Sharon Delores Clarke (born 12 August 1966) is an English actress and singer. She is a three-time Olivier award winner, and is best known to television audiences for her role as

Lola Griffin Lola Griffin (also Williams) is a fictional character from the BBC medical drama ''Holby City'', played by actress Sharon D. Clarke. She first appeared in the series seven episode "Patience", broadcast on 7 June 2005. Lola is characterised as a ...

in the

medical drama A medical drama is a television show or film in which events center upon a hospital, an ambulance staff, or any medical environment. Most recent medical drama (film and television), dramatic programming go beyond the events pertaining to the chara ...

Holby City ''Holby City'' (stylised on-screen as HOLBY CIY) is a British medical drama television series that aired weekly on BBC One. It was created by Tony McHale and Mal Young as a spin-off from the established BBC medical drama '' Casualty'', and ...

'', and as Grace O'Brien in '' Doctor Who''. Clarke has also played lead roles in many

West End West End most commonly refers to: * West End of London, an area of central London, England * West End theatre, a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London, England West End may also refer to: Pl ...

musicals, and originated the roles of the Killer Queen in ''

We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album ''News of the World''. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and it placed at numb ...

'' and Oda Mae Brown in '' Ghost the Musical''. Throughout her stage career, Clarke has been nominated for several

Laurence Olivier Award The Laurence Olivier Awards, or simply the Olivier Awards, are presented annually by the Society of London Theatre to recognise excellence in professional theatre in London at an annual ceremony in the capital. The awards were originally known a ...

s. She won the 2014

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The Oliviers were established as the Society of West End T ...

for her role in

James Baldwin James Arthur Baldwin (August 2, 1924 – December 1, 1987) was an American writer. He garnered acclaim across various media, including essays, novels, plays, and poems. His first novel, '' Go Tell It on the Mountain'', was published in 1953; ...

's '' The Amen Corner''. She won her second Olivier for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Caroline Thibodeaux in the 2018 West End production of ''

Caroline, or Change ''Caroline, or Change'' is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and lyrics and book by Tony Kushner. The score combines spirituals, blues, Motown, classical music, and Jewish klezmer and folk music. The show ran both Off-Broadway and on Broa ...

'', a role she reprised on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

in 2021. In October 2020, she won her third Olivier for her role in the revival of ''

Death of a Salesman ''Death of a Salesman'' is a 1949 stage play written by American playwright Arthur Miller. The play premiered on Broadway in February 1949, running for 742 performances. It is a two-act tragedy set in late 1940s Brooklyn told through a monta ...

'' at London's

Young Vic The Young Vic Theatre is a performing arts venue located on The Cut, near the South Bank, in the London Borough of Lambeth. The Young Vic was established by Frank Dunlop in 1970. Kwame Kwei-Armah has been Artistic Director since February 20 ...

Career

Television

Clarke is known for her role in the

BBC #REDIRECT BBC Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...

medical drama ''

'', in which she played

, 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 CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the bran ...

show ''

The Crust ''The Crust'' is a British television series about a pizza parlour which was originally shown by CBBC CBBC (initialised as Children's BBC and also known as the CBBC Channel) is a British free-to-air Public service broadcasting in the United K ...

''. In 2008, Clarke sat alongside

Russell Watson Russell Watson is an English tenor who has released singles and albums of both operatic-style and pop songs. He began singing as a child, and became known after performing at a working men's club. He came to attention in 1999 when he sang "God ...

as a judge on the BBC talent show '' Last Choir Standing''. Clarke's other TV credits include: '' Waking the Dead'', ''

Soldier Soldier ''Soldier Soldier'' is a British television drama series. The title comes from a traditional song of the same name - " Soldier, soldier won't you marry me, with your musket, fife and drum?" - an instrumental version of which was used as its ...

'', ''Broken Glass'', '' Between the Lines'', ''

Children's Ward ''Children's Ward'' (retitled ''The Ward'' from 1995 to 1998) is a British children's television drama series produced by Granada Television and broadcast on the ITV network as part of its '' Children's ITV'' strand on weekday afternoons. The ...

'', ''Stop, Look & Listen – Mary Seacole'', ''Past Caring'', ''

The Singing Detective ''The Singing Detective'' is a BBC television serial drama, written by Dennis Potter, starring Michael Gambon and directed by Jon Amiel. Its six episodes are "Skin", "Heat", "Lovely Days", "Clues", "Pitter Patter" and "Who Done It". The se ...

