DonnaAnita

fáilte

Hi, I’m Donna and I’m an actor and voice over artist based in Kilkenny, Ireland.  As part of the 2024 Dublin Theatre Festival I played the roles of Martin, Wafaa and Nathan in Dermot Bolger’s play ‘Home, Boys, Home’.  I also played the lead role of Judith Noone in Jaki McCarrick’s ‘Belfast Girls’ which toured from The Táin to The Lyric. Screen roles include Francis Frond in CBBC’s ‘Nova Jones’, Lucy in RTE’s ‘The South Westerlies’ and Paige Monaghan in Hallmark’s ‘Christmas at Castle Hart’.  I played the role of Ama Chisenga on Ireland’s national soap ‘Fair City’ from 2013 until 2017. You can also check out my music on Bandcamp! 

Home Boys Home Cast Pic
HOME, BOYS, HOME
"Ray Yeates reprises his role in this production, almost years on from his first with Bolger. He is strongly accompanied by Fionnuala Gygax and Donna Anita Nikolaisen, who play various roles, believably occupying the space of a cocky drug dealer one moment, an immigrant the next."
Conor Capllis, THE IRISH TIMES
4/5
Belfast Girls Molly and Judith under attack
BELFAST GIRLS
"In the opening scene we meet four of the five characters, one or two spatting already. ‘Fat’ Hanna (impressive Leah Rossiter) gets in an argument with Ellen (Fiona Keenan O’ Brien) over who caught the cook’s eye. The air turns blue but Judith, a natural leader and excellently played by Donna Anita Nikolaisen, sorts them out."
THE BELFAST TIMES
"Nikolaisen and Kelly are both utterly sublime when their characters are allowed to breathe rather than being corseted inside someone else’s borrowed ideas."
THE ARTS REVIEW.COM
tea-chests-300
TEA CHESTS AND DREAMS
“In a delicate exchange between the bright mannered Hickey and Nikolaisen, radiant with sincerity, the elderly character tells a new arrival about the psychology of accruing heirlooms, by which they “try and stop time by hording things”.”
Peter Crawley, THE IRISH TIMES
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bio

Donna Anita Quinn is an Irish actor and voice over artist. Theatre highlights include the lead role of Judith Noone in Jaki McCarrick’s 2024 Irish premiere of ‘Belfast Girls’. She also played the roles of Martin, Wafaa and Nathan in Dermot Bolger’s ‘Home, Boys, Home’ as part of the 2024 Dublin Theatre Festival.

Her breakthrough TV role came as migrant nurse Ama Chisenga, on RTE’s national soap ‘Fair City’. Since leaving the show in 2017 she has played various roles in TV productions including ‘Crá’, ‘Kin’, ‘Conversations with Friends, ‘Nova Jones’ and ‘The South Westerlies’. Donna’s recent film credits include award winning film ‘September Says’, ‘Sweetness in the Belly’ and Hallmark’s ‘Christmas at Castle Hart’. She won Best Supporting Actor for her role as Ali in the award winning short ‘QED’ at the 2018 Dublin Underground Cinema Festival. 

As a voice over artist she has narrated documentaries for BBC and Virgin Media. She voiced the role of Mum in Cartoon Saloon’s preschool animation ‘Silly Sundays’.

Donna trained at The Focus Theatre and Bel Canto School of Voice. She is represented by Alex Cusack Management and Voice Bank.

Performance Training

Acting for Camera, Film Venture; Stanislavsky Studio, Tim McDonnell (The Focus Theatre); Chekhov, Rayla Tadjimotova; Viewpoints, Joe Devlin; Voice, Andy Hinds; Bel Canto Voice, Bel Canto School of Voice; Music Theatre, Waltons School of Music; Contemporary Dance, CoisCéim Dance Theatre; Jazz Ballet, Elena Degtyareva; Hip Hop, Jane Shorthall; LAMDA Acting and Speech & Drama Grades at Montfort College of Performing Arts;


Skills & Qualifications
Singer-Songwriter
Web & Graphic Designer
BSc Business Information Systems Hon, UCC 
Full Drivers License

Background
From an early age I felt the stage call to me. My debut performance, apart from ‘The Wicked Queen’ on my school stage, was a student showcase at the Cork Cat Club with Monfort School of Performing Arts.

After graduating from UCC with a degree in Business, I moved to Dublin and worked in IT for a few years. After taking a sabbatical to travel the world, on my return I decided to train my voice and become an actor. I began my performance training at Bel Canto School of Voice,  Waltons School of Music and I attended The Focus Theatre Stanislavsky Studio.  To support my training I freelanced as a web and graphic designer. 

Early stage roles included Bloody Mary in ‘South Pacific’, Margaret in ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and Tituba in ‘The Crucible’. From this springboard I began my acting journey. 

Film & TV

HIGHLIGHTS

RTE

Dr Madelaine Tress

SCOTT FREE PRODUCTIONS