Kate Duchêne

{{Infobox person

| name = Kate Duchêne

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Catherine Anne Purves Duchêne

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1959|1|5}}

| birth_place = Plaistow, London, England

| occupation = Actress

| years_active = 1987–present

| notable_works = The Worst Witch (1998–2001)
Afterlife (2005–2006)

| partner = Robert Hickson

| children = 2

}}

Kate Duchêne ({{IPAc-en|d|uː|ˈ|ʃ|ɛ|n}}, born Catherine Anne Purves Duchêne; 5 January 1959) is an English actress best known for her role as the teacher Miss Hardbroom in the adaptation of the children's books The Worst Witch.

Career

Duchêne started to act at the age of 14. She studied French and Spanish at Trinity College, Cambridge in the 1980s, where she became a member of the Footlights theatre group, writing and performing her own material.[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0239870/bio?ref_=nm_ov_bio_sm Mini Bio] at IMDb She also acted with the Cambridge Mummers, appearing in such plays as Measure For Measure (as Isabella) in Cambridge and the Edinburgh Fringe. In the 1980s she joined the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, appearing in the premiere productions of Losing Venice and The White Rose. Since 2000 she has appeared frequently at the National Theatre in London, frequently working with director Katie Mitchell.

She briefly went to Spain, teaching English to children, and returned in 1986.

=Television=

Duchêne is best known for her work as Miss Constance Hardbroom, the strict "deputy head and potions teacher" on the popular TV series The Worst Witch. She stayed with the programme for its three-year run, and appeared in the first episode of its 2001 spinoff Weirdsister College but did not return for the second spinoff, The New Worst Witch (2005–2006). Later projects included Afterlife, a paranormal drama series, and extensive theatre work.

=Radio=

From October 1987 to July 1991, Duchêne played Alex Parker in BBC Radio 4's drama series Citizens. In 2013 she guest-starred in the final Series 4 episode of Cabin Pressure, playing a captain in the service of a Zurich-based airline.

Private life

Duchêne spent her infancy in France, and was brought back to England permanently in 1962, residing in the seaside town of Brighton.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}} Her partner is Robert Hickson. {{As of|2010}}, they have 2 children.

Filmography

width="800" class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"
scope="col" \| Title ! scope="col" \| Year ! scope="col" \| Role ! scope="col" \| Notes
width="200" scope="row" \| Miss Marple \| {{center\|1987}} \| Rose \| Episode 7 – "At Bertram's Hotel"
scope="row" \| Boon \| {{center\|1987}} \| Pregnant Lady \| Series 2, Episode 11 – "Paper Mafia"
scope="row" \| The Tall Guy \| {{center\|1989}} \| Old Girlfriend \| Feature film
scope="row" \| A Sense of Guilt \| {{center\|1990}} \| Marsha Hinde \| Series 1 – Episodes 3 & 5
scope="row" \| This Is David Harper \| {{center\|1990}} \| Caroline Jones \| Episode 1
scope="row" \| The Bill \| {{center\|1996}} \| Helen Palmer \| Series 12, Episode 134 – "Trust Me"
scope="row" \| Kiss Me Kate \| {{center\|1998}} \| Lesley \| Series 1, Episode 2 – "Mike" Series 1, Episode 3 – "Calendar"
scope="row" \| Out of Hours \| {{center\|1998}} \| Sue Craven \| Episode 2
scope="row" \| Calendar Girls \| {{center\|1999}} \| \| Short film
scope="row" \| Peak Practice \| {{center\|1999}} \| Jenny Ryan \| Series 8, Episode 5 – "Buying Time"
scope="row" \| The Bill \| {{center\|2000}} \| Laura \| Series 16, Episode 11 – "On the Wagon"
scope="row" \| Midsomer Murders \| {{center\|2000}} \| Jane Bennett \| Series 4, Episode 1 – "Garden of Death"
scope="row" \| The Worst Witch \| {{center\|1998–2001}} \| Miss Constance Hardbroom \| Lead role Series 1–4 – 52 episodes
scope="row" \| Weirdsister College \| {{center\|2001}} \| Miss Constance Hardbroom \| Sequel to The Worst Witch Series 1, Episode 1 – "The All-Seeing Eye"
scope="row" \| Monsieur N. \| {{center\|2003}} \| Madame Balcombe \| Feature film
scope="row" \| Casualty \| {{center\|2004}} \| Debbie Hansell \| Series 18, Episode 32 – "Forget Me Not"
scope="row" \| Family Affairs \| {{center\|2005}} \| Carrie Lawson \| Episodes 2222 & 2223
scope="row" \| Afterlife \| {{center\|2005–2006}} \| Barbara Sinyard \| Lead role Series 1 & 2 – 13 episodes
scope="row" \| An Education \| {{center\|2009}} \| Latin Teacher \| Feature film
scope="row" \| All Good Children \| {{center\|2010}} \| Lynne \| Feature film
scope="row" \| Foyle's War \| {{center\|2013}} \| Helen Fraser \| Series 7, Episode 1 – "The Eternity Ring"
scope="row" \| Doctors \| {{center\|2013}} \| Sarah Jones \| Episode 2502 – "The Girl Next Door"
scope="row" \| Roxane \| {{center\|2019}} \|Wendy \|French movie