'', '' EastEnders'', '' Boo!'' and ''

Informer An informant (also called an informer or, as a slang term, a “snitch”) is a person who provides privileged information about a person or organization to an agency. The term is usually used within the law-enforcement world, where informant ...

''. Clarke has also appeared as a guest on ''

Ready Steady Cook ''Ready Steady Cook'' is a BBC daytime TV cooking game show. It debuted on 24 October 1994 and the last original edition was broadcast on 2 February 2010. The programme was hosted by Fern Britton from 1994 until 2000 when celebrity chef Ainsl ...

'', hosted by Ainsley Harriott, representing ''Holby City'' in 2008, winning with chef

Garrey Dawson Garrey Dawson is a British chef who has appeared on television in the BBC programme '' Ready Steady Cook''. Career Dawson started his career at Pennyhill Park Hotel in Bagshot, Surrey. Since then he has worked at Cliveden Hotel & Spa and at He ...

. She has been a guest on ''

The Paul O'Grady Show ''The Paul O'Grady Show'' is a British comedy chat show presented by comedian Paul O'Grady, first shown on 11 October 2004. The programme is a teatime chat show consisting of a mixture of celebrity guests, comic stunts, musical performances, a ...

'' 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 ''

'' and also singing with her ''Holby City'' co-stars. On 10 August 2010, Clarke appeared in an episode of ''

The Bill ''The Bill'' is a British police procedural television series, first broadcast on ITV from 16 August 1983 until 31 August 2010. The programme originated from a one-off drama, '' Woodentop'', broadcast in August 1983. The programme focused on ...

'', "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 CBeebies is a British free-to-air public broadcast children's television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It is also the brand used for all BBC content for children aged 6 years and under. Its sister channel CBBC is aimed at older chil ...

series ''

Tree Fu Tom Tree Fu Tom is a British live-action/ CGI television series which has been shown on BBC and CBeebies in the UK and Universal Kids and NBC in the USA. It is set in a miniature magical countryside and village area (Treetopolis) on the top of a ...

''. 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 "The Woman Who Fell to Earth" is the first episode of the eleventh series of the British science fiction television programme '' Doctor Who''. It was written by new head writer and executive producer Chris Chibnall, directed by Jamie Childs, and ...

", "

Arachnids in the UK "Arachnids in the UK" is the fourth episode of the eleventh series of the British science fiction television programme '' Doctor Who''. It was written by showrunner and executive producer Chris Chibnall, directed by Sallie Aprahamian, and first ...

" 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 "Revolution of the Daleks" is a special episode of the British science fiction television programme '' Doctor Who'', first broadcast on BBC One on 1 January 2021. It was written by Chris Chibnall, and directed by Lee Haven Jones. The episode fo ...

". 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 in Southside, directed by

Jude Kelly Judith "Jude" Pamela Kelly, (born March 1954), is a British theatre director and producer. She is a director of the WOW Foundation, which organises the annual Women of the World Festival, founded in 2010 by Kelly. From 2006 to 2018, she was ...

, at

Battersea Arts Centre The Battersea Arts Centre ("BAC") is a performance space specialising in theatre productions. Located near Clapham Junction railway station in Battersea, in the London Borough of Wandsworth, it was formerly Battersea Town Hall. It is a Grade I ...

in 1984. This role allowed Clarke to be issued her

Actor's Equity Card The Actors' Equity Association (AEA), commonly referred to as Actors' Equity or simply Equity, is an American labor union A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of worker ...

. She then went on to play 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. Clarke has also appeared in West End theatre. Her roles include General Cartwright in ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on " The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Runyon, and als ...

'' (1996), Joanne Jefferson in ''

Rent Rent may refer to: Economics *Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property *Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production *Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...

'' at the

Shaftesbury Theatre The Shaftesbury Theatre is a West End theatre, located on Shaftesbury Avenue, in the London Borough of Camden. Opened in 1911 as the New Prince's Theatre, it was the last theatre to be built in Shaftesbury Avenue. History The theatre was d ...

(1998), and Miss Sherman in '' Fame'' (1999). She played Rafiki in ''

The Lion King ''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance, ...

'' from 2000 to 2002 at the Lyceum Theatre and in 2004 played the character of Matron Mama Morton in ''

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = List of sovereign states, Count ...

''. In 2000, Clarke appeared in Flymonkey's production of ''

The Wiz ''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...

''. In that production, she played the role of Glinda at the

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in ...

. She originated the role of Killer Queen in the

Ben Elton Benjamin Charles Elton (born 3 May 1959) is an English comedian, actor, author, playwright, lyricist and director. He was a part of London's alternative comedy movement of the 1980s and became a writer on the sitcoms '' The Young Ones'' and ''Bl ...

