9. ^ "An interview with actor Akiya Henry (part one)". Macbeth. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  10. ^ Bell, Amy (7 July 2022). "Akiya Henry". ReVamp. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Akiya Henry lead actor in RSC's Much Ado About Nothing talks about "this whole beautiful Afro-futuristic concept"". Alt-Africa. 1 March 2022. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  12. ^ Millward, Tom (6 May 2022). "Akiya Henry and more to join David Harbour and Bill Pullman in Mad House". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2022-08-06.
  13. ^ "Akiya Henry". National Theatre. January 2023. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  14. ^ "Singer Ricky Wilson, 'Derry Girls' Dylan Llewellyn Join 'Dodo'". www.animationmagazine.net.
  15. ^ Wood, Alex (9 December 2021). "Nominees for 22nd Annual WhatsOnStage Awards announced". WhatsOnStage.
  16. ^ Underwood, Kitty (8 March 2022). "Nominations Announced for the Olivier Awards 2022 with Mastercard". Society of London Theatre. Retrieved 8 March 2022.