Rakie Ayola was born in Cardiff, Wales. Her mother was originally from Sierra Leone (http://www.rakieayola.com/18.html). Ayola trained at the Welsh College of Music and Drama. Her extensive credits include playing Millament in Congreve's The Way of the World at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre for which she received the 1995 Ian Charleson Award. Ayola also played Dido in Christopher Marlowe's Dido, Queen of Carthage at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in 2003 (directed by Tim Carroll).