Hi, I’m Donna and I’m an actor and voice over artist from Cork, now based in Kilkenny. Recent screen roles include September Says (Biology Teacher), Christmas at Castle Hart (Paige Monaghan) and Nova Jones (Frances Frond). Prior to these roles I played the role of Ama Chisenga on Ireland’s national soap ‘Fair City’. Hope you like my site and you can check out my music on Bandcamp.
As part of the 2024 Dublin Theatre Festival I played various roles in Dermot Bolger’s play ‘Home, Boys, Home’. We opened in The Civic Theatre and toured to The Viking Sheds, Clontarf.
In February 2024 I played the lead role of Judith Noone in Jaki McCarrick’s ‘Belfast Girls’ which toured from The Táin to The Lyric, The Droichead and The Solstice.
Role of Coroner in upcoming Irish film ‘One Sweet Hour’.
Role of Biology Teacher in Ariane Labed’s ‘September Says’.
Role of Dr Barret in upcoming season 3 of Irish TV Drama ‘The Dry’.
Role of Frances Frond in cBBC’s ‘Nova Jones’.
Role of Zambian nurse Ama Chisenga in Ireland’s national soap ‘Fair City’ from 2013 to 2017.
As a voice actor I have narrated audio books, radio plays and documentaries for RTE, BBC and Virgin Media. I voiced the role of Mum in Cartoon Saloon’s pre-school animation ‘Silly Sundays’ – viewable on Cartoonito.
JANE EYRE. bertha mason. THE GATE, dublin
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.
