Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ always knew that acting was in her future – and never let anything stop her. Whether it’s starring in films such as Chevalier, shows such as Big Age or performing on the stage in Blues for an Alabama Sky or Three Sisters, she has always been determined to work in theatre and the arts. Theatre is a sacred performance, provides an outlet for storytelling and creativity and creates a unique performance for the attendees every evening. After all, no two performances are ever the same.

From a young age, Ronkẹ’s efforts were relentless and years later, we’re seeing the fruits of her labour. She was nominated for Best Actress at the 2022 Evening Standard Theatre awards for Blues for an Alabama Sky at the National Theatre and won the award for Best Performance Piece at the Offies for her one woman show Lava at the Bush Theatre. While many Nigerian parents seem to prefer their children going down the legal, medical or engineering route, her parents remained supportive to her younger self, instilling her with the necessary confidence to succeed as an actress.

We speak to Ronkẹ Adékọluẹ́jọ́ over email to learn more about her journey into the theatre, how she relates to her characters and talk about the importance of paying Black women in the arts.