Kate Duchêne ( (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 ''The Worst Witch'' is a series of children's books written and illustrated by Jill Murphy. The series are primarily about a girl who attends a witch school and fantasy stories, with eight books published. The first, ''The Worst Witch'', was ...

''.

Career

Duchêne started to act at the age of 14. She studied French and Spanish at

Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any college at either Cambridge or Oxford. ...

in the 1980s, where she became a member of the

Footlights Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club, commonly referred to simply as the Footlights, is an amateur theatrical club in Cambridge, England, founded in 1883 and run by the students of Cambridge University. History Footlights' inaugural ...

theatre group, writing and performing her own material.Mini Bio
at

IMDb IMDb (an abbreviation of Internet Movie Database) is an online database of information related to films, television series, home videos, video games, and streaming content online – including cast, production crew and personal biographies, ...

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 , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, 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 ''

''. She stayed with the programme for its three-year run, and appeared in the first episode of its 2001 spinoff ''

Weirdsister College ''Weirdsister College'' is the sequel to successful British children's television series ''The Worst Witch'' (1998–2001), based on ''The Worst Witch'' books by Jill Murphy. ''Weirdsister College'' aired on ITV from 28 November to 14 Decemb ...

'' but did not return for the second spinoff, ''

The New Worst Witch ''The New Worst Witch'' is a television series, based on Jill Murphy's ''The Worst Witch'' books, about a group of young witches at a Witch Academy. It ran for two series from 2005 to 2007. The series was a spin-off from ''The Worst Witch'' TV ...

'' (2005–2006). Later projects included '' Afterlife'', a paranormal drama series, and extensive

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

work.

Radio

From October 1987 to July 1991, Duchêne played Alex Parker in

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC' ...

's drama series '' Citizens''. In 2013 she guest-starred in the final Series 4 episode of ''

Cabin Pressure Cabin pressurization is a process in which conditioned air is pumped into the cabin of an aircraft or spacecraft in order to create a safe and comfortable environment for passengers and crew flying at high altitudes. For aircraft, this air is ...

'', 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 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

permanently in 1962, residing in the seaside town of Brighton. Her partner is Robert Hickson. , they have 2 children.

Filmography

References

External links

*
Biography and Filmography (to 2009 only)
at "Badgers" unofficial fansite. 1959 births English film actresses English television actresses English radio actresses English stage actresses Living people Actresses from London {{UK-screen-actor-stub