Rakie Ayola
Best British Jury 2020
Rakie most recently starred as Gee Walker in Jimmy McGovern’s powerful BBC drama Anthony. Just prior to this, she starred in the BBC adaptation of Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses (BBC1). Rakie’s other recent television work includes: Shetland (BBC1) and No Offence (Channel 4). Rakie also spent three years in Holby City playing Nurse Kyla Tyson. Recent film credits include Been So Long with Michaela Coel for Netflix
Rakie works prolifically on stage, and most recently starred opposite Rhys Ifan in the critically acclaimed NT Wales and Royal Court Theatre’s On Bear Ridge which premiered at the Sherman Theatre. This followed leading roles in Strange Fruit at The Bush and The Half God of Rainfall at The Kiln (for which she received a Black British Theatre Award nomination). Leading roles in the West End include; The Curious Incident of The Dog In The Night Time and Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.
As co-founder of Shanty Productions and Exec Producer of their film Twelfth Night, Rakie was nominated for a Screen Nation Independent Spirit Film Production Award.
Rakie is Patron of charity The Childhood Tumour Trust (CTT), Trustee of The Actor’s Children’s Trust (ACT) and Ambassador for the campaign group Parents in Performing Arts campaign (PiPA).