Sharon D. Clarke

Sharon Delores Clarke MBE (born 12 August 1966) is a three-time Olivier Award winning English actress and singer. Best known to television audiences for her role as Lola Griffin in the medical drama Holby City, and as Grace O'Brien in Doctor Who. Clarke has also played lead roles in many West End musicals, and originated the roles of the Killer Queen in We Will Rock You and Oda Mae Brown in Ghost the Musical.

Sharon D. Clarke

Clarke in Ghost, West End Live in 2011
Born
Sharon Delores Clarke

(1966-08-12) 12 August 1966
Enfield, London, England
NationalityBritish
OccupationActress, singer
Years active1986–
Spouse(s)Susie McKenna

Throughout her stage career, Clarke has been nominated for several Laurence Olivier Awards. She won the 2014 Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for her role in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner. She won her second Oliver for best actress in a musical for her role as Caroline Thibodeaux in the 2018 West End production of Caroline, or Change, a role she's set to reprise on Broadway in 2021. In October 2020, she won her third Olivier for her role in the revival of Death of a Salesman at London's Young Vic.

Television career

Clarke is known for her role in the BBC medical drama Holby City, in which she played Lola Griffin, a doctor with ancestors from Ghana. She left the programme in 2008. Clarke reprised the role for one episode in 2019.

Other television roles include the character of Gran'Ma Flossie in the CBBC show The Crust. In 2008, Clarke sat alongside Russell Watson as a judge on the BBC talent show Last Choir Standing. Clarke's other TV credits include: Waking the Dead, Soldier Soldier, Broken Glass, Between the Lines, Children's Ward, Stop, Look & Listen – Mary Seacole, Past Caring, The Singing Detective, EastEnders, Boo! and Informer.

Clarke has also appeared as a guest on Ready Steady Cook, hosted by Ainsley Harriott, representing Holby City in 2008, winning with chef Garrey Dawson.

She has been a guest on The Paul O'Grady Show and sang the "O'Grady, O'Grady" song to celebrate the 500th show. She has also made appearances on Children in Need for the BBC, performing as Killer Queen with the cast of We Will Rock You and also singing with her Holby City co-stars.

On 10 August 2010, Clarke appeared in an episode of The Bill, "Death Knock" as brothel owner Denise Jones.

On 24 January 2011, she appeared in EastEnders, as Connor Stanley's mother Kendra. In May 2011, Clarke starred in the BBC drama The Shadow Line as Mrs. Dixon, appearing in episodes 2 and 3.

Clarke voices the character of Treetog in the CBeebies series Tree Fu Tom.[1]

In October 2017, the BBC announced that Clarke had been cast as Grace O'Brien in the eleventh series of Doctor Who, appearing in the episodes "The Woman Who Fell To Earth", "Arachnids in the UK" and "It Takes You Away". She later made brief cameo appearances in the twelfth series episode "Can You Hear Me?", and in the 2021 festive special "Revolution of the Daleks".

In December 2017, Clarke made a guest appearance on Thunderbirds Are Go, providing the voice for Fire Chief Cass McCready in the Season 2 episode Inferno, which wasn't broadcast on ITV but was still shown on Amazon Video.

Theatre

Clarke's first professional role was playing Dolores Hope in the 1988 Talawa Theatre Company production of O Babylon! The Musical, the story of the Trench Town community's struggle for survival against the encroachment of Babylon, in the form of a new luxury hotel.[2][3][4]

Clarke has also appeared in West End theatre. Her roles include General Cartwright in Guys and Dolls (1996), Joanne Jefferson in Rent at the Shaftesbury Theatre (1998), and Miss Sherman in Fame (1999). She played Rafiki in The Lion King from 2000 to 2002 at the Lyceum Theatre and in 2004 played the character of Matron Mama Morton in Chicago.

In 2000, Clarke appeared in Flymonkey's production of The Wiz. In that production, she played the role of Glinda at the Hackney Empire.

She originated the role of Killer Queen[5] in the Ben Elton/Queen jukebox musical We Will Rock You at the Dominion Theatre, alongside Alexander Hanson as Commander Khashoggi, for which she was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical.

In 2008, Clarke made her pantomime début in the Hackney Empire's Mother Goose. She starred in Once on This Island in Birmingham at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. She was also set to star in The Vagina Monologues and Once on This Island at the Hackney Empire in 2009. She finished starring in the massively successful hit musical Hairspray when it closed on 28 March 2010 at the Shaftesbury Theatre. She played the role of Motormouth Maybelle, alongside Phill Jupitus and Brian Conley as Edna Turnblad.

Clarke was Davina the Diva Harp in Jack and the Beanstalk and Carmina the Camel in Aladdin, both at the Hackney Empire. In July 2010, she appeared in a one-off performance at the Hackney Empire called Sounds Like Hackney, alongside Clive Rowe.