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

jukebox musical ''We Will Rock You'' at the

Dominion Theatre The Dominion Theatre is a West End theatre and former cinema on Tottenham Court Road, close to St Giles Circus and Centre Point, in the London Borough of Camden. Planned as primarily a musical theatre, it opened in 1929, but the following year ...

, 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 The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical was an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Socie ...

. In 2008, Clarke made her

pantomime Pantomime (; informally panto) is a type of musical comedy stage production designed for family entertainment. It was developed in England and is performed throughout the United Kingdom, Ireland and (to a lesser extent) in other English-speakin ...

début in the Hackney Empire's ''

Mother Goose The figure of Mother Goose is the imaginary author of a collection of French fairy tales and later of English nursery rhymes. As a character, she appeared in a song, the first stanza of which often functions now as a nursery rhyme. This, howev ...

''. She starred in ''

Once on This Island ''Once on This Island'' is a coming-of-age one-act stage musical with a book and lyrics by Lynn Ahrens and music by Stephen Flaherty. It is based on the 1985 novel ''My Love, My Love; or, The Peasant Girl'' by Rosa Guy, a Caribbean-set retel ...

'' in Birmingham at the

Birmingham Repertory Theatre Birmingham Repertory Theatre, commonly called Birmingham Rep or just The Rep, is a producing theatre based on Centenary Square in Birmingham, England. Founded by Barry Jackson, it is the longest-established of Britain's building-based theatre ...

. She was also set to star in ''

The Vagina Monologues ''The Vagina Monologues'' is an episodic play written in 1996 by Eve Ensler which developed and premiered at HERE Arts Center, Off-Off-Broadway in New York and was followed by an Off-Broadway run in at Westside Theatre. The play explores c ...

'' and ''Once on This Island'' at the Hackney Empire in 2009. She finished starring in the massively successful hit musical ''

Hairspray Hairspray may refer to: * Hair spray, a personal grooming product that keeps hair protected from humidity and wind * ''Hairspray'' (1988 film), a film by John Waters ** ''Hairspray'' (1988 soundtrack), the film's soundtrack album ** ''Hairspray ...

'' when it closed on 28 March 2010 at the Shaftesbury Theatre. She played the role of

Motormouth Maybelle ''Hairspray'' is a 1988 American comedy film written and directed by John Waters, starring Ricki Lake, Divine, Debbie Harry, Sonny Bono, Jerry Stiller, Leslie Ann Powers, Colleen Fitzpatrick, Michael St. Gerard, and Ruth Brown. ''Hairspray'' ...

, alongside

Phill Jupitus Phillip Christopher Jupitus (, '' né'' Swan; born 25 June 1962) is an English stand-up and improv comedian, actor, performance poet, cartoonist and podcaster. Jupitus was a team captain on all but one BBC Two-broadcast episode of music quiz ...

and

Brian Conley Brian Paul Conley (born 7 August 1961) is an English actor, comedian, singer and television presenter. Conley has been the host of ''The Brian Conley Show'', as well as presenting the Royal Variety Performance on eight occasions. In his 40-ye ...

as Edna Turnblad. Clarke was Davina the Diva Harp in ''

Jack and the Beanstalk "Jack and the Beanstalk" is an English fairy tale. It appeared as "The Story of Jack Spriggins and the Enchanted Bean" in 1734 4th edition On Commons and as Benjamin Tabart's moralized "The History of Jack and the Bean-Stalk" in 1807. Henry Co ...

'' and Carmina the Camel in ''

Aladdin Aladdin ( ; ar, علاء الدين, ', , ATU 561, ‘Aladdin') is a Middle-Eastern folk tale. It is one of the best-known tales associated with ''The Book of One Thousand and One Nights'' (''The Arabian Nights''), despite not being part o ...

'', 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 Clive Mark Rowe (born 27 March 1964) is a British actor, best known for his role as Norman "Duke" Ellington in BBC Children's drama '' The Story of Tracy Beaker''. He also starred as Mayor Doyle in the Disney show ''The Evermoor Chronicles''. ...

. 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 The Apollo Victoria Theatre is a West End theatre on Wilton Road in the Westminster district of London, across from London Victoria Station. (The theatre also has an entrance on Vauxhall Bridge Road.) Opened in 1930 as a cinema and variety t ...

