Sharon D. Clarke

Sharon Delores Clarke 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 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.

Clarke has had a prolific stage career. 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 Olivier 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 reprised on Broadway in 2021, earning her both Tony and Grammy Award nominations. In October 2020, she won her third Olivier for her role in the revival of Death of a Salesman at London's Young Vic.

She is also known for her music career providing lead vocals for the house music acts FPI Project and Nomad.

Career Television

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 who first appeared in 2005. 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. 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.

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 as well as voicing "One Hundred" on the animated series Numberblocks.

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.

She plays the title character in the Channel 5 and Acorn TV drama series Ellis alongside Andrew Gower.

Apart from acting roles, Clarke has also appeared in various other capacities on TV. She sat alongside Russell Watson as a judge on the BBC talent show Last Choir Standing in 2008. In the same year, she appeared as a guest on Ready Steady Cook, hosted by Ainsley Harriott, representing Holby City, winning with chef Garrey Dawson. She has also been a guest on The Paul O'Grady Show, and made appearances on Children in Need for the BBC, performing as Killer Queen with the cast of We Will Rock You and singing with her Holby City co-stars.

Theatre Clarke's first professional role was in Southside, directed by Jude Kelly, at Battersea Arts Centre in 1984. This role allowed Clarke to be issued her Actor's Equity Card.

She 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 (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 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.

In October 2010, the Apollo Victoria Theatre, home to the musical Wicked, celebrated its 80th anniversary and Clarke was a guest performer 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, 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.

Clarke 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.

In summer 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).

In 2017, she played the role of Sonya in Cy Coleman's musical The Life at Southwark Playhouse and Caroline Thibodeaux in Caroline, or Change at the Chichester Festival Theatre. Clarke reprised her role in Caroline, or Change when the production transferred to the Playhouse Theatre in the West End in 2018. At the 2019 Laurence Olivier Awards, Clarke won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Musical for this role. The production transferred to Roundabout Theatre Company's Studio 54 on Broadway in October 2021, having been postponed for over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Clark reprised her role, making her Broadway debut and was well received by critics. The limited run ended on 9 January 2022.

In 2019, she played the role of Linda Loman in Arthur Miller's play Death of a Salesman at the Young Vic, which transferred to the West End in October 2019 and later to Broadway in September 2022. In July 2019, she played the role of The Lady in Sheldon Epps’s Blues In The Night at the Kiln Theatre, London.

In 2027, she will be appearing as the title character in William Shakespeare's Othello at the Swan Theatre in Stratford-Upon-Avon.

Music 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", "Just a Groove", and "Something Special".

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 around 2008 on the Hackney Empire stage.

In August 2026 it was announced that she would undergo treatment for cancer, which caused the Royal Shakespeare Company to postpone its production of Othello, scheduled for the following spring with Clarke in the lead role.

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

Filmography Film Year Title Role NotesRef. 1999 Beautiful People Nurse Tina 2000 Secret Society Typhoon 2007 Sugarhouse Crystal 2016 The Works Macbeth Short filmThe Darkest Universe Megan 2018 Tau Queenpin 2019 Rocketman Counsellor RocksAnita 2022 The Bower Terri (2021) Short film 2023 Red, White & Royal Blue British Prime Minister 2024 Wicked Dulcibear (voice) 2025 Wicked: For Good Dulcibear (voice)

Television Year Title Role NotesRef. 1986, 2011 EastEnders Lizzie Burton, Kendra Stanley 2 episodes 1986 The Singing Detective Night Nurse 6 episodes 1988 Tumbledown 1st Night Nurse Television film 1993 Between the Lines Cook Episode: "Some Must Watch" 1995 Soldier Soldier Receptionist Episode: "For Better, for Worse" 1996 Broken Glass Flora Television film 2003, 2005–08,2019 Holby City June Singleton, Lola Griffin 112 episodes 2003 Waking the Dead Camelia Baptiste 2 episodes 2003, 2006 Boo! Narrator, singer (voices) 11 episodes 2005 The Crust Grandma Flossie Casualty@Holby City Lola Griffin 3 episodesCasualty Lola Griffin Episode: "Deny Thy Father: Part 1" 2008 HolbyBlue Lola Griffin Episode: "Episode #2.1" 2010 The Bill Denise Jones Episode: "Death Knock" 2011 The Shadow Line Mrs. Dixon 2 episodes 2012 Tree Fu Tom Treetog (voice) 2013 Psychobitches Nina Simone, Bessie Smith 2 episodesNew Tricks Sarah Kaye 2 episodes 2015 Death in Paradise Zeta Akande Episode: "Stab in the Dark"You, Me & Them Nola Episode: "The Gift"National Theatre Live Mother Episode: "Everyman" 2017 Unforgotten Agency Manager Episode: "Episode #2.5" 2017, 2019 Thunderbirds Are Go Cass McCready (voice) 2 episodes 2018 Kiri Bimpe Episode: "Episode #1.2"Informer DCI Rose Asante 6 episodesDoctors Nyaqa Dale Setshwane Episode: "Dreams Are Made On"Silent Witness Senior Special Agent Kim Price 2 episodesFlowers Dr. Malone Episode: "Episode #2.5" 2018–2021 Doctor Who Grace O'Brien, Solitract 5 episodes 2019–2021 Numberblocks Various characters 6 episodes 2019–2020 Waffle the Wonder Dog Gram 2 episodes 2020 Tiny Wonders Narrator 10 episodes 2021 La Fortuna Maggie3 episodes Showtrial Virginia Hoult 5 episodes 2023–present Castlevania: Nocturne Cécile Fatiman (voice role) 4 episodes 2024 Lost Boys and Fairies Claire (foster carer) 2 episodes Mr Loverman Carmel Walker 8 episodes National Theatre Live Lady Bracknell Episode: "The Importance of Being Earnest" 2024–2026 Ellis DCI Ellis 2 series

Audio drama and radio Year Title Role Notes Ref. 2025Sherlock & Co. Dame Gwendolyn Lestrade Voice; 4 episodes

Music Year Title Role Chart position 1989 Going Back to My Roots Vocals (with FPI Project) UK singles no. 9 1990 (I Wanna Give You) Devotion Vocals (with Nomad) UK singles no. 2

Awards and nominations Tony Award Year Category Work ResultRef.2022Best Actress in a MusicalCaroline, or Change Laurence Olivier Awards

Grammy Awards Year Category Work ResultRef. 2023 Best Musical Theater Album Caroline, or Change

Drama Desk Awards YearCategoryWorkResultRef.2022 Outstanding Actress in a MusicalCaroline, or Change 2023 Outstanding Lead Performance in a Play Death of a Salesman

Outer Critics Circle Awards YearCategoryWorkResultRef.2022 Outstanding Actress in a MusicalCaroline, or Change 2023 Outstanding Featured Performer in a Broadway Play Death of a Salesman

Other awards