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Francesca Amewudah-Rivers

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Francesca Amewudah-Rivers
Born1998 (age 26)[1][2]
Brighton, England
EducationOxford University
Occupations
  • Actress
  • musician
  • composer
Years active2021–present

Francesca Amewudah-Rivers is a British actress. She made her West End debut opposite Tom Holland in 2024 as Juliet in Romeo and Juliet,[3] and won the Ian Charleson Award for her performance.[4][5] She also won the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Newcomer in 2025.

Early life and education

Amewudah-Rivers was born in Brighton to a Ghanaian father and Nigerian mother.[6][7] She trained at the National Youth Theatre[8]

She studied music at Oxford University.[9] 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.[7]

Career

She appeared in two seasons of the BBC sitcom Bad Education as Blessing, alongside Jack Whitehall.[10] She also composed the music for the short films Medea, Minutes and Messenger.[11] 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.[7]

On stage, she has appeared in theatre productions of Shakespeare's Macbeth and Othello at the National Youth Theatre,[12][13] as well an adaptation of Sophocles' Greek tragedy Antigone at the Mercury Theatre,[14] for which The Guardian positively reviewed her "sensitively delivered" performance.[15]

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.[16] Her casting caused a backlash, described by the play's director Jamie Lloyd as "racial abuse."[17][18] Over 800 black actors signed an open letter in solidarity with her.[19] Amewudah-Rivers won the Ian Charleson Award for her performance,[4][5] and in March 2025 she also won The Jack Tinker Award for Best Newcomer at the Critics' Circle Theatre Awards.[20]

Personal life

Amewudah-Rivers is a classical and jazz pianist who also plays guitar, bassoon and djembe drum.[21]

She resides in Brixton.[22]

References

  1. ^ "The week in classical: Teyber Trio; Quartet for the End of Time; King's Singers". The Guardian. 26 November 2022. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  2. ^ "Actors unite to decry 'deplorable' racist abuse of Romeo and Juliet star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers". PinkNews. 10 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024. Actors have condemned the ongoing racist abuse of 26-year-old Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, who is soon to star alongside Tom Holland in a London production of Romeo and Juliet, in an open letter.
  3. ^ "Francesca Amewudah-Rivers - Stars on Stage - London Theatre". LondonTheatre.co.uk. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b Helm, Jake; Schofield, Blanca; Browning, Ceci (31 May 2025). "The 13 best young actors of the year — who wins our award?". The Sunday Times. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  5. ^ a b "Winners announced for the Ian Charleson Awards 2025, First prize to Francesca Amewudah-Rivers". WestEndTheatre.com. 1 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  6. ^ "Oxford's students are diversifying their theatre scene – gal-dem". gal-dem.com. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  7. ^ a b c Shakespeare, Eleanor (4 March 2021). "Meet the 12 recipients of the Future Theatre Fund". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 22 October 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  8. ^ "Awards & Nominations for NYT REP Company and Alumni". nyt.org. 15 July 2023. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Francesca Amewudah-Rivers". Torch.ox.ac.uk. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  10. ^ Khomami, Nadia (10 April 2024). "'Too much to bear': Black actors condemn racial abuse of Romeo & Juliet star". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  11. ^ McGowan, Elisabeth (April 8, 2024). "Francesca Amewudah-Rivers: 5 Things About the Actress Starring in Tom Holland's 'Romeo & Juliet'". Hollywood Life. Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  12. ^ Louise, Amy (June 28, 2021). "Review: OTHELLO, National Youth Theatre (Bolsover Castle)". Westbestfriend. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  13. ^ Legaspi, Althea (10 April 2024). "'Romeo & Juliet' Star Receives Support From Over 800 Black Actors Decrying 'Racist and Misogynistic Abuse'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 11 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  14. ^ "Interview: Francesca Amewudah-Rivers, "I have a lot of theatre trips planned!"". The Arts Dispatch. 8 October 2021. Archived from the original on 26 May 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  15. ^ Wiegand, Chris (8 October 2021). "Antigone review – gender switch sparks striking take on Sophocles". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 29 November 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  16. ^ Bernabe, Angeline Jane (28 March 2024). "Tom Holland, Francesca Amewudah-Rivers and more to star in West End production of 'Romeo & Juliet'". ABC News. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 11 April 2024.
  17. ^ "'Romeo & Juliet' Play Starring Tom Holland and Francesca Amewudah-Rivers Faces 'Barrage of Racial Abuse,' Producer Says 'This Must Stop'". Variety. 5 April 2024. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  18. ^ Khomami, Nadia (2024-09-18). "Black actor who faced abuse over role in Romeo & Juliet calls for industry-wide action". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-06-03.
  19. ^ "'Romeo & Juliet' Star Francesca Amewudah-Rivers Backed by Over 800 Black Actors in Open Letter Condemning 'Racist and Misogynistic Abuse'". Variety. 10 April 2024. Archived from the original on 10 April 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
  20. ^ "Winners announced for Critics' Circle Theatre Awards". Whats on Stage. 27 March 2025. Retrieved 28 March 2025.
  21. ^ Curtis, Nick (2021-03-04). "Meet the 12 recipients of the Future Theatre Fund". The Standard. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
  22. ^ "Francesca Amewudah-Rivers Talks … School Girls; or, The African Mean Girls Play". thebritishblacklist.co.uk. 28 June 2023. Archived from the original on 18 May 2024. Retrieved 18 May 2024.
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