BlogtorWho takes a look at Sharon D Clarke who will appear in the Doctor Who series 11 opening episode, The Woman Who Fell To Earth
The BBC has given a brief summary of what we can expect from episode 1 of series 11, The Woman Who Fell To Earth when it airs on Sunday 7th October on BBC One.
Back in October 2017 when the BBC announced a new batch of companions for Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor, in among the publicity blurb was this short, but maddening sentence. “Also joining the series in a returning role is Sharon D Clarke.”
“In a returning role”?
What could this mean? What part will Sharon play? During a BBC Radio 4 episode of ‘Loose Ends’ show on 24th March 2018, presenter Clive Anderson chatted with a large variety of people including Sharon D Clarke. Clarke let a minor detail slip about the upcoming series with Jodie Whittaker’s Thirteenth Doctor.
Under Clive Anderson’s quizzing Clarke revealed an important piece about her role:
“I am a human, and Bradley Walsh is my husband, and he is human. I think that is as much as I can tell you.”
So while we may know very little about how Sharon D Clarke will fit into the Doctor Whoniverse, let’s see what we know about the multi-talented singer and actor.
She’s been a soap star
Along with her fellow new cast mates, Clarke has a history in a long running UK soap opera. She spent three years in Holby City where she played “feisty” (ugh) registrar Lola Griffin. Clarke has also acted in a number of classic UK television series such as Eastenders, Soldier, Soldier, Death in Paradise, and The Singing Detective.
“Molly, you in danger girl”
Sharon is a veritable West End theatre star. She was the original Oda Mae Brown in the musical version of Ghost as well as the original Killer Queen in the Ben Elton’s Queen musical We Will Rock You. She was nominated for Lawrence Olivier Awards for both roles. Clarke has also appeared in a staggering number of musical classics including Hairspray, Guys and Dolls, Rent, The Wiz, Fame, The Lion King, and Chicago in which she played Mama Morton.
She was in classic rave bands Nomad and the FPI Project
Billed as Sharon Dee Clarke, our new Whovian sang on 1991 rave classic (I Wanna Give You) Devotion. For this alone, we love her. She also sang on the vocal version of that other legendary rave tune Going Back to my Roots, which features the extraordinary opening lines “Hey you, don’t be silly, put a condom on your willy.” True Fact.
Eurovision!
In 2000 Clarke was part of SixChix possibly the oddest collection of women (we’d struggle hard to call it a girl group) the UK has ever produced. SixChix (so called because there were six of them and they were all….well, you get it) came second in that year’s Song for Europe with the irritatingly catchy Only The Women Know. The eventual…ahem…’winner’ Nicki French suffered the indignity of achieving the UK’s then lowest place since it first entered Eurovision with her aptly titled Euro-claptrap Don’t Play That Song Again.
She’s been a talent show judge
Sharon was a judge on the 2008 BBC One show Last Choir Standing alongside Russell Watson and Suzi Digby. Despite its huge popularity, Last Choir Standing sadly only ran for one series.
She’s an MBE
In 2017 Sharon D Clarke was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year’s Honours List for services to drama.
We may not know what role Sharon will play in Doctor Who, but we know she brings talent by the bucket-load.
Doctor Who episode The Woman Who Fell To Earth will air on BBC One on Sunday 7th October 2018.
