Ayesha Antoine
Encyclopedia
Ayesha Antoine is an English
actress. She is known for portraying Rachel Baptiste in Holby City
, and Poppy Silver in Grange Hill
.
, England. She is of British, Dominica
n, and Welsh descent. In 1998 Antoine studied Psychology and English at the University of Manchester
. After graduating, she returned to London to restart her career.
She said:
A hyperactive child (learning the violin and piano as well as attending acting and dance classes), at the age of eight she entered a National Talent Contest which was televised on the Saturday morning BBC children's show, Going Live!
. Dancing, singing and rapping to Salt'n'Pepa's 'Express Yourself' was Antoine's first television appearance.
. At this time she also made her first appearance in Holby City
. Other television credits include the role of Kelly Grogan in sitcom
pilot
Placebo and a husband-beating shoplifter in The Bill
.
In 2007 Antoine guest starred as Dee Dee Blasco in the Doctor Who
episode "Midnight
", an experience she described as: "so much fun…it’s a brilliant show and I loved every minute." She joined the regular cast of Holby City
in 2008, playing Staff Nurse Rachel Baptiste.
In 2009 Antoine will appear in BAFTA
winner Paul Whitehouse
's new series Down The Line, and in the newly-commissioned series of Mouth to Mouth
, a multi-media comedy drama
for BBC Three
.
s including The Lysistrata Project
, Hold My Breath, Westway, No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, The Fountain Overflows and Father & Son.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
actress. She is known for portraying Rachel Baptiste in Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
, and Poppy Silver in Grange Hill
Grange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
.
Background
Antoine was born in EssexEssex
Essex is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in the East region of England, and one of the home counties. It is located to the northeast of Greater London. It borders with Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, Hertfordshire to the west, Kent to the South and London to the south west...
, England. She is of British, Dominica
Dominica
Dominica , officially the Commonwealth of Dominica, is an island nation in the Lesser Antilles region of the Caribbean Sea, south-southeast of Guadeloupe and northwest of Martinique. Its size is and the highest point in the country is Morne Diablotins, which has an elevation of . The Commonwealth...
n, and Welsh descent. In 1998 Antoine studied Psychology and English at the University of Manchester
University of Manchester
The University of Manchester is a public research university located in Manchester, United Kingdom. It is a "red brick" university and a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive British universities and the N8 Group...
. After graduating, she returned to London to restart her career.
She said:
- "It’s good to have another trick up your sleeve. I have always been interested in psychology, and I’d love to be able to do something with child psychology. Maybe do both acting and psychology, who knows?"
A hyperactive child (learning the violin and piano as well as attending acting and dance classes), at the age of eight she entered a National Talent Contest which was televised on the Saturday morning BBC children's show, Going Live!
Going Live!
Going Live! was a Saturday morning magazine show, broadcast on BBC1 between 1987 and 1993. It was presented by Phillip Schofield and Sarah Greene.Other presenters included Trevor and Simon, Peter Simon, Emma Forbes, and puppet Gordon the Gopher....
. Dancing, singing and rapping to Salt'n'Pepa's 'Express Yourself' was Antoine's first television appearance.
Television
Antoine began her television career in the 1990s playing Poppy Silver in Grange HillGrange Hill
Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television...
. At this time she also made her first appearance in Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
. Other television credits include the role of Kelly Grogan in sitcom
Situation comedy
A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue...
pilot
Television pilot
A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an...
Placebo and a husband-beating shoplifter in The Bill
The Bill
The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work...
.
In 2007 Antoine guest starred as Dee Dee Blasco in the Doctor Who
Doctor Who
Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior...
episode "Midnight
Midnight (Doctor Who)
"Midnight" is the tenth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 14 June 2008. The episode placed much more emphasis on the role of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor than in the rest of the fourth series, with the...
", an experience she described as: "so much fun…it’s a brilliant show and I loved every minute." She joined the regular cast of Holby City
Holby City
Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999...
in 2008, playing Staff Nurse Rachel Baptiste.
In 2009 Antoine will appear in BAFTA
British Academy of Film and Television Arts
The British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
winner Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse
Paul Whitehouse is a Welsh actor, writer and comedian. He became known for his work with Harry Enfield and as one of the stars of the popular BBC sketch show, The Fast Show. In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian's Comedian, he was in the top 50 comedy acts voted for by comedians and comedy insiders...
's new series Down The Line, and in the newly-commissioned series of Mouth to Mouth
Mouth to Mouth (TV series)
Mouth to Mouth is a 2009 comedy-drama television series written by Karl Minns and broadcast on BBC Three. A successful pilot episode of the programme had been broadcast in 2008, starring the same female cast as the full series but no males and with a significantly different story...
, a multi-media comedy drama
Comedy-drama
Comedy-drama is a genre of theatre, film and television programs which combines humorous and serious content.-Theatre:Traditional western theatre, beginning with the ancient Greeks, was divided into comedy and tragedy...
for BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
.
