BIO

LLYRIO BOATENG

”Highly Commended
National Theatre

Llyrio Boateng is a British-Ghanaian writer, director and producer. He began his career as a dancer, performing internationally with artists like Rihanna, Kylie Minogue, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry across music videos, tours, live performances, TV and award shows.

His play A False Friend (The Experiment) was longlisted for the Alfred Fagon Award for Best New Play of the Year (2025); Llyrio has contributed to the Black British Book Festival anthology (a celebration of culture, truth, memory, and imagination), been longlisted by The London Library, joined selected cohorts at BFI NETWORK Writers Lab, BAFTA Connect, and Theatre Peckham, and his novella 5HTP is stocked by Waterstones.
He’s Highly Commended by the National Theatre’s New Work panel. The Royal Court said his script is “Inventive and theatrical with a good sense of stagecraft,” and invited him to their Writers’ Group.

He has directed new writing at Theatre503, Southwark Playhouse, Riverside Studios, and the radio drama My Mother Must’ve Heard It, Too, featuring Casualty’s Adesuwa Oni. He served as Assistant Director on POSITIVE at Southwark Playhouse; selected to observe rehearsals of both ‘Brigadoon’ and ‘Noughts & Crosses’ at The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.

His current psychology (neuroscience, clinical, and forensic) studies at Goldsmiths, University of London, were sparked by four years of research whilst writing ‘A False Friend’; he aims to bolster his intuitive understanding of behaviour, society, and systems—gain scientific tools that will support and deepen his work.

He speaks English, Twi (Akan), and basic, albeit charming, Spanish.

Llyrio is the founder of Por Ultimo, a London-based production company developing work for stage, screen and audio.

Background

Performance

Llyrio spent years as a professional dancer and performer, working at the highest level of the international entertainment industry.

He performed with Rihanna at Donbass Stadium in Ukraine, in screen visuals for Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj at the MTV VMAs, and Robbie Williams and Lily Allen at the Brit Awards. A true veteran, appearing on Graham Norton, Alan Carr Chatty Man, X-factor, Britain's Got Talent, The Late Late Show (Ireland), Dancing On Ice, Summertime Ball, France's Le Grand Journal, Germany's Next Top Model, Italy's Wind Music Awards (TIM Music Awards), Wireless Festival and more.

He toured extensively with Kylie Minogue across the Aphrodite album promotion tour — spanning France, Mexico, Egypt, Germany, Italy, Spain, UK and more — and appeared in music videos for Katy Perry, Cheryl Cole, Paloma Faith and others.

As a principal performer he fronted major commercial campaigns for global brands including Audi, Emirates, Hilton and the Dorchester.

These years, working under world-class choreographers and directors, inside the machinery of global live entertainment, shaped the visual instincts and collaborative discipline that define his work today.