Kate Harcourt

Dame Catherine Winifred Harcourt ( Fulton; born 16 June 1927), known professionally as Kate Harcourt, is a New Zealand actress. Over her long career she has worked in comedy as well as drama in theatre, film, TV and radio.

Personal life

Harcourt was born and grew up on a sheep station in the rural area of Amberley, New Zealand. Her mother was Winifred Harriet (née Austin) and her father was Gordon Fulton. Harcourt was the youngest of three children, with an older brother, John Fulton, a prominent Canterbury farmer, and president of the Canterbury Jockey Club, as well as an older sister. From age nine onward she attended boarding school, first at Amberley House and then at Woodford House (Hawke's Bay).

Music was important to Harcourt in her early years as it was to her mother too. She went to Christchurch to train as a kindergarten teacher partly so she could continue with her singing and piano. She also attended the Joan Cross Opera School in London. and grandmother of actresses Thomasin McKenzie, Davida McKenzie and journalist Peter McKenzie. She played a part in the movie adaptation of The Changeover. Harcourt met her husband Peter Harcourt (1923–1995) at Wellington Repertory Theatre. The Ngā Whakarākei O Whātaitai / Wellington Theatre Awards annually has an award called The Peter Harcourt Outstanding New Playwright.

Career Harcourt returned to New Zealand from London and took up a teaching position at Woodfood House in Havelock North. After that she moved to Wellington initially teaching at Marsden College, before working at the department store Kirkaldie and Stains organising and MC'ing weekly fashion shows for seven years.

Harcourt has acted in numerous stage and screen works. Stage work includes comedy with Hens' Teeth, and acting in a version of Hedda Gabler. She had a long association with theatre company Downstage starting out putting up posters for them. She lists acting in New Zealand playwright Renée's Wednesday to Come as one of her career favourites. Harcourt played Mary in the world premiere at Downstage Theatre in 1984.

Theatre and screen work Film

Television

Short film

Web series

Theatre