Keziah Joseph

Keziah Joseph
Born (1992-08-12) 12 August 1992
Hammersmith, London
Alma materAcademy of Live and Recorded Arts
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama
Occupations
  • Actress
  • playwright

Keziah Joseph (/kɛˈzaɪə/, born 12 August 1992 in Hammersmith, London) is a British actress who trained at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama.[1] She won the BBC Carleton Hobbs Bursary in 2016.[2]

Education

Joseph attended a foundation course in acting at the Academy of Live and Recorded Arts in 2012/13 before enrolling at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in 2013. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Acting with specialism in Collaborative and Devised Theatre in 2016.[1]

Career

Acting

Joseph made her professional theatre debut in Sandi Toksvig's Silver Lining in 2017 and has gone on to work prolifically in theatre across the UK. She played Bibi - a fictional NHS nurse - and Betsy - a real African American enslaved woman experimented on by J Marion Sims in the 1800s,[3] in the award-winning play Family Tree by Mojisola Adebayo, directed by Matthew Xia (2021 and reprised in 2023).[4][5] In 2021 she also played Tia in the award-winning Wayward Productions/Complicité play Language of Kindness adapted from the novel of the same name by Christie Watson.[6] She played Lucy Pevensie in Sally Cookson's The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe (2019) at The Bridge Theatre alongside Wil Johnson as Aslan and Laura Elphinstone as the White Witch.[7] She played Polly in the Olivier-nominated Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear (2019) at the National Theatre alongside Steve Furst and Gary Wilmot, adapted from the best selling children's books of the same title by Andy Stanton.[8]

Voice acting

Joseph is a member of BBC Radio Drama Company[9] and has appeared in many radio plays broadcast on Radio 4 and Radio 3. She played Fran in Audible's original audio play Crush Hour alongside Ellie Goulding and Rory Kinnear (2022).[10] She currently plays Sheila in BBC Radio 4 Drama series Faith, Hope and Glory, written by Roy Williams.[11]

Playwriting

Joseph began writing plays in 2021 and her first short play, Vanitina won an open call to be published in German magazine, DRAMA MAGAZIN. It was printed and sold in Berlin in 2022.[12]

Accolades

In 2016 she received the BBC Carleton Hobbs Bursary Award,[2] and was a Spotlight Prize nominee.[13]

Joseph would star in the play Language of Kindness, and it received the 2022 Offie for IDEA production (IDEA standing for Innovative, Devised, Experiential and Atypical).[14]

Credits

Stage

Year Title Role(s) Venue(s)/Production Notes and refs
2017 Silver Lining, by Sandi Toksvig Hope Daley Rose Theatre Kingston and UK tour [15]
2017 Kanye the First, by Sam Steiner Eve / Kim HighTide Festival [16]
2017-2018 The Jungle Book, adapted by Jessica Swale Mowgli Royal and Derngate and UK tour [17]
2018 As You Like It Celia Regent's Park Open Air Theatre [18]
2018-2019 Dick Whittington Tom Cat Lyric Hammersmith [19]
2018-2019 The Paper Man Performer Norfolk & Norwich Festival and La Strada Festival in Graz, Austria (2018); Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol and Soho Theatre, London (2019) Also a co-creator of the show.[20]
2019 Sweeney Todd Johanna Barker Everyman Theatre, Liverpool [21]
2019 Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear - the Musical! Polly Dorfman Theatre [8]
2019 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Lucy Bridge Theatre [7]
2021 The Language of Kindness, adapted by Sasha Milavic Davies Ensemble Shoreditch Town Hall [6]
2021-2023 Family Tree, by Mojisola Adebayo Bibi / Betsy Greenwich+Docklands International Festival (2021), Young Vic (2022) and UK tour (2023) [22][5]
2023-24 The Wind in the Willows Ratty Shakespeare North [23]
2024 The Women of Llanrumney Cerys Sherman Theatre [24]

Audio and radio plays

YearTitleRole(s) Station/NetworkNotes and refs
2016The ArchersDorothy BBC Radio 43 episodes[25][26][27]
The Confidential Agent
Adapted by Nick Perry
Elsie Griffiths BBC Radio 4[28]
The Watership DownCowslip (episode 1)
Nelthilta (episode 2)
BBC Radio 4[29][30]
Wild Things
By Charlotte Jones
Cassie BBC Radio 4[31]
Northanger Abbey
Adapted by Hattie Naylor
Harriet BBC Radio 4Episodes 9[32] and 10[33]
2017The Thickness
By Daniel Lawrence Taylor
Lyeasha BBC Radio 4[34]
Agnes Grey
Adapted by Rachel Joyce and Tracy Neale
Rosalie BBC Radio 4[35]
Assata Shakur - The FBI's Most Wanted Woman
By debbie tucker green
Student 2 (episode 2)
Prisoner 3 (episode 4)
BBC Radio 4[36][37]
Doctor Who: The Tenth Doctor AdventuresLorna Big Finish ProductionsVolume 2, Episode 3 ("Cold Vengeance")[38]
The Mother
By Florian Zeller, translated by Christopher Hampton
The girl BBC Radio 4[39]
2021Don Juan
Adapted by Robin Brooks
Gulbeyaz BBC Radio 3[40]
2022 Crush Hour Fran Audible Original [10]
2022-present Faith, Hope and Glory
By Roy Williams
Sheila BBC Radio 4 Recurring role from Series 3[11]
2023 Doctor Who: The Fourth Doctor Adventures Freya Brett Big Finish Productions Series 12, Episode 2 ("Antillia the Lost")[41]