, home to the musical ''

Wicked Wicked may refer to: Books * Wicked, a minor character in the ''X-Men'' universe * '' Wicked'', a 1995 novel by Gregory Maguire that inspired the musical of the same name * ''Wicked'', the fifth novel in Sara Shepard's ''Pretty Little Liars'' s ...

'', celebrated its 80th anniversary and Clarke was a guest performer alongside other stars such as

Wayne Sleep Wayne Philip Colin Sleep (born 17 July 1948) is a British dancer, director, choreographer, and actor who appeared on the BBC series '' The Real Marigold on Tour'' and ITV's ''The Real Full Monty''. Early life Sleep was born in Plymouth, De ...

. 2011 saw Clarke take the role of Oda Mae Brown in a musical adaptation of the film ''

Ghost A ghost is the soul (spirit), soul or spirit of a dead Human, person or animal that is believed to be able to appear to the living. In ghostlore, descriptions of ghosts vary widely from an invisible presence to translucent or barely visibl ...

''. Beginning previews in March at the

Manchester Opera House The Opera House in Quay Street, Manchester, England, is a 1,920-seater commercial touring theatre that plays host to touring musicals, ballet, concerts and a Christmas pantomime. It is a Grade II listed building. The Opera House is one of the m ...

, the show transferred in June 2011 to the

at the

Piccadilly Theatre The Piccadilly Theatre is a West End theatre located at 16 Denman Street, behind Piccadilly Circus and adjacent to the Regent Palace Hotel, in the City of Westminster, London, England. Early years Built by Bertie Crewe and Edward A. Stone ...

, replacing '' Grease''. Clarke was nominated in 2012 for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical, losing out on the award to

Nigel Harman Nigel Derek Harman (born 11 August 1973) is an English actor, best known for his role as Dennis Rickman in the BBC soap opera '' EastEnders''. He has worked mostly in theatre. He starred in the final series of ''Hotel Babylo ...

for his role in ''

Shrek the Musical ''Shrek The Musical'' is a musical with music by Jeanine Tesori and book and lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire. It is based on the 2001 DreamWorks Animation film ''Shrek'', along with elements of its sequels: '' Shrek 2'', '' Shrek Forever Afte ...

''. In October 2011, she appeared in a concert of the new musical ''

Soho Cinders ''Soho Cinders'' is a musical with music by George Stiles, lyrics and a book by Anthony Drewe with Elliot Davis as co-author. A modern adaptation of the '' Cinderella'' story, it transfers the action to the heart of London's Soho, and replac ...

'' 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

's '' The Amen Corner'' at the

Royal National Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

, for which she won Best Supporting Actress at the 2014 Olivier Awards. In the summer of 2014, she played the supporting role of Mariah in the

Regent's Park Open Air Theatre Regent's Park Open Air Theatre is an open-air theatre in Regent's Park in central London. The theatre Established in 1932, Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre is one of the largest theatres in London (1,256 seats) and is situated in Queen Mary� ...

production of ''

Porgy and Bess ''Porgy and Bess'' () is an English-language opera by American composer George Gershwin, with a libretto written by author DuBose Heyward and lyricist Ira Gershwin. It was adapted from Dorothy Heyward and DuBose Heyward's play ''Porgy'', its ...

''. In March 2015, Clarke played the Nurse in ''

Romeo and Juliet ''Romeo and Juliet'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare early in his career about the romance between two Italian youths from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular plays during his lifetime and, along with ''Ham ...

'' at the

Rose Theatre, Kingston The Rose Theatre Kingston is a theatre on Kingston High Street in the Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames. The theatre seats 822 around a wide, thrust stage. It officially opened on 16 January 2008 with ''Uncle Vanya'' by Anton Chekhov, with ...

. In February 2016, she received critical acclaim for her role in a revival of

August Wilson August Wilson ( Frederick August Kittel Jr.; April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called ' (or ...

's ''

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson, and the only one not set in Pittsburgh – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in a recording stud ...

'' at the

Lyttelton Theatre The Royal National Theatre in London, commonly known as the National Theatre (NT), is one of the United Kingdom's three most prominent publicly funded performing arts venues, alongside the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal Opera House. I ...

(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 ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper Sunday editions, published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group, Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. ...

''; "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 ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

''). In 2017, she played the role of Sonya in

Cy Coleman Cy Coleman (born Seymour Kaufman; June 14, 1929 – November 18, 2004) was an American composer, songwriter, and jazz pianist. Life and career Coleman was born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, United States, to Eastern European Jewish parents, ...

