Amara Okereke Explained

Birth Date:27 November 1996
Birth Place:North Tyneside, England[1]
Alma Mater:ArtsEd (BA)
Occupation:Actress
Years Active:2012–present

Amarachi Weruche A. Okereke (born 27 November 1996) is an English actress. She is known for her work in theatre.

Early life and education

Okereke was born in North Tyneside in 1996, the only daughter of two Nigerian medical professionals.[2] She grew up in Adel, Leeds[3] and attended the Grammar School at Leeds.[4] As a teenager, Okereke joined the National Youth Music Theatre. She went on to study at the Arts Educational School (ArtsEd) in West London, graduating in 2018 with a Bachelor of Arts in musical theatre.[5]

Career

In 2012, Okereke made her debut in the West End as a child actress, playing Cassie in 13 at the Apollo Theatre.[6] Upon graduating from ArtsEd in 2018, she returned to the West End and joined the cast of Les Misérables at the Queen's Theatre.[7] For her performance as Cosette, Okereke won Best Actress in a Musical at The Stage Debut Awards.[8] [9]

This was followed by roles as Laurie in Oklahoma! at Chichester Festival Theatre,[10] Polly Browne in The Boy Friend at the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2019,[11] and Wendla in Spring Awakening at the Almeida Theatre in 2021.[12]

In 2022, Okereke became the first black actress to star as Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady in its West End revival at the London Coliseum, alongside Harry Hadden-Paton and Vanessa Redgrave.[13] [14] For her performance, Okereke won the Black British Theatre Award for Outstanding Performance in a Musical. That same year, she made her television debut as Becky Fox in the BBC Three horror series Red Rose and appeared in The Light in the Piazza at Alexandra Palace.[15] [16]

Filmography

YearTitleRoleNotes
2022Red RoseBecky Fox2 episodes
TBAThe Morning AfterMain role
TBAIn the Lost LandsMelange

Stage

YearTitleRoleNotes
201213CassieApollo Theatre, London
2018–2019Les MisérablesCosetteQueen's Theatre, London
2019Oklahoma!LaurieChichester Festival Theatre, Chichester
The Boy FriendPolly BrowneMenier Chocolate Factory, London
2021Spring AwakeningWendla Almeida Theatre, London
2022My Fair LadyEliza DoolittleLondon Coliseum
The Light in the PiazzaClara JohnsonAlexandra Palace Theatre, London

Awards and nominations

Year AwardCategoryWorkResult Ref.
2018The Stage Debut AwardsBest Actress in a MusicalLes Misérables
2019Black British Theatre AwardsRecent Graduate[17]
2022Outstanding Performance in a MusicalMy Fair Lady[18]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 19 October 2018 . Sunday in the Park with Amara Okereke . 6 July 2023 . The Diary of a Theatre Kid . 7 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230707161630/https://thediaryofatheatrekid.blogspot.com/2018/10/sunday-in-park-with-amara-okereke.html?m=1 . live .
  2. My Fair Lady — with the first black Eliza. The Sunday Times. Kirsty. Lang. 8 May 2022. 6 July 2023. 7 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230707170448/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/my-fair-lady-with-the-first-black-eliza-9g8jrnxld. live.
  3. Yorkshire Young Achievers Awards 2018: Here are the winners from the ceremony at Leeds United's Centenary Pavilion. Yorkshire Evening Post. 9 November 2018. 6 July 2023. 7 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162627/https://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/news/yorkshire-young-achievers-awards-2018-here-are-the-winners-from-the-ceremony-at-leeds-uniteds-centenary-pavilion-221593. live.
  4. Web site: Amara Okereke to play Eliza Doolittle. The Grammar School at Leeds. 29 March 2022. 5 July 2023. 7 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230707164035/https://gsal.org.uk/amara-okereke-to-play-eliza-doolittle/. live.
  5. Web site: Inaugural Black British Theatre Award for 2018 Musical Theatre Graduate, Amara Okereke. ArtsEd. 29 October 2019. 6 July 2023. 7 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162744/https://artsed.co.uk/news/inaugural-black-british-theatre-award-for-2018-musical-theatre-graduate-amara-okereke/. live.
  6. Web site: Jason Robert Brown stages NYMT concert at Apollo, 26 August. WhatsOnStage. 17 February 2012. 31 July 2023. 31 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230731173921/https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/jason-robert-brown-stages-nymt-concert-at-apollo-26-august_5338/. live.
  7. Introducing the new Eliza Doolittle, Amara Okereke, who is the star of the May issue. Tatler. Anya. Ryan. 29 March 2022. 6 July 2023. 7 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230707163133/https://www.tatler.com/article/amara-okereke-may-cover. live.
  8. News: AMARA OKEREKE WINS AT THE DEBUT STAGE AWARDS! . 3 June 2024 . The British Blacklist . 24 September 2018.
  9. News: The Stage Debut Awards 2018: the winners in their own words . 3 June 2024 . . 24 September 2018 . limited.
  10. Web site: Amara Okereke. TresA Magazine. 12 August 2019. 31 July 2023. 26 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230326224954/https://tresamagazine.com/2019/08/12/amara-okereke/. live.
  11. Web site: The Boy Friend at the Menier Chocolate Factory: watch Janie Dee, Adrian Edmondson and Amara Okereke on opening night. WhatsOnStage. Madeleine. Spivey. 5 December 2019. 31 July 2023. 31 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230731173921/https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/the-boy-friend-at-the-menier-chocolate-factory-watch-janie-dee-adrian-edmondson-and-amara-okereke-on-opening-night_50514/. live.
  12. Web site: Five Questions With: Amara Okereke. Musical Theatre Review. 26 November 2021. 31 July 2023. 31 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230731173925/https://musicaltheatrereview.com/five-questions-with-amara-okereke/. live.
  13. Web site: Christi . AA . 24 February 2022 . Amara Okereke, Harry Haddon-Paton and Vanessa Redgrave to Lead MY FAIR LADY West End . 6 July 2023 . . 7 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162108/https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Amara-Okereke-Harry-Haddon-Paton-and-Vanessa-Redgrave-to-Lead-MY-FAIR-LADY-West-End-20220224 . live .
  14. Amara Okereke interview: We're going to have a black Eliza Doolittle in the West End - it's phenomenal. Evening Standard. Jessie. Thompson. 22 April 2022. 19 May 2022. 19 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220519224759/https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/theatre/amara-okereke-interview-my-fair-lady-eliza-doolittle-london-coliseum-bartlett-sher-b994091.html. live.
  15. Web site: Amara Okereke and Jordan Luke Gage join "The Light in the Piazza". WhatsOnStage. Alex. Wood. 8 September 2022. 6 July 2023. 7 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230707162020/https://www.whatsonstage.com/news/amara-okereke-and-jordan-luke-gage-join-the-light-in-the-piazza_57315/. live.
  16. Web site: Amara Okereke - My Fair Lady - London Coliseum. English National Opera. 31 July 2023. 31 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230731173922/https://www.eno.org/artists/amara-okereke/. live.
  17. Amara Okereke wins at the Debut Stage Awards!. The British Blacklist. 24 September 2018. 6 July 2023. 2 August 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230802000100/https://thebritishblacklist.co.uk/amara-okereke-wins-at-the-debut-stage-awards/. live.
  18. Web site: 2022-10-16. Black British Theatre Awards 2022 winners announced. WhatsOnStage. Alex. Wood. 2023-06-15. en-US. 2023-06-15. https://web.archive.org/web/20230615225425/https://www.whatsonstage.com/london-theatre/news/black-british-theatre-awards-2022-winners_57610.html/. live.

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