Short film

Joseph starred as Uche in the 2016 short film Hush, written by Candice Onyeama.[42]

Television

Year Title Role Network/Channel Note
2021 Octonauts: Above & Beyond CBeebies and Netflix [43]
2025 Testament Disciple Angel Studios 1 episode[44]

References

  1. 1 2 "Keziah Joseph". www.cssd.ac.uk. The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 "Soundstart". BBC. Archived from the original on 5 October 2016. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  3. ↑ "Remembering Anarcha, Lucy, and Betsey: The Mothers of Modern Gynecology". NPR. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  4. ↑ Day, Sarah (26 August 2021). "THROWBACK THURSDAY: Keziah Joseph". britishtheatre.com. Archived from the original on 4 December 2024. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  5. 1 2 "Family Tree (UK Tour 2023)". Actors Touring Company. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 Wiegand, Chris (8 June 2021). "The Language of Kindness review – moving memories of nursing". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  7. 1 2 Billington, Michael (26 November 2019). "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe review – magical escape from the perils of war". The Guardian.
  8. 1 2 Gillinson, Miriam (2 August 2019). "Mr Gum and the Dancing Bear review – children's musical is a sticky mess". The Guardian. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "On Stage: Interview with Keziah Joseph "Celia" in As You Like It - Alt A Review". alt-africa.com. 18 July 2018. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  10. 1 2 "Ellie Goulding stars in Audible's festive musical series". Yahoo News. 17 November 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  11. 1 2 "BBC Radio 4 - Faith, Hope and Glory, Series 3, 20. Hope". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  12. ↑ DRAMA – Magazin für szenische Literatur. "DRAMA Magazin für szenische Literatur". dramamagazin.de (in German). Archived from the original on 23 May 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  13. ↑ "The Spotlight Prize 2016: Nominees Announced". Spotlight. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  14. ↑ "Offies 2022 Awards Ceremony – Winners Announced". Theatre Full Stop. 21 February 2022. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  15. ↑ "Silver Lining". English Touring Theatre. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  16. ↑ Lukowski, Andrzej (27 September 2017). "Kanye the First review". Time Out London. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  17. ↑ Hewis, Ben (11 September 2017). "New stage adaptation of The Jungle Book to tour UK". WhatsOnStage.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  18. ↑ "As You Like It (2018)". openairtheatreheritage.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  19. ↑ Logan, Brian (27 November 2018). "Dick Whittington review – a winning London fantasia". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  20. ↑ "The Paper Man". Improbable. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  21. ↑ "Sweeney Todd". Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  22. ↑ Wild, Stephi (4 August 2021). "Casting Announced For FAMILY TREE as Part of Greenwich+Docklands International Festival". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  23. ↑ Steggals, Lou (7 January 2024). "The Wind in the Willows – Shakespeare North Playhouse". North West End UK. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  24. ↑ "FINAL CASTING ANNOUNCED FOR WORLD PREMIERE OF AZUKA OFORKA'S THE WOMEN OF LLANRUMNEY". Sherman Theatre. 15 April 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  25. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Archers, 01/04/2016". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  26. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Archers Omnibus, 03/04/2016". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  27. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - The Archers, 12/08/2016". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  28. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Graham Greene - The Confidential Agent, Episode 1". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  29. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Watership Down by Richard Adams, 1. A Perilous Journey". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  30. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, Watership Down by Richard Adams, 2. Terrifying Confrontations with General Woundwort". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  31. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Wild Things by Charlotte Jones (Omnibus)". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  32. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey, 9. Dismissed". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  33. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 Extra - Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey, 10. Return". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  34. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Drama on 4, The Thickness". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  35. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte, 1. Agnes". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  36. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - 15 Minute Drama, Assata Shakur - The FBI's Most Wanted Woman, Episode 2". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  37. ↑ "BBC Radio 4 - 15 Minute Drama, Assata Shakur - The FBI's Most Wanted Woman, Episode 4". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  38. ↑ "2.3. Doctor Who: Cold Vengeance - Doctor Who - The Tenth Doctor Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  39. ↑ "BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, The Mother". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  40. ↑ "BBC Radio 3 - Drama on 3, Don Juan". BBC. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  41. ↑ "12.2. Doctor Who: Antillia the Lost - Doctor Who - The Fourth Doctor Adventures - Big Finish". www.bigfinish.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  42. ↑ Wyatt, Holly (27 April 2017). "Interview With Director Candice Onyeama, On Mental Health & Identity In Film". Film Inquiry. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  43. ↑ "OCTONAUTS: ABOVE AND BEYOND 2.1-2.3 Review". Movieguide | The Family Guide to Movies & Entertainment. 23 July 2024. Retrieved 22 June 2026.
  44. ↑ ""Something New" - Testament". www.imdb.com. Retrieved 22 June 2026.