Jade Anouka: Former student is a rising star of stage and screen

Talented former student, Jade Anouka, is making a big impression in the acting world. Her recent accolades include being named one of InStyle BAFTA Breakout Stars 2018, a Screen International’s Stars of Tomorrow 2017 and a Evening Standard Rising Star 2017.

Jade’s impressive resume includes TV roles in Chewing Gum, Stan Lee’s Lucky Man, Doctor Who, Law and Order: UK, and short film Baby Gravy.

Most recently Jade stars in new ITV thriller Trauma along with Adrian Lester and John Simm, and she is currently filming a series regular role in Clean Break opposite Sheridan Smith about office cleaners in Canary Wharf who stumble upon an insider trading scam.

Her triumphant theatre performances include the all-female Shakespeare trilogy of The Tempest, Julius Caesar and Henry IV at the Donmar Warehouse in 2016. The trilogy was set in a women’s prison and was produced by Clean Break (not to be confused with the title of her new TV series), a theatre company for former female prisoners.

She also starred in Cover My Tracks at the Old Vic in 2017, and Dr Faustus at the Duke of York’s Theatre with Kit Harrington in 2016.

“Last year was the first time she paid all her bills as an actress rather than as a waiter, shoe shiner or children’s entertainer,” said The Evening Standard. “As well as acting, Anouka performs her own work at poetry slams and has a slim volume of verse, Eggs on Toast, to her name.”

Her acting journey began at Christ the King where Jade took her A Levels in Drama, Art and Geography:

“My Drama teacher, Miss Ford, was amazing,” Jade said when she caught up with the Christ the King Alumni Team recently. “She was also my form class teacher. She saw potential in me as an actor and encouraged me to audition for the National Youth Theatre. Then when I got in she helped me to get a scholarship to do their two-week course. It was there that I decided I wanted to become an actor.”

“While she was still filling in her UCAS forms to do computer design, she found out that she had a place at Guildford School of Acting,” report The Evening Standard.”

“I went straight to Guildford School of Drama to do a degree in Theatre Studies,” said Jade. “Whilst working at the Royal Shakespeare Company I also did a postgraduate course in the Teaching of Shakespeare.”

Jade had some fond memories to share of her time at Christ the King:

“I remember the softest cookies at break time and taking them back to the art studio where a load of us would spend most breaks and lunchtimes finishing our art projects. I spent many hours in those art rooms,” she said.

Thank you so much to Jade for taking the time to speak to our Alumni Team.

Find out more about Jade’s upcoming projects at http://www.jadeanouka.com/

Visit Jade’s GoFundMe for #BlackPantherProject where she is raising money to send 100 young people who may otherwise not have access to extra curricular activities to a free screening of Black Panther at PeckhamPlex.