Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

Amewudah-Rivers was born in Brighton to a Ghanaian father and Nigerian mother. She trained at the National Youth Theatre She studied music at Oxford University. She was the only black person in her college year group, and set up a society for students of colour, which produced an adaptation of Medea blending poetry and music. ==Career==

She appeared in two seasons of the BBC sitcom Bad Education as Blessing, alongside Jack Whitehall. She also composed the music for the short films Medea, Minutes and Messenger. She was awarded the 2021 Evening Standard Future Theatre Award for Audio Design. She was a music intern on Inua Ellams’ adaptation of Chekhov's play Three Sisters for the Royal National Theatre. as well an adaptation of Sophocles' Greek tragedy Antigone at the Mercury Theatre, for which The Guardian positively reviewed her "sensitively delivered" performance. In 2024, she was cast in her first West End production, as Juliet alongside Tom Holland in Romeo and Juliet at the Duke of York's Theatre. Her casting caused a backlash, described by the play's director Jamie Lloyd as "racial abuse." Over 800 black actors signed an open letter in solidarity with her. Amewudah-Rivers won the Ian Charleson Award for her performance, ==Personal life==

Amewudah-Rivers is a classical and jazz pianist who also plays guitar, bassoon and djembe drum. She resides in Brixton. == References ==