Amazing Things Have Happened on This Side of 40

Actor, producer, and campaigner Rakie Ayola, 56, hails from Cardiff and was born to a Sierra Leonean mother and a Nigerian father. She honed her craft at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama. Ayola has earned Bafta accolades for her roles in the BBC drama Anthony and The Pact, and is widely recognized for her performances as nurse Kyla Tyson in Holby City and Hermione Granger in the West End production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. She now graces the screen in the Netflix series Kaos, a contemporary take on Greek mythology.

What attracted her to the role of Persephone, queen of the underworld? Ayola was immediately drawn to Persephone’s unique character. “My character’s first scene at Mount Olympus. Hades and Persephone arrive for breakfast, and she starts piling food on her plate to cope with her nerves. She even shouts to Hades: ‘They’ve got hash browns!’ I thought, I have to play this woman!” The costumes for Persephone were inspired by Margaret Thatcher, and her hairstyle echoed Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s iconic look.

The series is created by Charlie Covell, writer of The End of the F***ing World. Ayola was already a fan. “I binged The End of the F***ing World during lockdown and loved it. Kaos allows Covell to have fun with Greek myths, which I adored as a teenager.”

Kaos has an impressive cast. Ayola enjoyed the dynamic with her castmates, including Janet McTeer, Jeff Goldblum, Billie Piper, Stephen Dillane, and Leila Farzad. She especially appreciated working with David Thewlis, who played her husband Hades.

The series’ relevance to contemporary issues. Ayola believes the show is surprisingly modern, dealing with topics like refugees, religion, and power dynamics. “Zeus can be whoever you want him to be. Is he a royal, a populist politician, a tech mogul?”

Her recent work in Faith Omole’s debut play, My Father’s Fable. Ayola was drawn to the bravery of Omole’s writing. “She dared to put two unfashionable women, a conservative black Nigerian woman and her daughter, at the center of the play. It challenges the audience and is so much fun. Comedy takes courage.”

Roles for midlife women. Ayola finds that amazing things have happened after 40. “A decade ago, my friend Sharon Duncan-Brewster gathered a bunch of us women together to stay relevant. We became a creative support group, and our careers took off. Indira Varma, Noma Dumezweni, and Tanya Moodie were all there. As doors opened, we were ready.”

Her Twitter bio says “Still menopausal”. Menopause was a transformative experience for Ayola. “I couldn’t remember anything and thought I couldn’t do plays anymore. Now on the other side, it’s important to talk about it. That’s why Favour in My Father’s Fable has a fan and Persephone wears glasses in Kaos. Let’s be a bit more real.”

The viral takedown of a BBC Breakfast interviewer’s question. Ayola’s candid response to a question about a “woke” version of a Welsh family in The Pact went viral. “I know those families exist. It’s not woke nonsense, it’s real life.”

Playing Hermione in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and thoughts on JK Rowling. Ayola spoke to superfans who managed to separate the work from the creator. “I’d love a chance to ask JK Rowling questions and understand what’s disturbing her.”

Worries about a “class ceiling” in acting. Ayola benefited from affordable youth theatre, funded by the council. “Access to the arts makes a huge difference. People’s voices matter.”

Upcoming projects. Ayola is excited about a film called Bad Apples with Saoirse Ronan. “People keep asking me to be serious boss ladies, but I want to play someone off-the-wall ditsy.”

Her Bafta awards. Ayola proudly displays her Baftas in a cabinet. “I’d love to be cool about awards, but I think if I don’t share them, they’ll be easily forgotten.”

• Kaos streams on Netflix from 29 August

Source: The Guardian