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Michael Ahomka-Lindsay

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Michael Ahomka-Lindsay
Born1997
Kingston upon Thames, Greater London, England
Alma materRoyal Conservatoire of Scotland
Years active2020–present

Michael Ahomka-Lindsay (born 1997) is an English actor. He is known for his work in theatre, receiving a WhatsOnStage Award nomination for his performance in the musical Newsies.

Early life

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Ahomka-Lindsay was born in South West London to a Ghanaian father and a Sierra Leonean mother. His father is a distant descendant of Sir John Lindsay, and added the nickname Ahomka to his surname. Ahomka-Lindsay moved around growing up, with stints in Zambia, Kenya, Atlanta, and then nine years in Ghana.[1]

Upon returning to England at 16, Ahomka-Lindsay enrolled at Wellington College in Berkshire for sixth form.[2] He began his studies in medicine at the University of Leeds[3] before deciding to go into theatre.[4] He joined the National Youth Theatre and earned an Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation scholarship[5] to train at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS), graduating in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in Musical Theatre. He participated in the 2020 Stephen Sondheim Student Performer of the Year competition.[6]

Career

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During the COVID-19 lockdown, Ahomka-Lindsay participated in The Show Must Go Online, for which he performed readings of the Shakespeare plays Henry V, Measure for Measure, As You Like It, and King Lear, as well as Ian Doescher's A Christmas Carol.[7]

After graduating from drama school, Ahomka-Lindsay made his professional stage debut in Rent when it reopened in 2021 at the Hope Mill Theatre in Manchester after lockdown, taking over the role of Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III from Ahmed Hamad.[8] He also went on the UK tour of the stage adaptation of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.[9]

In 2022, Ahomka-Lindsay played Emmett Forrest alongside Courtney Bowman in the Legally Blonde revival at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, marking Ahomka-Lindsay's London stage debut,[10][11] for which he received a Black British Theatre Award nomination for Best Male Lead Actor in a Musical. He also appeared in To the Streets! at the Birmingham Hippodrome.[12] Later that year and into 2023, Ahomka-Lindsay starred as the lead character Jack Kelly in the original London cast of Newsies at Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre.[13][14] For his performance, he won a Black British Theatre Award and was nominated for the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Performer in a Musical.

Ahomka-Lindsay then had a role as David Heard in Tarell Alvin McCraney's ensemble play Choir Boy at Bristol Old Vic as David Heard.[15][16] In January 2024, he joined the cast of Cabaret at the Playhouse Theatre on the West End as Clifford Bradshaw.[17] He returned to Bristol Old Vic for the Europe premiere of Matthew López's Reverberation opposite Eleanor Tomlinson.[18]

Stage

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Year Title Role Notes
2021 Rent Benjamin "Benny" Coffin III Hope Mill Theatre, Manchester
2021 The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Maugrim UK tour
2022 Legally Blonde Emmett Forrest Regent's Park Open Air Theatre, London
2022 To the Streets! Paul Stephenson Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham
2022 Newsies Jack Kelly Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre, London
2023 Choir Boy David Heard Bristol Old Vic, Bristol
2024 Cabaret Clifford Bradshaw Playhouse Theatre, London

Awards and nominations

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Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2022 Black British Theatre Awards Best Male Lead Actor in a Musical Legally Blonde Nominated [19]
2023 Newsies Won [20]
2024 WhatsOnStage Awards Best Performer in a Musical Nominated [21]

References

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  1. ^ Cameron Bernard Jones (9 January 2024). "Home Sweet Home (feat. Michael Ahomka-Lindsay)". Lick the Plate (Podcast). Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Rising Star: Michael Ahomka-Lindsay". Musicals Magazine. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  3. ^ "Who studied here?". University of Leeds. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  4. ^ Stewart, Greg (1 December 2022). "Interview: Michael Ahomka-Lindsay on playing Jack Kelly in Disney's Newsies". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  5. ^ "Rising Stars: Michael Ahomka-Lindsay". The Media Eye. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  6. ^ "Michael Ahomka-Lindsay". Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Retrieved 21 December 2023.
  7. ^ "Michael Ahomka-Lindsay" (PDF). Olivia Bell Management. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  8. ^ Wise, Rachel (2021-07-14). "2021 cast for Rent at Manchester's Hope Mill Theatre announced". Stage Chat. Retrieved 2023-06-15.
  9. ^ Wood, Alex (19 November 2021). "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe tour reveals first look and additional dates". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  10. ^ "Michael Ahomka-Lindsay - Our Heritage". Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Get down to the park". The Voice. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  12. ^ "To the Streets!". China Plate. August 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  13. ^ Thomas, Sophie (22 November 2022). "'Newsies' star Michael Ahomka-Lindsay: "Anything is possible when we come together"". London Theatre. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  14. ^ Mokrynski, Kat (29 November 2022). "Interview: Michael Ahokma-Lindsay on Playing Jack Kelly in NEWSIES and How it May be THE OPRAH SHOW in Disguise". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  15. ^ "Michael Ahomka-Lindsay". Bristol Old Vic. Retrieved 5 October 2023.
  16. ^ Gilbey, Ryan (19 October 2023). "Choir Boy review – gospel hymns light up stirring production of Tarell Alvin McCraney's play". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 December 2023.
  17. ^ Rook, Olivia (26 January 2024). "Michael Ahomka-Lindsay to star in 'Cabaret' at the Kit Kat Club". London Theatre. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  18. ^ Gans, Andrew (17 July 2024). "Eleanor Tomlinson and Michael Ahomka-Lindsay to Lead Matthew López's Reverberation at Bristol Old Vic". Playbill. Retrieved 21 August 2024.
  19. ^ Thomas, Sophie (17 October 2022). "'Get Up, Stand Up! The Bob Marley Musical' wins at 2022 Black British Theatre Awards". London Theatre. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  20. ^ Wood, Alex (30 October 2023). "Black British Theatre Awards winners announced". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  21. ^ Millward, Tom (7 December 2023). "Nominations in full: the 24th Annual WhatsOnStage Awards". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 13 December 2023.
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