Clarke made an appearance at Music on the Farm, held at Battlers Green Farm in aid of charity, singing hits from musicals that she has starred in.

In October 2010, the Apollo Victoria Theatre, home to the musical Wicked, celebrated its 80th anniversary and Clarke was a guest performer[6] alongside other stars such as Wayne Sleep.

2011 saw Clarke take the role of Oda Mae Brown in a musical adaptation of the film Ghost. Beginning previews in March at the Manchester Opera House, the show transferred in June 2011 to the West End at the Piccadilly Theatre, replacing Grease. Clarke was nominated in 2012 for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical,[7] losing out on the award to Nigel Harman for his role in Shrek the Musical.

In October 2011, she appeared in a concert of the new musical Soho Cinders at the Queen's Theatre, London. Clarke has also worked as Musical Director on Meridan.

Since finishing in Ghost The Musical upon its closure in 2012, Clarke has appeared in her own one-woman cabaret at the St James Theatre.

She appeared in James Baldwin's The Amen Corner at the Royal National Theatre, for which she won Best Supporting Actress at the 2014 Olivier Awards.[8]

In the summer of 2014, she played the supporting role of Mariah in the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre production of Porgy and Bess.

In March 2015, Clarke played the Nurse in Romeo and Juliet at the Rose Theatre, Kingston.

In February 2016, she received critical acclaim for her role in a revival of August Wilson's Ma Rainey's Black Bottom at the Lyttelton Theatre (for example: "Sharon D Clarke is terrific as Ma Rainey, regally imperious" – The Telegraph; "Her golden delivery of the title song is a high point" – The Observer; "Sharon D Clarke offers a wonderfully obstreperous performance as the eponymous blues star" – Time Out; "the powerhouse delivery of Sharon D Clarke in the central role of Ma Rainey is exhilarating" – The Stage).[9][10][11][12]

In 2017, she played the role of Sonya in Cy Coleman's musical The Life at Southwark Playhouse[13] and Caroline Thibodeaux in Caroline, or Change at the Chichester Festival Theatre.[14] Clarke reprised her role in Caroline, or Change when the production transferred to the Playhouse Theatre in the West End in 2018.[15] At the 2019 Laurence Olivier Awards, Clarke won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this role.[16]

In 2019, she played the role of Linda Loman in Arthur Miller’s play Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic, due to transfer to the West End in October 2019. In July 2019 she played the role of The Lady in Sheldon Epps’s Blues In The Night at the Kiln Theatre, London.[17]

Music career

Clarke achieved chart success with the FPI Project's remake of Going Back to My Roots and in Nomad with the singles "(I Wanna Give You) Devotion" and "Just a Groove", the latter of which sold more than two million singles worldwide.

Clarke was also part of the female vocal group Six Chix, formed for the Eurovision Song Contest 2000. They came second in the UK selection with the song "Only the Women Know". They were beaten by Nicki French singing "Don't Play That Song Again", which went on to Stockholm to finish 16th.

As well as appearing on the original cast recordings for Once on This Island, Stepping Out, We Will Rock You and Ghost The Musical, Clarke recorded the title song on Terry Pratchett's Only You Can Save Mankind album alongside other West End stars, including Kerry Ellis, Ricardo Afonso and Daniel Boys.

Personal life

Clarke is married to writer and director Susie McKenna. They wed on the Hackney Empire stage.[18][19]

Clarke was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to drama.[20]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988Tumbledown1st Night NurseTelevision film
1996Broken GlassFloraTelevision film
1999Beautiful PeopleNurse Tina
2000Secret SocietyTyphoon
2007SugarhouseCrystal
2016The WorksMacbethShort film
The Darkest UniverseMegan
2018TauQueenpinTelevision film
2019RocketmanCounselor

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1986, 2011EastEndersLizzie Burton, Kendra Stanley2 episodes
1990The Singing DetectiveNight Nurse6 episodes
1993Between the LinesCookEpisode: "Some Must Watch"
1995Soldier SoldierReceptionistEpisode: "For Better, for Worse"
2003, 2005–08, 2019Holby CityJune Singleton, Lola Griffin112 episodes
2003Waking the DeadCamelia Baptiste2 episodes
2004, 2007Boo!Narrator, Singer (voices)11 episodes
2005The CrustGrandma Flossie
Casualty@Holby CityLola Griffin3 episodes
CasualtyLola GriffinEpisode: "Deny Thy Father: Part 1"
2008HolbyBlueLola GriffinEpisode: "Episode #2.1"
2010The BillDenise JonesEpisode: "Death Knock"
2011The Shadow LineMrs. Dixon2 episodes
2012Tree Fu Tom(voice)3 episodes
2013PsychobitchesNina Simone, Bessie Smith2 episodes
New TricksSarah Kaye2 episodes
2015Death in ParadiseZeta AkandeEpisode: "Stab in the Dark"
You, Me & ThemNolaEpisode: "The Gift"
National Theatre LiveMotherEpisode: "Everyman"
2017UnforgottenAgency ManagerEpisode: "Episode #2.5"
2017, 2019Thunderbirds Are GoCass McCready (voice)2 episodes
2018KiriBimpeEpisode: "Episode #1.2"
InformerDCI Rose Asante6 episodes
DoctorsNyaqa Dale SetshwaneEpisode: "Dreams Are Made On"
Silent WitnessSenior Special Agent Kim Price2 episodes
FlowersDr. MaloneEpisode: "Episode #2.5"
2018–21Doctor WhoGrace O'Brien, Solitract5 episodes
2019Numberblocks1003 episodes
2020Tiny WondersNarrator10 episodes

