Emi Wokoma

Emi Wokoma
Born
Tamunoemi Wokoma

1983 or 1984 (age 41–42)
Nigeria
Alma materGuildford School of Acting
OccupationActress
Years active1999–present
SpouseDavid[1]
RelativesSusan Wokoma (sister)

Tamunoemi "Emi" Wokoma (born 1983 or 1984), is a Nigerian-British actress. She began her professional acting career in the late 1990s and has gone on to appear in productions including Cabaret, Golden Girls, Hello, Dolly!, Hairspray and Little Shop of Horrors. In 2012, she was cast as Tina Turner in Soul Sister, which earned her a nomination for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Musical at their 2013 ceremomy, as well as being nominated for the Outstanding Newcomer accolade at the 2012 Standard Theatre Awards. Wokoma has also appeared in television series, including Casualty, Doctors and EastEnders as Daphne Fox.

Life and career

Tamunoemi Wokoma was born in the 1980s in Nigeria.[2][1] Her parents are Kalabari from Rivers State in southern Nigeria. Her mother worked as a cleaner and her father had multiple jobs. Wokoma's father died in 2012 and her mother in 2025. She also has a sister, fellow actress Susan Wokoma.[3] The family moved to England as a child and spent time in Peckham, London, specifically on the now demolished North Peckham Estate.[4] She then grew up in Canary Wharf in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.[5] Aged 9, she began singing, later joining the BRIT School aged 14.[1] Aged 17, she sang in a motown band, before studying at the Guildford School of Acting. Wokoma is also a trained fitness instructor.[1] Away from her acting, she has worked as the manager of a gym and competed as a professional bodybuilder, having represented the UK at the Arnold Sports Festival.[6]

After beginning her stage career in 1999,[7] Wokoma made numerous appearances in various productions including Cabaret as Sally Bowles, Golden Girls, Much Ado About Nothing, The Merry Widow, Is There Life After High School? and Hello, Dolly!, amongst others.[7][8][9] In 2008, she made her television debut in the BBC Three sitcom Trexx and Flipside.[10] In 2010, she appeared in an episode of the BBC soap opera EastEnders.[11] She portrayed Daphne Fox, the sister of established characters Denise Fox (Diane Parish) and Kim Fox (Tameka Empson).[12] A year later, she appeared in fellow BBC series Casualty as a psychiatric nurse.[13][14]

In 2012, Wokoma was cast as Tina Turner in Soul Sister.[15] Critics praised her portrayal of Turner, with The Guardian's Michael Hann writing that "stardom surely awaits" for Wokoma.[16] Henry Hitchings, in his review for The Evening Standard, wrote: "the words "a star is born" can be hazardous, but Emi Wokoma, who plays Tina Turner in this 'bio-musical', is blessed with star quality and a voice that's rawly emotional yet also regal".[17] Laura Thompson for The Daily Telegraph highlighted her, writing: "Wokoma is amazing, a strong-bodied yet vulnerable goddess. Singing fearlessly, and almost continually, she does a fine imitation of Tina Turner – that teetering sideways lean, those sexy washer-woman arms – but her performance goes way beyond the 'Tonight, Matthew, I will be...' of Stars in Their Eyes."[18] The role earned her a nomination for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Actress in a Musical at their 2013 ceremomy,[19] as well as being nominated for the Outstanding Newcomer accolade at the 2012 Standard Theatre Awards.[20]

In 2015, Wokoma appeared in an episode of the BBC medical drama series Holby City.[21] Following this, she made two appearances in fellow BBC series Doctors, in 2016 and 2017, respectively.[22][23] In 2022, she appeared in another episode of Casualty, in a different role.[24]

