Anne Odeke

How did you get into acting?
I came to acting a little bit late. I’ve been in the industry for seven years, and prior to that I was a secondary school drama teacher. I’ve always loved acting, but I was saving up to go travelling and ‘find myself’, and then my partner suggested: “Why don’t you try acting?” So, I applied for drama schools and I got in. I ended up spending my money on that rather than travelling, and it’s the best decision I’ve ever made, because I wanted to find myself and I did.

Tell me about your project with Queen’s Theatre Hornchurch?
It’s a special new play, which is going to be celebrating Essex. Some people still have a negative and outdated perception of our county, so this play will hopefully dispel those stereotypical views and celebrate a great place and its incredible people.

How will the creative process work?
This is my first commission as a writer. When Douglas Rintoul – artistic director of the Queen’s Theatre – got in touch and told me about it, I was really excited to have the opportunity to create some comedic, collaborative work. Then he said Guleraana Mir, Kenny Emson and Sadie Hasler are going to be involved, and I knew it was something I had to do. We’ve been given a brief, whereby we can write a monologue-inspired piece of writing based on any character with links to Essex. This could range from a historical character to a celebrity – even my nan. Then Doug will work his magic and our writing will be put together to create a play.

Have you continued to work on The Winter’s Tale with the RSC during lockdown?
In order to keep the play in our heads we’ve been rehearsing scenes on Zoom and we’ve also been doing some other projects for the Stratford-upon-Avon community. We’ve done the Midsummer Festival, which was great, and we’re also looking to do some smaller stuff in the park by the theatre.

What has it been like working on Zoom?
At first it was a bit of a novelty, but as with all novelties, they wear off. In theatre we’re in it for the people and when you’re not physically in a space with those people, while you can connect through a computer screen, it’s in no way the same. It keeps the play alive, but it really makes you want to reach out even more. The amount of buzz there will be when we can bring something together in front of an audience will be astronomical.

CV Anne Odeke

Training: MA in Acting at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts (2012-13)
First professional role: Sister Anne in Finian’s Rainbow at Union Theatre, London (2014)
Agent: Adam Mendlesohn at Narrow Road