width="800" class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable"

scope="col" | Title

! scope="col" | Year

! scope="col" | Role

! scope="col" | Notes

width="200" scope="row" | Miss Marple

| {{center|1987}}

| Rose

| Episode 7 – "At Bertram's Hotel"

scope="row" | Boon

| {{center|1987}}

| Pregnant Lady

| Series 2, Episode 11 – "Paper Mafia"

scope="row" | The Tall Guy

| {{center|1989}}

| Old Girlfriend

| Feature film

scope="row" | A Sense of Guilt

| {{center|1990}}

| Marsha Hinde

| Series 1 – Episodes 3 & 5

scope="row" | This Is David Harper

| {{center|1990}}

| Caroline Jones

| Episode 1

scope="row" | The Bill

| {{center|1996}}

| Helen Palmer

| Series 12, Episode 134 – "Trust Me"

scope="row" | Kiss Me Kate

| {{center|1998}}

| Lesley

| Series 1, Episode 2 – "Mike"
Series 1, Episode 3 – "Calendar"

scope="row" | Out of Hours

| {{center|1998}}

| Sue Craven

| Episode 2

scope="row" | Calendar Girls

| {{center|1999}}

| Short film

scope="row" | Peak Practice

| {{center|1999}}

| Jenny Ryan

| Series 8, Episode 5 – "Buying Time"

scope="row" | The Bill

| {{center|2000}}

| Laura

| Series 16, Episode 11 – "On the Wagon"

scope="row" | Midsomer Murders

| {{center|2000}}

| Jane Bennett

| Series 4, Episode 1 – "Garden of Death"

scope="row" | The Worst Witch

| {{center|1998–2001}}

| Miss Constance Hardbroom

| Lead role
Series 1–4 – 52 episodes

scope="row" | Weirdsister College

| {{center|2001}}

| Miss Constance Hardbroom

| Sequel to The Worst Witch
Series 1, Episode 1 – "The All-Seeing Eye"

scope="row" | Monsieur N.

| {{center|2003}}

| Madame Balcombe

| Feature film

scope="row" | Casualty

| {{center|2004}}

| Debbie Hansell

| Series 18, Episode 32 – "Forget Me Not"

scope="row" | Family Affairs

| {{center|2005}}

| Carrie Lawson

| Episodes 2222 & 2223

scope="row" | Afterlife

| {{center|2005–2006}}

| Barbara Sinyard

| Lead role
Series 1 & 2 – 13 episodes

scope="row" | An Education

| {{center|2009}}

| Latin Teacher

| Feature film

scope="row" | All Good Children

| {{center|2010}}

| Lynne

| Feature film

scope="row" | Foyle's War

| {{center|2013}}

| Helen Fraser

| Series 7, Episode 1 – "The Eternity Ring"

scope="row" | Doctors

| {{center|2013}}

| Sarah Jones

| Episode 2502 – "The Girl Next Door"

scope="row" | Roxane

| {{center|2019}}

|Wendy

|French movie

References

External links

{{IMDb name|0239870}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140326132005/http://www.loggods.com/pestilence/duchene/bio.htm Biography and Filmography (to 2009 only)] at "Badgers" unofficial fansite.

Category:1959 births

Category:English film actresses

Category:English television actresses

Category:English radio actresses

Category:English stage actresses

Category:Living people

Category:Actresses from Essex

Category:Actors from the London Borough of Newham

Category:People from Plaistow, Newham