Harriet Thorpe
Harriet Thorpe is a renowned English film, stage and television actress. Early beginnings studying dance at the Royal Ballet School and then training at London's Central School of Speech and Drama has led to an acclaimed career encompassing The National Theatre, West End musicals, TV comedy sketch shows and sitcoms, movies and pantomime.
Now a familiar face to everyone on television, she began on Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders’ sitcom Girls On Top, and this led to further roles in famous British sitcoms playing Carole in The Brittas Empire and Fleur in Absolutely Fabulous. She is currently gracing the screen in the role of Elaine Peacock in the BBC soap opera East Enders.
Extensive TV work has also included BBC’s Alexei Sayle's Stuff, A Bit of Fry & Laurie, Casualty, Material Girl and ITV's The Bill, Midsomer Murders and the sitcom Me, You and Him. She has also appeared in the BBC children's comedy drama No Sweat, Hollyoaks, Father Brown, Midsomer Murders, Doctors and Endeavour.
Harriet has also amassed an impressive body of work within the theatre world, working extensively at the Royal National Theatre, in London's West End and two Shakespeare seasons at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. She was in the original revival cast of Cabaret at the Lyric Theatre, played Mrs. Lovett in the national tour of Stephen Sondheim's Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, originated the role of Ida Arnold in the Almeida Theatre's original musical Brighton Rock, and played the role of Madame Thenardier in the hit musical, Les Misérables. Other notable shows include Wicked, Mamma Mia!, Crazy For You, and Ruthless! The Musical.
In addition to an extensive TV and theatre career, Harriet has also appeared in numerous films including Calendar Girls; Mike Leigh's Life is Sweet; Greystoke; The Calling; and S.N.U.B.
Harriet is a fervent supporter and ambassador for Walk the Walk, the UK's largest grant-making breast cancer charity.