Natasha Gordon
British playwright of Jamaican heritage (born 1976)
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Natasha Delia Letitia Gordon[1] MBE (born 1976)[2] is a British playwright of Jamaican heritage. In 2018, after a career as an actor, she made her debut as a playwright with the play Nine Night, becoming the first black British female playwright to have a play staged in the West End.[3] Nine Night was also nominated for Best New Comedy at the 2019 Olivier Awards, making Gordon the first Black British Female Playwright to be nominated.
1976 (age 49–50)
- Actor
- playwright
Natasha Gordon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Natasha Delia Letitia Gordon 1976 (age 49–50) London, England |
| Occupation |
|
| Education | Holy Family Catholic School |
| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Notable works | Nine Night (2018) |
Early life and education
Natasha Gordon was born in North London in 1976 to parents who were both migrants from Jamaica.[4] Her grandparents had arrived in London from Jamaica by boat as part of the so-called Windrush generation in the late 1950s. Her mother joined them in 1963, where she found work, a Jamaican-born husband, and a comforting West Indian community.[4]
Gordon grew up in the Leyton and Walthamstow areas and was a pupil at Holy Family Catholic School.[5] She has credited her drama teacher at school for her love of acting and performing on stage.[6][5] Gordon studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999.[7][8] She had auditioned three times before being accepted onto the course.[6]
Career
Acting
As an actor, Gordon's stage credits include Red Velvet (Tricycle Theatre), The Low Road and Clubland (Royal Court Theatre), Mules (Young Vic) and As You Like It (Royal Shakespeare Company). Her film and TV credits include Dough, Line of Duty, Class and Danny and the Human Zoo.[9]
Writing
Initially trained as an actor, Gordon started writing later in her career in response to the lack of opportunity offered to actresses of colour, especially as they get older and especially in lead roles.[10][6] She has spoken about feeling a sense of responsibility to “create work for Black actors and for female actors” as a playwright.[11] Nine Night is Gordon’s debut play, which premiered in 2018 at the National Theatre and won her several accolades.
Gordon was appointed to be an Associate of the National Theatre in 2023, where she is also under commission.[12] In 2024, she was a finalist in the Hermitage Major Theater Award, earning her a residency and fellowship at Hermitage, as well as a cash prize of US$1,500.[13] In 2025, she was announced as one of six writers in residence at the Royal Shakespeare Company, where she has been commissioned to write a new play.[14]
Nine Night
Gordon's debut play, Nine Night, premiered at London's National Theatre in April 2018[15] and received critical acclaim.[16] It later transferred to London's Trafalgar Studios on 1 December, marking a historic moment as Gordon became the first black British female playwright to have a play in the West End.[17][18] In a profile by The Guardian newspaper, Gordon explained that the "nine night" ritual of gathering to eat, drink and share stories helped her connect with her family's past and served as inspiration for her first play. She also mentioned the deportation threats faced by many of the Windrush generation as a catalyst for her to delve deeper into her grandparents' challenges.[4] The success of the play led to Gordon winning the London Evening Standard Theatre Awards Charles Wintour Award for Most Promising Playwright in 2018.[19]
In 2019, The Guardian writers ranked Nine Night the 17th best theatre show since 2000.[20]
Recognitions
In 2019, Gordon was recognised in The Stage 100 list, which recognises 100 most influential people in the theatre and performing arts sector in the UK in a given year.[8] She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to drama.[21] In 2021, she was made a Fellow of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, her alma mater.[7]
Personal life
Gordon's partner is Tom Anderson, who is also an actor. She has two children.
Gordon has spoken about the lack of racial diversity in the theatre industry in the UK. On becoming the first Black female playwright to have her work staged in the West End in 2018, Gordon said, "It didn’t occur to me that it hadn’t happened before; I felt sad and angry that that is the case".[11] Gordon sees her achievement as a way to pave the way and "push the door open even wider" for other Black British theatre makers.[6]
In 2018, Gordon was a contributor to the book Mother Country: Real Stories of the Windrush Children, edited by journalist Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff.[22]
Acting credits
Theatre
Film and television
| Title | Year | Role | Network/Channel | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Bill | 1994 | Annie Sims | ITV | Series 10, Episode 41 |
| 2000 | Amy Okin | Series 16, Episode 35 | ||
| Holby City | 2004 | Gayle Horton | BBC One | Series 6, Episode 34 |
| Little Miss Jocelyn | 2006 | BBC | 2 episodes | |
| EastEnders | 2007 | Natasha Powell | BBC One | 2 episodes |
| 2016 | Kay Breeze | 1 episode[43] | ||
| Doctors | 2006 | Karen Dennis | BBC One | Series 7, Episode 166 |
| 2007 | Nimi Jones | Series 9, Episode 131 | ||
| 2016 | Ella Ward | Series 17, Episode 166 | ||
| 10 Days to War | 2008 | Receptionist | BBC Two | Episode 3 |
| Law & Order UK | 2010 | Andrea Poole | ITV | Series 4, Episode 2 |
| Danny and the Human Zoo | 2015 | Pearl | BBC One | Television film |
| Dough | 2015 | Safa Habimama | N/a | Feature film |
| You, Me and the Apocalypse | 2015 | Higgs | Sky One | Series 1, Episode 1 |
| Line of Duty | 2016 | PS Karen Marley | BBC Two | Series 3, Episode 1 |
| Class | 2016 | Vivian Adeola | BBC Three | 3 episodes |
Writing credits
- Nine Night (2018), National Theatre
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result | Refs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Stage Awards for Acting Excellence | Best Actress | Speechless | Nominated | [44] |
| 2018 | The Stage Debut Awards | Best Writer | Nine Night | Nominated | [45] |
| Standard Theatre Awards | Most Promising Playwright | Won | [46] | ||
| Critics’ Circle Theatre Award | Most Promising Playwright | Won | [47] | ||
| 2019 | Olivier Award | Best New Comedy | Nominated | [48] | |
| 2024 | Hermitage Major Theater Award | N/a | Finalist | [13] | |