Jade Anouka x Original Magazine
When you sit down to watch a work of science fiction, what do you expect? Aliens? Spaceships? Extraordinary feats of technology? After Original Magazine sat down with star of stage and screen Jade Anouka, it became clear that none of these genre-conforming ideas are at the heart of her newest project, Dune: Prophecy.
Those familiar with Dune’s extensive body of work will not be surprised that Dune: Prophecy steers away from the most obvious aspects of the genre. While, yes, the show is set on Wallach IX (a planet inconceivably distant from our known universe) and, yes, the Sisterhood is filled with beings that certainly fit the criteria of aliens, you would be forgiven for forgetting these genre formalities as the story unfolds.
Instead, the success of this series lies beyond the creatively named differences between the on-screen world and ours. As Jade Anouka’s character, Sister Theodosia, manoeuvres herself under the tutelage of Mother Superior Valya Harkonnen (played by Emma Watson), this female-led TV series is propelled by internal politics and deeply meditated acts of ambition.
“What’s interesting is that you do still have a man at the head of the Imperium. But all of his decisions are being swayed and made by his truth-sayer or his wife. Though there are women here that he is actually controlling, he is more the puppet being controlled by the women.”
Despite some inevitable online pushback, Jade is unfazed by those who critique the show’s commentary on male and female power dynamics.
“I’ve always been of the belief that if you’re going to do something brilliant that people connect to, there’s always going to be people that don’t like it. I’d always prefer to be in something where some people really love it and some people really don’t want it in the world, rather than being beige. If you don’t like it, watch something else! As long as there’s enough people that want it, that’s why we’re doing it.”
Set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides, the audience follows the Sisterhood’s secret breeding programme, intent on raising a new generation of the Bene Gesserit—women who train their bodies and minds to perform superhuman feats to control the bloodlines of Dune’s greatest houses.
We also watch Valya and Tula as they try to restore the Harkonnen family’s prestige under Dune’s central Imperium. But where does Sister Theodosia fit into this long lineage of extraordinary women? Jade was happy to give us an insight into the mind of the acolyte with a secret, especially when asked to rank Sister Theodosia’s priorities.
“I think growth is big—loyalty is up there. Faith is an interesting one because, what do you mean by faith? Loyalty, growth, success, sisterhood, and faith. I was doubting putting success at the top, but I don’t think that’s what drives her.
I think she just wants to be the best so she can do right by Valya. So she can grow as a human, rather than success as in beating other people. I only put faith at the bottom because, comparing her to Sister Emiline, for example (who has an all-encompassing faith), I think her faith is in Valya. In what’s tangible—in people.”
Dune: Prophecy has used the books to build something entirely new. While her character was not conceived in the original Dune series, Jade has worked hard with the showrunners and her fellow castmates to craft a character who feels intertwined with the words of Frank Herbert.
“Weirdly, I found that [Sister Theodosia not existing in the book] quite freeing. There wasn’t so much I could find out really; I just had this character that I could almost create. Talking to the people on set and in rehearsals that are complete Dune nerds, it was great to make sure things were based in the reality of Dune and not completely out of the realm of possibility. Some people have a real heavy name like Atreides. In comparison, I can create this.”
Straight from her one-woman show Heart, Jade Anouka experienced a completely different way of filming when it came to Dune. Instead of immediately jumping into scenes, the cast underwent a period of “Sisterhood School,” where they learnt the physicality and lore required to pull off such a mammoth six-episode series.
“You’d go in and start the day off with movement. We’d ground ourselves, and that got us ready for the day as well as learning the literal choreography. Then you’d have a break and go into fight practice. The fight director would come in, and we would practise either fighting unarmed or with a knife.
I love fighting—not in real life, but I love pretend fighting! We were also asking questions to the showrunner, Allison, about what certain things mean and the science behind it. We were quite literally learning what the acolytes are learning.”
Now that the series is near completion, Jade was also able to reveal some of the most exciting episodes for her character.
“I think particularly the first episode was really interesting. At that stage, the other sisters didn’t know much about our pasts; you’re playing the scene, and there’s something underneath. Episode four has some big reveals for Theo and some amazing scenes with Emily [Watson] that I got to do. It’s quite a big one, I think. Also, episode six.
I haven’t seen it, but I’m hoping it’s still in. Filming those scenes with Emily as well was really fun. I think we worked really well together. I hope she’d say the same. When we were waiting to go on set, we’d just be hanging out in the tent, going through the scene a bit and talking to each other about how we want to play it because the power dynamic (particularly in four) slightly shifts. Loyalty comes into play in some of those scenes, so how do we want to play it? What do we want the audience to believe or not believe at this point?”
With the freedom to make Sister Theodosia her own, Jade Anouka has catapulted herself headfirst into the Dune universe, alongside a plethora of deeply complex female characters. There are traces of aliens, spaceships, and fantastical technology, but this TV series shines brightest when it gives its actors a chance to play off each other on screen. Jade’s performance is proof of this very fact. When asked, Jade agreed that Dune: Prophecy was a project like none other she’s worked on.
“For TV, it’s incredible what they’ve created. A lot of people for Dune talk about the film—which is just a whole other thing again—so comparatively, this was a lot less than the films. But compared to other TV I’ve done, it’s so much more. It’s just an incredible experience to see the best in the business. Everything across the board: the stage combat, the sets, the costumes, the makeup; everything was just this vast experience on another level.”