Anneka van der Velde (she/her) is a Melbourne-based performer and theatre artist originally from Canberra, ACT. A 2017 graduate of the Canberra Academy of Dramatic Art, Anneka went on to co-found Limbo Theatre Company, producing and performing in The Accidental Death of an Anarchist (2018) and The Good Doctor (2019).

She has appeared in a range of independent and professional productions with companies including The Street Theatre, Shakespeare by the Lakes, and Canberra REP. Her recent Shakespearean credits include Much Ado About Nothing (2018), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2020), As You Like It (2022), and Henry V (2024) with Lakespeare, as well as Romeo & Juliet (2022) with Canberra REP.

Trained extensively in clowning, Anneka also co-created and performed Sole Mates (2021), a two-woman clowning and puppetry show with her company TwoLeftFeet Theatre, presented at the Adelaide Fringe Festival.

Anneka is currently studying a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Theatre Production) at the Victorian College of the Arts, specialising in set and props construction and stage management.

She’s delighted to be back with Lakespeare, slipping into the quick-witted shoes of Trania in The Taming of the Shrew. Anneka has a soft spot for Shakespeare’s mischievous side and loves diving into the chaos, charm, and wordplay that make his comedies such a riot to perform.