Trey Anthony

Trey Anthony was born in London, England, in 1974 to Jamaican parents. At the age of 12, she moved to Canada, initially residing in Rexdale, Toronto, before later moving to Brampton. Her early years were influenced by her grandmother’s journey to the UK under the Domestic Scheme Act, a significant family history that later informed her work. Anthony began her career on the Canadian comedy circuit, performing stand-up during African Nubian Comedy Nights. She also wrote and produced sketch comedy shows at The Second City, which consistently sold out, leading her to move to larger venues and expand her audience. This period established her as a comedic talent and laid the groundwork for her theatrical and television endeavors. She has performed at the Urban Womyn’s Comedy Festival and Toronto’s St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, and previously worked as a writer and performer for ‘After Hours with Kenny Robinson’ and a writer for ‘The Chris Rock Show’.

Anthony gained significant recognition for her play and television series, ‘Da Kink in My Hair’. The play, initially a one-woman show, chronicles the experiences of women in a Caribbean-style Jamaican hair salon in Toronto. It premiered at the Toronto French Festival in 2001 and was subsequently produced in major cities including California, New York, and London. ‘Da Kink in My Hair’ made history as the first Canadian play to be produced at the Princess of Wales Theatre. In 2007, a television series adaptation of ‘Da Kink in My Hair’ aired, with Anthony as a cast member. She holds the distinction of being the first Black Canadian woman to write and produce a television show on a major prime-time Canadian network. Her work is celebrated for its critical acclaim and commercial success, earning four NAACP Awards and multiple Dora Mavor Moore Awards, and being recognized as one of the top ten plays in Canadian theatrical history.

In 2017, Anthony launched her lifestyle brand, ‘Black Girl in Love’, which includes merchandise, workshops, and retreats, alongside the first lifestyle planner aimed at professional Black women. She also founded Trey Anthony Studios, a production company focused on creating television and theatre for urban audiences. Beyond her creative work, Anthony is a sought-after motivational speaker, delivering keynotes and workshops globally. She has lectured at prestigious institutions such as Harvard University, NYU, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Waterloo, McMaster University, and Ryerson University. Her commitment to diversity, inclusion, and wellness is central to her public speaking engagements and her popular touring theatrical wellness show, ‘Black Girl in Love (with Herself)’. She adapted her play ‘How Black Mothers Say I Love You’ into a film, which was shortlisted at Sundance. Anthony’s work has been featured in various publications including Forbes, Huffington Post, Toronto Star, and Essence Magazine.