Joni Ayton-Kent is a British actress.

Early life and education

Ayton-Kent studied acting and music at

Rose Bruford College Rose Bruford College (formerly Rose Bruford College of Theatre & Performance) is a higher education institution in the London Borough of Bexley. Bruford has degree programmes in acting, actor musicianship, directing, theatre arts and various ...

, graduating in 2018.

Career

Ayton-Kent made her London debut in 2019 in the ensemble of ''

Sweet Charity ''Sweet Charity'' is a musical with music by Cy Coleman, lyrics by Dorothy Fields, and book by Neil Simon, based on the screenplay for the 1957 Italian film '' Nights of Cabiria''. It was directed and choreographed for Broadway by Bob Fosse sta ...

'' at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit Off-West End theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage, Josie Rourke and Michael Longhurst have all served as artistic direc ...

. She played the non-binary role of Bradley in the British TV series '' Don’t Forget The Driver'' (2019). The same year she played the nonbinary character Corporal Cheery Littlebottom in BBC America's

Terry Pratchett Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English author, humorist, and Satire, satirist, best known for the ''Discworld'' series of 41 comic fantasy novels published between 1983 and 2015, and for the Apocalyp ...

adaptation, The Watch (as Jo Eaton-Kent). In 2021 Ayton-Kent played Mrs. Mullin in ''Carousel'' at

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London, established in 1932. Originally known for its Shakespearean productions, the theatre now features a wide variety of performances, including musicals, ope ...

. The same year she played the Ghost of Christmas Past in

Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English novelist, journalist, short story writer and social critic. He created some of literature's best-known fictional characters, and is regarded by many as the great ...

' '' A Christmas Carol: A Ghost Story'', first at the

Nottingham Playhouse Nottingham Playhouse is a theatre in Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England. It was first established as a repertory theatre in 1948 when it operated from a former cinema in Goldsmith Street. Directors during this period included Val May and F ...

, then at London's

Alexandra Palace Alexandra Palace is an entertainment and sports venue in North London, situated between Wood Green and Muswell Hill in the London Borough of Haringey. A listed building, Grade II listed building, it is built on the site of Tottenham Wood and th ...

. In 2022 she appeared in

Alice Birch Alice Birch (born 1986) is a British playwright and screenwriter. Birch has written several plays, including ''Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again.'' for which she was awarded the George Devine Award, George Devine Award for Most Promising New Playwr ...

’s play '' Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again'' at The Other Room,

Cardiff Cardiff (; ) is the capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of Wales. Cardiff had a population of in and forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area officially known as the City and County of Ca ...

, and as Sam in the play ''The Prince'', by

Abigail Thorn Abigail Thorn (born 24April 1993) is an English YouTuber, actress, and Playwrighting, playwright. Thorn created the YouTube channel Philosophy Tube in 2013, when she sought to provide free lessons in philosophy in the wake of the 2012 increa ...

, at the

Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London with two venues, both located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They ident ...

. This same year she played four characters in the panto ''Treasure Island''. The following year, Ayton-Kent appeared as Seven in the concert production ''Super You'' at the Lyric Theatre in November 2023, and in the project ''The Cost of Living'', a mix of protest, performance and music in

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

, Wales, created and directed by Dave Evans and Memet Ali Alabora. In 2024 she was the alternate Bernadette in ''Priscilla the Party'' at London's

Outernet Othernet Inc is a broadcast data company. Othernet sells a portable satellite data receiver that combines an amplifier, radio, and CPU in a single unit. Othernet's stated goal is to make news, information, and education accessible to everyone ...

; the show was an immersive party adaption of the musical '' Priscilla Queen of the Desert''. In February 2025 Ayton-Kent played Elena in the two-day staged concert of ''

If/Then ''If/Then'' is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. ''If/Then ...

'' at the

Savoy Theatre The Savoy Theatre is a West End theatre in the Strand in the City of Westminster, London, England. The theatre was designed by C. J. Phipps for Richard D'Oyly Carte and opened on 10 October 1881 on a site previously occupied by the Savoy ...

in London.

Stage

Filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayton-Kent, joni Alumni of Rose Bruford College British LGBTQ film directors English musical theatre actresses English non-binary actors English transgender actors Living people Transgender actresses