Hannah Azuonye was born and bred in Southwark – the place that William Shakespeare made his spiritual home, writes Michael Holland…
She was born in Camberwell, some childhood years were spent in Walworth, and she now resides in the north of the borough, just a walk away from Shakespeare’s Globe. ‘Despite living so close to London’s cultural epicentre,’ she says, ‘I don’t think it ever occurred to me that I’d have the opportunity to work in some of these iconic places.’ But that all changed when Hannah was spotted by an agent.
Hannah enjoyed drama in Primary school, her first taste of walking out onto a stage was aged five when she was Mary in the school Nativity play: ‘Mostly, I just remember being nervous about having to hold the hand of the boy playing Joseph!’ she recalls.
But as Hannah grew older it was music and languages that captured her interest. So much so that she did a modern languages degree at university, which was where her extracurricular activities in music and musical theatre rekindled her earlier passion for the stage. While studying she was always involved with drama societies and when she took part in a show during her graduation week she thought that would be her last theatrical performance How wrong she was: ‘It turned out to be the beginning of my professional career; I was approached by an agent watching the show, a family friend of one of my fellow actors, who recommended me to another agent, and it’s just been a case of following the opportunities that have arisen since then. It’s a great journey to be on.’
Hannah’s first professional show was Girl from the North Country’s original West End transfer at the Noel Coward theatre. She remembers, ‘I was extremely nervous for the very first show (which wasn’t helped by my best friend whisper-heckling as I walked onstage) but once the initial nerves had settled, I felt really at home on the stage.’
Her parents have always been supportive of their daughter, whose life took a dramatic and unexpected turn at an important stage of her life. ‘They have always been big supporters of the arts, and have always been totally supportive of my choices. It’s something I’m really grateful for, as so many artists are in a constant struggle to legitimise the work they do, to loved ones or otherwise. My dad, Chike Azuonye, is an artist himself, and my mum is a real art and theatre enthusiast, so there’s definitely a creative streak in the family!’
And Hannah is confirming to all those people who saw something special in her stage work that they were right, as she prepares to play Lady Macbeth in a version of Macbeth that has been specifically created for young people as part of the Playing Shakespeare with Deutsche Bank project.
It was a role that she had to work hard for over two rounds of auditions where she had to prepare two of the main monologues/duologues from the play. It was while shopping in Sainsbury’s when she got the call telling her the part was hers: ‘It all felt a bit surreal,’ she admits.
Because of how Hannah came to find herself on a fast-track to the stars, she has never had any formal training. ‘I’ve been fortunate to land jobs working alongside some hugely talented, experienced and inspiring actors, and watching them work has been a masterclass,’ begins the young woman who seems to be taking everything confidently in her stride. ‘Just before the pandemic began, I’d been working with the Royal Shakespeare Company for 16 months, and going through the process of auditioning for this production of Macbeth at the Globe and working on my role as Lady Macbeth, I’ve really noticed how much I learnt and developed as an actor through that experience I had at the RSC.
‘Having the opportunity to play such a classic role in a place as remarkable as the Globe is incredibly special – I still have to pinch myself that I’m here. And the experience of performing to a theatre full of 1000 teenagers each day, which is what the Playing Shakespeare programme’s focus is, has been unparalleled. It’s the most lively, energetic and unpredictable audience you can get, and it’s really thrilling. We’re all equally excited to get the show open in front of the wider public!’
Hannah’s story is inspirational, and to paraphrase The Bard, ‘Something brilliant this way comes.’
Macbeth is on a Shakespeare’s Globe, Bankside, SE1 from 19th March – 16th April. Admission: £5 – £52.
Booking: www.shakespearesglobe.com