Francesca Amewudah-Rivers steps into the iconic role of Juliet alongside Tom Holland’s Romeo in the West End, marking a pivotal moment in her burgeoning career.

The 26-year-old actor, composer, and musician, born in Brighton to Ghanaian and Nigerian parents, embarked on her acting journey at the National Youth Theatre at 15 before pursuing Music at Oxford University.

Navigating her way through a predominantly white college year, Francesca’s initiative to establish a society for students of color speaks to her resilience. This initiative led to the production of an adaptation of the ancient Greek tragedy, Medea.

Francesca gained recognition for her role as Blessing in the British sitcom Bad Education alongside Jack Whitehall. She’s also been honored with the 2021 Evening Standard Future Theatre Award for Audio Design and has appeared in a production produced by Idris Elba.

Despite her musical talents, which include playing piano, guitar, bassoon, and djembe drum, Francesca describes herself as an anomaly in her family, as they are not particularly musically inclined.

Francesca’s educational journey took her from Handcross Park School to Roedean School, where she won a triple scholarship for academic, sports, and music studies. She excelled in music, academics, and drаmа, becoming Head Girl before pursuing a music degree at Oxford.

Roedean School proudly acknowledges Francesca’s success, hailing her role as Juliet alongside Tom Holland.

Francesca’s family, residing in Piltdown near Uckfield, are esteemed members of their community, with neighbors speaking highly of them.

Francesca’s recent success includes starring in a play produced by Idris Elba and her portrayal of Juliet opposite Tom Holland in Romeo & Juliet, which opened to rave reviews despite facing racial abuse online.

The production promises a dynamic cast, with attendees praising the chemistry between Tom and Francesca, and teasing ᴜnexpected elements such as viоlence, creativity, humor, and romance.

Joining Francesca and Tom are Freema Agyeman, Michael Balogun, Tomiwa Edun, Mia Jerome, Daniel Quinn-Toye, Ray Sesay, Nima Taleghani, Joshua-Alexander Williams, and Callum Heinrich and Kody Mortimer as Camera Operators.

With a scheduled run until August 3, the production is set to captivate audiences before potentially transferring to Broadway later this year.