Stage

Year Title Role Ref.
1999 Street Dance Productions Singer [7]
2002 Cabaret Sally Bowles [9]
2003 Golden Girls Muriel Farr [9]
2004 Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice [9]
2005 The Merry Widow Anna [9]
2005 Is There Life After High School? Homecoming Queen [9]
2005 Hello, Dolly! Dolly Levi [9]
2005 The Mystery of Edwin Drood Princess Puffer [9]
2006 Titanic Charlotte Cardoza [9]
2006 Dancing in the Streets Gladys Knight / Tammi Tarrell [7]
2006 Porgy and Bess Unknown [7]
2007 Mass Carib Singer [7]
2007–2008 The Bacchae Bacchae [25]
2009, 2011 Drive Ride Walk J'Naysha [7]
2009 One Dark Night Unknown [7]
2009 Hairspray Cindy Watkins [26]
2010 Little Shop of Horrors Ronette [27]
2012–2013 Soul Sister Tina Turner [28]
2013 Blues in the Night The Woman [29]
2013 The Tina Turner Experience Tina Turner [7]
2014 Memphis to Motown Lead Vocalist [7]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
2008 Trexx and Flipside Chinaza Main role
2010 EastEnders Daphne Fox Guest role
2011, 2022 Casualty Jackie Thornbury / Chase Coleman 2 episodes
2015 Holby City Talesha Chambers Episode: "When a Man Loves a Woman"
2016–2017 Doctors Jackie Dornan / Della Marke 2 episodes
2018 In the Long Run Lady in Launderette Guest role
2020 Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey Gustafson Gate Guard Film
2021 Lagging Judith Recurring role

Awards and nominations

Year Organisation Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2012 Standard Theatre Awards Outstanding Newcomer Soul Sister Nominated [20]
2013 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Actress in a Musical Soul Sister Nominated [19]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 McMullen, Marion. "Emi Wokoma is simply the best in Soul Sister show". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  2. ↑ "Emi's simply the best in Tina Turner tribute". Irish Independent. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  3. ↑ Jones, Alice. "Susan Wokoma: 'The only time you get black women on screen at the same time is a slave story...'". The i Paper. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  4. ↑ Jones, Ellen E. "'Kate Winslet started getting emotional': Bafta Breakthrough's alumni look back". The Guardian. Retrieved 20 June 2026.
  5. ↑ Jury, Louise. "Londoner plays Tina, queen of rock'n'roll". The Standard. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  6. ↑ "WTW Staff Bios" (PDF). 51 Lime Street Fitness. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Emi Wokoma". Spotlight. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  8. ↑ "Emi's turn as Tina". The Stage. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Emi Wokoma (Cindy (Dynamite)) - Hairspray : Cast". Hairspray the Musical. Archived from the original on 18 February 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "B-Ice's New Clothes - Trexx and Flipside". BBC. Archived from the original on 16 August 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  11. ↑ Tutton, Charlotte. "EastEnders: Daphne Fox to arrive in Walford? Denise Fox scene sparks return rumours as mystery character REVEALED". OK!. Archived from the original on 23 July 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  12. ↑ Hegarty, Tasha. "Yes, Daphne Fox is a real EastEnders character, but here's why you probably don't remember her". Digital Spy. Archived from the original on 13 December 2021. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  13. ↑ Harrison, Flicky. "Emi Wokoma steps in to shoes of Tina Turner". Swindon Advertiser. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Casualty (Archive), Series 25, Place of Safety - BBC". BBC. Archived from the original on 16 April 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Vic chats to Emi Wokoma about her role in the smash hit musical 'Soul Sister'". BBC News. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Hann, Michael. "Soul Sister – review". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  17. ↑ "Soul Sister, Savoy Theatre - review". The Standard. 24 August 2012. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "Soul Sister, Savoy Theatre, review". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 15 August 2025. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Full list: Winners announced of the 2013 Whatsonstage.com Awards". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  20. 1 2 "London Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2012 - Longlist revealed". The Standard. Archived from the original on 10 May 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Holby City, Series 17, When a Man Loves a Woman". BBC. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  22. ↑ "Doctors, Series 17, Hanging by a Thread". BBC. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  23. ↑ "Doctors, Series 19, The Shining Happy People". BBC. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "Casualty (Archive), Series 37, Leap of Faith". BBC. Archived from the original on 2 December 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "The Bacchae". National Theatre of Scotland. Archived from the original on 10 March 2026. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  26. ↑ Wolf, Matt. "Proud Emi! Meet Emi Wokoma, Who Shimmies to Stardom as Tina Turner in the West End's Soul Sister". Broadway Buzz. Archived from the original on 4 November 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  27. ↑ "Emi stars as Tina in Soul Sister". Lancashire Evening Post. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  28. ↑ Walker, Tim. "Emi Wokoma in West End tribute to father's memory". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  29. ↑ Dunn, Carrie. "Clarke and Rowe To Star In BLUES IN THE NIGHT, July 14". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
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