Paloma Oakenfold

Paloma has a degree in Acting from the Guildhall School of Music and Drama and an MFA in Theatre Directing from Birkbeck, University of London.

Over the past decade, she has taught at some of the UK’s leading drama schools, including Guildhall, Oxford School of Drama, ALRA, Rose Bruford, Fourth Monkey, ArtsEd, and Collective Acting Studio.

As a director, Paloma has worked across the UK, including the Soho Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith, Battersea Arts Centre, Arcola, and Underbelly Edinburgh.

She is the co-founder of Bareface, a theatre company led by disabled artists, known for its defiant, comedic, and autobiographical work, which has toured nationally. Their first film, A Night of Mistakes, starred Lily James, Tom Stourton, and Charly Clive.

Paloma frequently collaborates with Access All Areas, a pioneering company championing learning disabled and autistic artists. Her recent work includes support on major productions such as Jitney (dir. Tinuke Craig, Headlong/Old Vic/UK Tour), Faith, Hope and Charity (dir. Alexander Zeldin, National Theatre European Tour/Odéon Théâtre de l’Europe/Wiener Festwochen), and UnReal City (dir. Tristan Sharps – dreamthinkspeak, Battersea Arts Centre).

As a performer, Paloma has appeared in the BAFTA-winning comedy series Chewing Gum and Showtime’s The Borgias. She is also a member of the feminist cabaret group Fringe Wives Club, whose award-winning show Glittery Clittery received the Mervyn Stutter Spirit of the Fringe Award at the Edinburgh Fringe, Best Cabaret at Adelaide Fringe, and the Moosehead Award at Melbourne International Comedy Festival.