Video games

YearTitleRoleNotes
2004World of Warcraft
2018World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth

Awards and nominations

Stage

Year Award Category Work Result
1995 Laurence Olivier Award[21] Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Once on This Island Nominated
2003 Laurence Olivier Award[22] Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical We Will Rock You Nominated
2012 Laurence Olivier Award[23] Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical Ghost Nominated
2014 Laurence Olivier Award[8] Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Amen Corner Won
2018 Off West End Theatre Award[24] Supporting Female in a Musical The Life Won
Evening Standard Theatre Award[25] Best Musical Performance Caroline, or Change Nominated
2019 Laurence Olivier Award[16] Best Actress in a Musical Won
Critics' Circle Theatre Award[26] Best Actress Death of a Salesman Won
2020 Laurence Olivier Award[27] Best Actress Won

References

  1. "Tree Fu Tom", BBC Media Centre.
  2. "O Babylon! – BPA". www.blackplaysarchive.org.uk. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  3. "O Babylon! The Musical". talawa.com. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  4. "Sharon D Clarke on Caroline, or Change and not repeating history". Evening Standard. 14 November 2018.
  5. Andrew Tomlins, "Big Interview: Sharon D. Clarke", West End Frame, 9 March 2015.
  6. Alistair Smith, "Apollo Victoria to reunite Starlight Express for 80th gala", The Stage, 12 August 2010.
  7. "Olivier Awards: full list of nominations". The Telegraph. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  8. "Olivier awards 2014: the winners – in pictures". The Guardian. 13 April 2014. Retrieved 30 November 2014.
  9. Dominic Cavendish, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, National Theatre, review: 'revelatory'", The Telegraph, 3 February 2016.
  10. Susannah Clapp, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom review – a terrific August Wilson revival", The Observer, 7 February 2016.
  11. Andrzej Lukowski, "An all-too timely revival of August Wilson's American classic, set at the dawn of the jazz age", Time Out, 3 February 2016.
  12. Mark Shenton, "Ma Rainey's Black Bottom review at the Lyttelton, National Theatre, London – 'superbly orchestrated'", The Stage, 2 February 2016.
  13. "The Life, Southwark Playhouse, London, review: A crime if this show does not transfer to the West End". independent.co.uk. 1 April 2017. Retrieved 24 March 2018.
  14. "Exceptional revival of a powerful and innovative drama – Caroline, Or Change review" The Daily Telegraph. 12 May 2017
  15. Shenton, Mark (18 December 2018). "Review – Sharon D Clarke is 'extraordinary' in Caroline, or Change at the Playhouse Theatre". londontheatre.co.uk. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  16. Thompson, Jessie (7 April 2019). "Olivier Awards 2019 winners in full: The Inheritance, Company and Come From Away lead with a clutch of prizes". Evening Standard. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  17. "Musical review: Blues In The Night". Metro Newspaper UK.
  18. "Spotlight On: Sharon D Clarke and Susie Mckenna". So So Gay. Archived from the original on 2 December 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  19. "Interviews: Sharon D Clarke: 'We were all rooting for Rufus'", What's on Stage, 18 December 2013.
  20. "No. 61803". The London Gazette (Supplement). 31 December 2016. p. N16.
  21. "Olivier Winners 1995". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  22. "Olivier Winners 2003". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  23. "Olivier Winners 2012". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  24. "Offies 2018 winners announced | WhatsOnStage". www.whatsonstage.com. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  25. "Read the Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2018 shortlist in full". www.standard.co.uk. 16 November 2018. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
  26. Thomas, Sophie (11 February 2020). "Andrew Scott, Juliet Stevenson and Sharon D. Clarke win at 2019 Critics' Circle Theatre Awards". London Theatre Guide. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  27. "Olivier Awards 2020 with Mastercard – Theatre's Biggest Night". Olivier Awards. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
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