In our profile series Tell Us In Ten, we ask cast members and creatives of top London shows to tell us all about themselves in just 10 questions. From how they got their start in the industry to their favourite shows, we want to know everything.
This week we caught up with the fabulous Miranda Mufema, currently playing Patty Newby in Stranger Things: The First Shadow.
1. My route into theatre was…
Joining a theatre school when I was a child. Thirdspace Theatre taught me how to act, write, direct, devise, clown, poignantly fall and roll across a stage (those who know, know). I fell in love with theatre immediately.
2. My West End idol is…
Papaa Essiedu, he is such a magnetic, tactful and energetic performer.
3. My colleagues would describe me as…
Kind, focused and intelligent – thank you to those I grilled!
4. My favourite show is…
I’m going to be cheeky and list two, Carrie Cracknell’s Medea is a tour de force and Rufus Norris’s Small Island is sublime.
Small Island at the National Theatre in 2019. Photo by Johan Persson.
5. The career moment I’m most proud of is…
Playing Juliet in Romeo and Juliet for Brighton Festival at Hollingdean Skatepark. An older black woman came up to me after the show, crying. She told me that she’d never seen a Juliet that looked like her, she said that she finally felt seen. I gave her a massive hug, and we both cried a bit! It was special to not only play a brilliant role but to have my work have a positive impact.
6. The hardest part about my job is…
Chasing the ‘right’ way to play a scene or line. When I’m playing exciting and complex characters that I connect with, I want to portray them with truth and empathy. But this truth can sometimes change from performance to performance, from moment to moment. There isn’t a perfect way of doing things because people aren’t perfect! It’s part of what makes the craft of acting challenging and exciting.
7. If I wasn’t an actor, I would be…
Probably a lawyer – serving justice in a killer suit? Sounds fab!
8. Something people don’t know about me is…
I’m double-jointed in both of my index fingers!
9. The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is…
It’s a learning curve – keep going.
10. The one thing I wish I could tell my younger self is…
Keep being true to who you are and what you love.
Catch Miranda in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, now playing at the Phoenix Theatre – book your tickets via Official London Theatre!