Zakiyyah Deen

Zakiyyah is an actor and writer born and bred in London with Afro-Caribbean roots.

Zakiyyah debuted her full-length play, WHY A BLACK WOMAN WILL NEVER BE PRIME MINISTER, at Camden People’s Theatre, where she took on the roles of writer, lead actor, and co-producer. The play received critical acclaim and a sold-out three-week run. It has recently been shortlisted for the prestigious Mustapha Matura Award and Mentoring Programme.

Her other theatre credits include BRASSIC FM at The Gate Theatre and IS DAT U YH? at Brixton House. Zakiyyah also starred in the lead role in the Netflix-funded short, THE JOURNEY OF SELF, a project exploring the “seasons of therapy.”

She has collaborated with Academy Award-winning director Steve McQueen on his anthology series SMALL AXE and played a series regular in the BBC Three series ENTERPRICE, created by Kayode Ewumi.

On the writing front, Zakiyyah was Theatre Deli’s Classic Residency Artist in 2022 and Tara Theatre’s Constellations Artist in 2023, with multiple TV projects currently in early development.

Critical Praise for WHY A BLACK WOMAN WILL NEVER BE PRIME MINISTER :

“While it is consistently funny, the show is also deeply poignant… a star in the making.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — London Born and Bred

“…this play was pitch perfect. An emotive and powerful story which was very compelling.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Theatre and Tonic

“Deen’s writing is both powerful and rich in poetic cadence. The words flow effortlessly, direct and unflinching as it confronts uncomfortable truths and the harrowing statistics of Black maternal healthcare.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Rachel Reviewed

“She seamlessly moves from hilarious satire, to heart-breaking sadness, to stirring political monologues… Zakiyyah’s performance is captivating from start to finish.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Everything Theatre

“I’d swap a hefty amount of our current West End programme to give Why a Black Woman Will Never Be Prime Minister a stage on Shaftesbury Avenue.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐ — Broadway World

Watch her showreel here.