Radio
In 2005 Antoine won the Norman Beaton Fellowship. She was a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company for six months and lent her voice to over twenty five radio dramaRadio drama
Radio drama is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance, broadcast on radio or published on audio media, such as tape or CD. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine the characters and story...
s including The Lysistrata Project
The Lysistrata Project (radio drama)
The Lysistrata Project is a contemporary re-working or adaptation for radio of Aristophanes's play Lysistrata, developed with the help of young people living and studying in London, UK. First broadcast 28 May 2006 on BBC Radio 3 with the following cast, directed by Marc Beeby:*Lacy ...... Ayesha...
, Hold My Breath, Westway, No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, The Fountain Overflows and Father & Son.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Grange Hill Grange Hill Grange Hill is a British television drama series originally made by the BBC. The show began in 1978 on BBC1 and was one of the longest running programmes on British television... |
Poppy Silver (1995–1998) | TV series |
| 1996 | Gadgetman | Frankie Scouler | Television film Television movie A television film is a feature film that is a television program produced for and originally distributed by a television network, in contrast to... |
| 2004 | Holby City Holby City Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999... |
Mel Allen - One Is the Loneliest Number (2004) |
Medical drama Medical drama A medical drama is a television program, in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment.In the United States, most medical episodes are one hour long and, more often than not, are set in a hospital. Most current medical Dramatic programming go beyond the... |
| 2005 | The Bill The Bill The Bill is a police procedural television series that ran from October 1984 to August 2010. It focused on the lives and work of one shift of police officers, rather than on any particular aspect of police work... |
Trixie Burroughs - Episode 340 (2005) |
Police drama Police procedural The police procedural is a subgenre of detective fiction which attempts to convincingly depict the activities of a police force as they investigate crimes. While traditional detective novels usually concentrate on a single crime, police procedurals frequently depict investigations into several... |
| 2008 | Placebo | Nurse Kelly Grogan | Sitcom Situation comedy A situation comedy, often shortened to sitcom, is a genre of comedy that features characters sharing the same common environment, such as a home or workplace, accompanied with jokes as part of the dialogue... pilot Television pilot A "television pilot" is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell the show to a television network. At the time of its inception, the pilot is meant to be the "testing ground" to see if a series will be possibly desired and successful and therefore a test episode of an... |
| Doctor Who Doctor Who Doctor Who is a British science fiction television programme produced by the BBC. The programme depicts the adventures of a time-travelling humanoid alien known as the Doctor who explores the universe in a sentient time machine called the TARDIS that flies through time and space, whose exterior... |
Dee Dee Blasco - Midnight Midnight (Doctor Who) "Midnight" is the tenth episode of the fourth series of British science fiction television series Doctor Who. It was first broadcast on BBC One on 14 June 2008. The episode placed much more emphasis on the role of David Tennant as the Tenth Doctor than in the rest of the fourth series, with the... (2008) |
TV series | |
| Mouth to Mouth Mouth to Mouth (TV series) Mouth to Mouth is a 2009 comedy-drama television series written by Karl Minns and broadcast on BBC Three. A successful pilot episode of the programme had been broadcast in 2008, starring the same female cast as the full series but no males and with a significantly different story... |
Devine Bello (2008–2009) | TV series | |
| Parents of the Band Parents of the Band Parents of the Band is a 2008 British comedy television series, shown on BBC One. The show stars Jimmy Nail, and is set around a teenage musical band, which each band member's parents are trying to manage.- Airing :... |
Camilla - Episode 1.3 (2008) - Episode 1.4 (2008) |
TV series | |
| Holby City Holby City Holby City, stylised as Holby Ci+y, is a British medical drama television series that airs weekly on BBC One.The series was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama Casualty, and premiered on 12 January 1999... |
Rachel Baptiste (2008–2009) | Medical drama |
Theatre
- The Firework Maker’s Daughter, Theatre Royal, NewcastleTheatre Royal, NewcastleThe Theatre Royal is a Grade I listed building situated on Grey Street in Newcastle upon Tyne. It was designed by local architects John and Benjamin Green as part of Richard Grainger's grand design for the centre of Newcastle, and was opened on 20 February 1837 with a performance of The Merchant...
, February 2005 (playing Lila) - Big White Fog, Almeida TheatreAlmeida TheatreThe Almeida Theatre, opened in 1980, is a 325 seat studio theatre with an international reputation which takes its name from the street in which it is located, off Upper Street, in the London Borough of Islington. The theatre produces a diverse range of drama and holds an annual summer festival of...
, May 2007 to June 2007 (playing Caroline Mason) - Familyman, Theatre Royal Stratford EastTheatre Royal Stratford EastThe Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company.-History:...
, May 2008 (playing Keisha) - MADBLUD, Theatre Royal Stratford EastTheatre Royal Stratford EastThe Theatre Royal Stratford East is a theatre in Stratford in the London Borough of Newham. Since 1953, it has been the home of the Theatre Workshop company.-History:...
, February 2009 - My Wonderful DayMy Wonderful DayMy Wonderful Day is a 2009 play by Alan Ayckbourn. It is about a nine-year-old girl, Winnie, who has an essay to write about her day, and records the shenanigans of grown-ups around her....
, Stephen Joseph TheatreStephen Joseph TheatreThe Stephen Joseph Theatre is a theatre in the round in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, England that was founded by Stephen Joseph and was the first theatre in the round in Britain....
, Scarborough, October 2009 (playing Winnie)