's musical '' The Life'' at

Southwark Playhouse Southwark Playhouse is a theatre in London, located between Borough and Elephant and Castle tube stations. History The Southwark Playhouse Theatre Company was founded in 1993 by Juliet Alderdice and Tom Wilson. They identified the need for a h ...

and Caroline Thibodeaux in ''

'' at the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya, it was opened by its founder Leslie Evershed-Martin ...

. Clarke reprised her role in ''Caroline, or Change'' when the production transferred to the

Playhouse Theatre The Playhouse Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, located in Northumberland Avenue, near Trafalgar Square, central London. The Theatre was built by F. H. Fowler and Hill with a seating capacity of 1,200. It was rebuilt i ...

in the West End in 2018. At the

2019 Laurence Olivier Awards The 2019 Laurence Olivier Awards was held on 7 April 2019 at the Royal Albert Hall. The ceremony was hosted by Jason Manford. Eligibility Any new production that opened between 22 February 2018 and 19 February 2019 in a theatre represented in the ...

, Clarke won the

Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical The Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical is an annual award presented by the Society of London Theatre in recognition of achievements in commercial London theatre. The awards were established as the Society of West End Theatre Awa ...

for this role. The production transferred to

Roundabout Theatre Company The Roundabout Theatre Company is a leading non-profit theatre company based in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, affiliated with the League of Resident Theatres. History The company was founded in 1965 by Gene Feist, Michael Fried and Elizabeth ...

Studio 54 Studio 54 is a Broadway theater and a former disco nightclub at 254 West 54th Street in the Midtown Manhattan neighborhood of New York City. Operated by the Roundabout Theatre Company, Studio 54 has 1,006 seats on two levels. The theater ...

in October 2021, having been postponed for over a year due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identified ...

. Clark reprised her role, making her Broadway debut and was well received by critics. The limited run ended on January 9th, 2022. In 2019, she played the role of Linda Loman in

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), ''Death of a Salesman'' (19 ...

’s play ''

'' at the

, 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 The Kiln Theatre (formerly the Tricycle Theatre) is a theatre located in Kilburn, in the London Borough of Brent, England. Since 1980, the theatre has presented a wide range of plays reflecting the cultural diversity of the area, as well as ...

, London.

Music

Clarke achieved chart success with the FPI Project's remake of ''Going Back to My Roots'' and in

Nomad A nomad is a member of a community without fixed habitation who regularly moves to and from the same areas. Such groups include hunter-gatherers, pastoral nomads (owning livestock), tinkers and trader nomads. In the twentieth century, the po ...

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 The Eurovision Song Contest 2000 was the 45th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in Stockholm, Sweden, following the country's victory at the with the song "Take Me to Your Heaven (song), Take Me to Your Heaven" by Charlotte Pe ...

. They came second in the UK selection with the song "Only the Women Know". They were beaten by

Nicki French Nicki is a given name, and may refer to: Film and television * Nicki Aycox (1975-2022), American actress best known for her roles as Syl on the series ''Dark Angel'' and Stella Vessey on the dramedy ''Ed'' * Nicki Chapman (born 1967), English te ...

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 Sir Terence David John Pratchett (28 April 1948 – 12 March 2015) was an English humourist, satirist, and author of fantasy novels, especially comic fantasy, comical works. He is best known for his ''Discworld'' series of 41 novels. Pratchet ...

's '' Only You Can Save Mankind'' album alongside other West End stars, including

Kerry Ellis Kerry Jane Ellis (born 6 May 1979) is an English actress and singer who is best known for her work in musical theatre and subsequent crossover into music. Born and raised in Suffolk, Ellis began performing at an early age before training at L ...

, Ricardo Afonso and

Daniel Boys Daniel Boys (born 26 March 1979) is an English musical theatre actor, who was a contestant on the BBC talent series '' Any Dream Will Do'' in 2007 before becoming known as a stage actor in various musicals including ''Avenue Q'', ''Spamalot'' an ...

Personal life

Clarke is married to writer and director Susie McKenna. They wed on the Hackney Empire stage. Clarke was appointed

Member of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(MBE) in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to drama.

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Awards and nominations

Tony Award Laurence Olivier Awards Grammy Awards Drama Desk Awards Outer Critics Circle Awards Other awards

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Sharon D. Living people 1966 births 20th-century English actresses 21st-century English actresses Actresses from London Black British actresses 20th-century Black British women singers English musical theatre actresses English people of Ghanaian descent English stage actresses English television actresses English video game actresses English voice actresses English lesbian actresses LGBT Black British people 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people Members of the Order of the British Empire People from Enfield, London