Jade Anouka (born 12 June 1989) is an English actress. She is known for her various stage roles and for her appearances in His Dark Materials on BBC One and the ITV dramas Trauma and Cleaning Up.

Early life and education Anouka was born in London, the second of three children born to a maths teacher mother from Trinidad and a mortgage advisor father from Jamaica. She has a brother and a sister who pursued careers in science. She grew up in Slade Green and attended school in Bexley, London, but transferred to a school in Lewisham for sixth form. She ran track prior to transferring to Lewisham, as she did not want to compete against her old teammates.

Anouka took her first steps into acting while attending a Saturday morning drama club in Dartford, Kent. While at sixth form, Anouka received a scholarship to the National Youth Theatre and then attended the Guildford School of Acting. She was hired immediately after graduation by the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, where she earned a postgraduate award in teaching Shakespeare.

Career Anouka made her stage debut in 2007 with a role in Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad. In 2011, she received a commendation at the Ian Charleson Awards for her 2010 performance as Ophelia in Hamlet at Shakespeare's Globe.Wise, Louis. "Here's to a Jumbo talent". Sunday Times. 27 May 2012."Winners and Nominees of the Ian Charleson Awards 2011". WestEndTheatre.com. 30 June 2012.

Anouka had small television roles in Doctor Who (2013), Chewing Gum (2015), and Stan Lee's Lucky Man before getting a supporting role in the 2018 miniseries Trauma. She appeared in a 2020 episode (S9:E3) of Death in Paradise.

In 2014, she received the Stage Award for Acting Excellence for her one-woman show, Sabrina Mahfouz's Chef, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. In 2015, she brought the show to London for a week of special performances. In 2017, she appeared in the short film Baby Gravy, for which she won the Best Actress award at the New Renaissance Film Festival.

Anouka took part in Phyllida Lloyd's all-female Shakespeare trilogy, starring as Mark Antony in Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse, Hotspur in Henry IV at the Donmar Theatre, and Ariel in The Tempest at the King's Cross Theatre, and at Off-Broadway's St. Ann's Warehouse. She earned rave reviews for her roles in the three plays, which were broadcast on the BBC in 2018. In 2018, she also played Margaret of Anjou in Jeanie O'Hare's Queen Margaret, at the Royal Exchange, Manchester. She was named among the InStyle BAFTA Breakout Stars for 2018.

In 2019, Anouka appeared in Cleaning Up, a six-part drama on ITV and the Netflix series Turn Up Charlie.

In August 2020, she confirmed that she was to appear as Ruta Skadi in series two of the BBC/HBO fantasy drama His Dark Materials.

Anouka performs her poetry on stage, and in 2016, she published a volume of her poetry called Eggs on Toast.

In 2021, it was announced that Anouka would star alongside Jonathan Bailey, Taron Egerton and Phil Daniels in a production of Mike Bartlett's Cock at the Ambassadors Theatre, London, in 2022.

Personal life Anouka is queer and bisexual. On 14 December 2021, Anouka announced that she had given birth to a daughter. In May 2022, Anouka married musician Grace Savage. On 25 February 2024, Anouka announced she and her wife had had another baby.

Filmography +Key Denotes productions that have not yet been released Film Year Title Role Notes 2009 That Serious Face Kellie Short film 2010 Love's Labour's Lost Maria Direct-to-video 2012 A Running Jump Jody's Friend Short film 2013 T-Police Field Police Officer Short film 2015 The Vote Chika Devan TV film 2017 Baby Gravy Alex Short film2019 Fisherman's Friends Leah Jordan Last Christmas Alba2020 6:23 AM Short film The Rhythm Section Laura Fuller Her & Her Her Short film Morbid Curiosity Newsreader Short film2021 Zebra Girl Anita Ear for Eye UK Woman2022 Fisherman's Friends: One and All Leah Jordan Post-production The Bower Terri (1991) Short film TBAThe Dark Channel Mia Post-production TBAShaun Beth Pre-production

Television Year Title Role Notes 2007 USS Constellation: Battling for Freedom Conjo's Mother TV special 2010 Law & Order: UK Carla Episode: "Skeletons" 2012 Secrets and Words Ashley Episode: "Mightier Than the Sword" 2013 Doctor Who Waitress Episode: "The Bells of Saint John" 2016 Stan Lee's Lucky Man Ekua Nkomo Episode: "A Twist of Fate" 2017 Chewing Gum Danny Episode: "WTF Happened?" 2017–2018 The Donmar Warehouse's All-Female Shakespeare Trilogy Mark Antony/Hotspur/Ariel Mini-series, 3 episodes 2018 Trauma Alana Allerton Mini-series, 3 episodes2019 Cleaning Up Jess Series regular, 6 episodes Turn Up Charlie Tommi Series regular, 6 episodes Great Performances Marcus Antonius Episode: "Julius Caesar"2020 Death in Paradise Inez Farah Episode: "Tour De Murder" Small Axe Mrs. Morrison Episode: "Education" 2020–2022 His Dark Materials Ruta Skadi Series regular, 5 episodes2021 The Drowning Yasmin Mini-series, 4 episodes Angela Black Dr. Cath Bradford Episode: "Series 1, Episode 3" Beforeigners Adepero Recurring role, 3 episodes 2024 Dune: Prophecy Sister Theodosia Main role

Theatre Year Title Role Venue Notes Handa's Surprise Handa Little Angel Theatre, London 2007 The Penelopiad Melantho Swan Theatre, Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon & National Arts Centre, Ottawa with Royal Shakespeare Company2008 The Merchant of Venice Portia's Serving Woman Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon with Royal Shakespeare Company The Taming of the Shrew Nicholas/Dancer Courtyard Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon with Royal Shakespeare Company Twelfth Night Olivia Theatre Royal, York2009 Blood Wedding Bride Southwark Playhouse, London Love's Labour's Lost Maria Shakespeare's Globe, London also, USA tour 2010 Wild Horses Zoe Theatre503, London2011 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Octagon Theatre, Bolton Hamlet Ophelia Shakespeare's Globe, London2012 Moon on a Rainbow Shawl Rosa Royal National Theatre, London Julius Caesar Calpurnia/Metellus Cimber/Pindarus Donmar Warehouse, London2013 Romeo and Juliet Juliet Shakespeare's Globe, London Clean Chloe Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh Julius Caesar Calpurnia/Metellus Cimber/Pindarus St. Ann's Warehouse, New York City2014 Clean Chloe 59E59 Theaters, New York City Omeros Helen Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, London Chef Chef Underbelly, Edinburgh part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe2015 Henry IV Hotspur Donmar Warehouse, London The Vote PC Chika Devan Donmar Warehouse, London Chef Chef Soho Theatre, London So Here We Are Kirsty Royal Exchange, Manchester & HighTide Festival, Aldeburgh Henry IV Hotspur St. Ann's Warehouse, New York City 2016 Doctor Faustus Wagner Duke of York's Theatre, London 2017 Cover My Tracks Sarah The Old Vic, London 2018 The Greatest Wealth The Old Vic, London2019 Dear Elizabeth Queen Margaret Gate Theatre, London The Phlebotomist Bea Hampstead Theatre, London 2022 Cock W Ambassadors Theatre

Video games Year Title Voice role2019ControlHelen Marshall2020Control: The FoundationHelen Marshall

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