Centre Stage: Cherrelle Skeete on Building Legacy, and Minding Her Business

Cherrelle Skeete never set out to be an actor. In fact, she almost danced her way into it—quite literally. Growing up in Birmingham, she and her friends formed a dance group, CRC, which soon grew into a community project. Before long, she found herself choreographing, leading, and, most importantly, telling stories through movement. That storytelling instinct stuck. “People would tell me that the way I choreographed was actually more physical theatre. I didn’t set out to be an actor at all.”

But fate, as it often does, had other plans. Skeete eventually found herself at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama on a course that emphasized movement and physicality—a perfect match for her background. “I thought, ‘Oh gosh, I’m going to have to sit down and be all theoretical,’” she laughs, “but the course was about connecting to the body. It was already what I was doing.”

Since then, she has built a career that is as rich as it is intentional. From Harry Potter and The Cursed Child to Hanna, Skeete has worked across theatre, film, and television, but what’s especially poignant is the way she consistently champions Black British stories. And her latest role is no exception.

Skeete stars in Alterations, a revival of Michael Abbensetts’ play about the aspirations and sacrifices of the Windrush generation in 1970s London. She plays Darlene Holt, the wife of a tailor racing against the clock to complete an ambitious order. It’s a role that feels deeply personal.

“This play connects to my own heritage. It illuminates the Guyanese experience in 1970s London and highlights the sacrifices that our grandparents made for us to be here today.”

But while the play is set decades ago, its themes remain painfully relevant. The immigrant struggle, the weight of expectation, the tireless work to build something lasting—these experiences transcend time and location. “Even for first-generation immigrants today, these themes are still so applicable. The sacrifices, the relentless grind, the fights at work, the fights with the school system… those struggles haven’t disappeared.”

Thanks to additional writing from Trish Cook and direction from Lynette Linton, Alterations also brings more depth to Darlene’s story, exploring the challenges of being a black woman in the 1970s—juggling motherhood, work, and a society that barely acknowledged her autonomy. “Women had only been allowed to have their own bank accounts for two years at that point!” Skeete points out. “We take for granted the huge shifts that have happened. But these women paved the way.”

Championing Black British stories isn’t just a theme in Alterations—it’s been a constant in Skeete’s career. Whether through acting or her work co-founding Blacktress UK (a network for Black women in theatre), she has consistently advocated for underrepresented voices. “I’ve always had a fascination with the history we’re not taught,” she explains. Growing up in a Pan-African household in Birmingham, she was encouraged to learn about figures like Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey—leaders who shaped civil rights movements on both sides of the Atlantic. But as she got older, she realized that Britain’s own black icons hadn’t been given the same recognition.

“We have them here,” she says emphatically. “It’s just that the surface hasn’t been scratched enough.”

For Skeete, storytelling is about excavating the past—not just to celebrate progress, but to understand the blueprints that were laid down for future generations. “Ordinary people doing extraordinary things—that’s what I’m interested in. And we’re in a really exciting time where we can finally start telling these stories properly.”

With a career spanning multiple mediums, how does she compare them? If theatre, TV, and film were dinner guests, who would be the most dramatic?

Without hesitation, she picks television. “TV can change on a dime,” she laughs. “One day you think you’re filming, the next day it’s postponed. Scripts change at the last minute. It’s chaos!”

The most reliable? That goes to theatre. “It’s been my training ground,” she says fondly. “You build a real community. You see each other’s highs and lows, you solve problems together, and when you finally get to opening night, you can exhale knowing everyone has put their all into it.”

And film? “Hit or miss,” she admits with a grin. “Short films especially—you have to cram a lot into one weekend. Sometimes it’s magic, and sometimes… it’s just a hot mess.”

Despite all the industry shifts and changes she’s seen, Skeete remains focused on the long game. After Alterations, her next move is stepping into the driver’s seat—writing and creating her own work. “I want to get my projects out there”. She finds a synergy with creators like Michaela Coel and Quinta Brunson and how they built their careers. “That’s the path I want to take.”

And the best piece of advice she’s ever received? It’s deceptively simple: Mind your business.

“Not just in the nosy way,” she clarifies, laughing. “It means focus on what you’re doing. Don’t look at what the next person has. Don’t compare and despair. Are you minding your business? Are you doing everything you can for your own work, your own growth? That’s what matters.”

It’s a philosophy that has clearly served her well. And as she continues to build, create, and champion stories that matter, there’s no doubt that Cherrelle Skeete is minding her business in the best possible way.

Alterations opens at the National Theatre on the 20th February.