Anni Domingo facts for kids

Anni Domingo, born in the 1950s, is a talented British actress, director, and writer. She works in many areas like theatre, TV shows, radio, and movies. She also helps lead different groups, believing that to make a change, you need to be involved in decisions. Anni writes plays, poems, and stories. Her first novel, Breaking the Maafa Chain, was published in 2021.

Anni Domingo's Early Life and Education

Anni Domingo was born in London, England. Her parents were from Sierra Leone. When Anni was four, her family moved back to Sierra Leone so their children could grow up with African culture.

She went to school in Freetown, Sierra Leone, attending St Joseph's Convent School and Freetown Secondary School for Girls. Later, she moved back to the UK to follow her dream of becoming an actress.

Training to Become a Performer

Anni was accepted into a drama course at Rose Bruford College of Speech and Drama. In her early 20s, she also became a qualified teacher of Speech and Drama. While studying there for three years, she worked for the BBC at Bush House. She helped with radio plays that were broadcast to countries in the Commonwealth.

Later in life, when she was in her mid-50s, Anni continued her education. Over seven years, she earned two first-class honours degrees: one in Literature and another in Humanities with Creative Writing from The Open University. She also earned a Master's degree in Creative Writing from Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge. She later received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree.

Anni Domingo's Acting and Directing Career

Anni Domingo has had a long career in theatre, television, radio, and film. She has appeared in many TV shows and movies. These include Outland (1981) and Wondrous Oblivion (2003).

More recently, in 2019, she was in several episodes of BBC One's EastEnders. She also performed on stage in a play called Three Sisters at the National Theatre.

Stage and Screen Performances

Over the years, Anni has performed in many theatre productions. Some of these include Blood Wedding at the National Theatre, Treasure Island at Birmingham Rep, and The Crucible at Regent's Park. She also acted in The Children's Hour and Yerma at the Royal Exchange.

Besides acting, Anni also works in radio broadcasting. She lectures at places like St Mary's University, Twickenham and Rose Bruford College. She also directs plays at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the Central School of Speech and Drama. Some of her recent directing work includes Ilé la Wà in 2019 and The Story of John Archer in 2021.

Shakespearean Work and Writing

Anni Domingo is also a Shakespearean actor. She has toured widely in Europe, the US, and Australia. She started a company called Shakespeare Link. Through this company, she leads workshops about William Shakespeare in schools, youth clubs, and theatres. She has also written several workbooks on Shakespeare that schools use.

Anni has written children's plays, short stories, and poetry. Her poem "The Cutting" was published in the text of Bullet Hole, a 2018 play where she played the main role.

Anni Domingo's Novels and Research

Anni Domingo's first novel, Breaking the Maafa Chain, has received several honours. It was shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize in 2014. It also won the Myriad Editions First Drafts Competition in 2018. Parts of the novel were included in Margaret Busby's 2019 book New Daughters of Africa. The full novel was published by Jacaranda Books in 2021.

Breaking the Maafa Chain is a big historical novel. It is based on the true story of Sarah Forbes Bonetta, who was an abolitionist and the goddaughter of Queen Victoria.

In 2019, Anni was chosen for a writing retreat called Hedgebrook. She also joined the "Escalator" program by the National Centre for Writing. These opportunities helped her start working on her second novel, Ominira.

Anni was awarded a Harold Moody Postgraduate Research Studentship in 2021. This allowed her to start a PhD at King's College London. Her research looks at how black Victorians were shown in literature between 1850 and 1880.

Leadership and Community Involvement

Anni Domingo is a trustee at Rose Bruford College of Theatre and Performance. She is also a board member of Sheffield Theatres Trust. She volunteers with other groups that work to make the creative industries more diverse and welcoming for everyone.

In January 2022, she became the chair of Theatre Peckham. This is one of London's leading community theatres and learning academies. Famous people like John Boyega and Jenny Agutter are patrons of the company.

Selected Awards and Recognition

• 2014: Shortlisted for the Lucy Cavendish College Fiction Prize for Breaking the Maafa Chain
• 2015: Received the BEFFTA Lifetime Achievement Award
• 2018: Joint winner of the Myriad Editions First Drafts competition