Ysmahane Yagini

Ysmahane Yaqini was born in Paris in 1974 and studied theatre and film at the University of Paris-Nanterre. During and after her studies, she worked with Ariane Mnouchkine, Jean Jourdheuil, Simon Abkarian, Hideki Noda and Peter Brook, among others. In 1999 she made her debut in Marivaux’ L'Îles des Esclaves of the company Graines de Soleil (directed by Khalid Tamer). In 2002 she appeared in Peter Brook’s production of Mozart’s Don Giovanni at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, followed by Sur le vif by Jean-Christophe Bailly at the Nouveau Théâtre de Montreuil (directed by Gilberte Tsaï) as well as Calderon’s El medico de su honra at the Théâtre de l’Opprimé (directed by Hervé Petit). Most recently, she was seen in Silences complices? of the Compagnie De(s)amorce(s), directed by Thissa d’Avila Bensalah. Apart from her work in the theatre, Ysmahane Yaqini has also worked in film and TV. Among her credits are La Vérité ou Presque by Sam Karmann in 2007 and Le Nouveau Protocole by Thomas Vincent in 2008. She met Irina Brook in 2001 and has performed in her version of Homer’s Odyssey at the Théâtre des Bouffes du Nord as well as on numerous national and international tours; this was followed in 2004 by Der gute Mensch von Sezuan.