Zakiyyah Deen
Brianna
Zakiyyah is an actor and writer born and bred in London with Afro-Caribbean roots. She was selected as one of only four writers out of six hundred for the NFTS x Left Bank Pictures Diverse Writers Development Programme 2025, where she developed original scripted ideas, lead and partook in writers’ rooms and worked closely with industry mentors.
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.
Other credits include BRASSIC FM (The Gate Theatre) and IS DAT U YH? (Brixton House). Zakiyyah also starred in the lead role in the Netflix-funded short, THE JOURNEY OF SELF. 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.
Zakiyyah was Theatre Deli’s Classic Residency Artist in 2022 and Tara Theatre’s Constellations Artist in 2023.