Tamara Naomi Lawrance (born 1994)Birth Registry, Brent Registration District, County of London, August 1994, Volume 2211D, p. C50D.
/ref>Bowie-Sell, Daisy

''

WhatsOnStage WhatsOnStage.com is a London-based website that provides information about, and offers tickets for, theatrical performances in the United Kingdom. It also organises the annual WhatsOnStage Awards. Founded in 1996, it has been owned by the Americ ...

''. 14 February 2017. is a British actress. She is known for her performances as Prince Harry's

republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

girlfriend in the 2017 BBC television film ''

King Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person to a ...

'', and as Viola in the 2017 production of ''

Twelfth Night ''Twelfth Night'', or ''What You Will'' is a romantic comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written around 1601–1602 as a Twelfth Night's entertainment for the close of the Christmas season. The play centres on the twins Vio ...

'' at the National Theatre cinecast internationally on

NT Live National Theatre Live is an initiative operated by the Royal National Theatre in London, which broadcasts live via satellite, performances of their productions (and from other theatres) to cinemas and arts centres around the world. About I gre ...

. In 2018 she received the second prize at the

Ian Charleson Awards The Ian Charleson Awards are theatrical awards that reward the best classical stage performances in Britain by actors under age 30. The awards are named in memory of the renowned British actor Ian Charleson, and are run by the '' Sunday Times'' n ...

for this performance as Viola.Masso, Giverny
"Natalie Simpson wins 2017 Ian Charleson Award"
''

The Stage ''The Stage'' is a British weekly newspaper and website covering the entertainment industry and particularly theatre. It was founded in 1880. It contains news, reviews, opinion, features, and recruitment advertising, mainly directed at those wh ...

''. 18 May 2018 ''

'' named her one of "10 theatre faces to look out for in 2017"Hewis, Ben
"10 theatre faces to look out for in 2017"
'' WhatsOnStage.com''. 27 December 2016. and ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' listed her in "20 talents set to take 2017 by storm".Logan, Brian; Makrell, Judith; Gardner, Lyn; et al
"Get ready, here I come: 20 talents set to take 2017 by storm"
''

''. 7 January 2017. In December 2018 she starred as Miss July, a former slave on a sugar plantation in 19th-century

Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...

, in the three-part BBC adaptation of

Andrea Levy Andrea Levy (7 March 1956 – 14 February 2019) was an English author best known for the novels '' Small Island'' (2004) and ''The Long Song'' (2010). She was born in London to Jamaican parents, and her work explores topics related to British ...

's novel ''

The Long Song ''The Long Song'' is a historical novel by Andrea Levy published in 2010 that was the recipient of the Walter Scott Prize. It was Levy's fifth and final novel, following the 2004 publication of '' Small Island''. In December 2018, a three-part ...

''.

Early life and education

Lawrance was born in 1994 in

Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...

, London.Lawson, Mark
"Night fever: breakout star Tamara Lawrance on exploding Shakespeare"
''

''. 2 February 2017. Her mother was a hospital clinical technician originally from

, and her father was a delivery driver. She began acting in school plays at the age of six. When her secondary school did not offer theatre as an option until year 10, she convinced the drama teacher to set up a theatre club for younger students. At the

Shakespeare Schools Festival Please note: Shakespeare Schools Festival became Shakespeare Schools Foundation in 2016. The Festival is the charity's flagship project. The Shakespeare Schools Festival is the world's largest youth drama festival. Schools who participate perfor ...

, she played Puck in ''

A Midsummer Night's Dream ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' is a comedy written by William Shakespeare 1595 or 1596. The play is set in Athens, and consists of several subplots that revolve around the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. One subplot involves a conflict amon ...

'' and the title role in ''

Macbeth ''Macbeth'' (, full title ''The Tragedie of Macbeth'') is a tragedy by William Shakespeare. It is thought to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the damaging physical and psychological effects of political ambition on those w ...

''. She attended St Dominic's Sixth Form College in Harrow, London. In 2012, at the age of 17, she was one of eight winners in the

Poetry Society The Poetry Society is a membership organisation, open to all, whose stated aim is "to promote the study, use and enjoyment of poetry". The society was founded in London in February 1909 as the Poetry Recital Society, becoming the Poetry Society ...

's nationwide poetry competition SLAMbassadors UK.Slater, Anna
"Teen wins national poetry competition"
''

Harrow Times ''Harrow Times'' is a British weekly local newspaper published by Newsquest, covering the London Borough of Harrow and surrounding areas. The ''Harrow Times'' has been published since March 1997. It also has an online edition. Since the closure ...

''. 20 March 2012. Attending

RADA The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA; ) is a drama school in London, England, that provides vocational conservatoire training for theatre, film, television, and radio. It is based in the Bloomsbury area of Central London, close to the Senat ...

, she graduated in 2015.

Career

Lawrance began her professional career filming in the 2016 BBC miniseries ''

Undercover To go "undercover" (that is, to go on an undercover operation) is to avoid detection by the object of one's observation, and especially to disguise one's own identity (or use an assumed identity) for the purposes of gaining the trust of an indi ...

'', starring

Adrian Lester Adrian Anthony Lester (born Anthony Harvey; 14 August 1968) is a British actor, director and writer. He is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award, an Evening Standard Theatre Award and a Critics' Circle Theatre Award for his work on the Lo ...

and

Sophie Okonedo Sophie Okonedo (born 11 August 1968) is a British actress and narrator. The recipient of a Tony Award, she has been nominated for an Academy Award, three BAFTA Television Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Primetime Emmy Award. She began her f ...

; she played their eldest daughter Clem. She was then on stage, as

Ma Rainey Gertrude "Ma" Rainey ( Pridgett; April 26, 1886 – December 22, 1939) was an American blues singer and influential early blues recording artist. Dubbed the "Mother of the Blues", she bridged earlier vaudeville and the authentic expression of s ...

's girlfriend Dussie Mae in the 2016 revival of

August Wilson August Wilson ( Frederick August Kittel Jr.; April 27, 1945 – October 2, 2005) was an American playwright. He has been referred to as the "theater's poet of Black America". He is best known for a series of ten plays, collectively called ' (or ...

's play ''

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom ''Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'' is a 1982 play – one of the ten-play Pittsburgh Cycle by August Wilson, and the only one not set in Pittsburgh – that chronicles the 20th-century African-American experience. The play is set in a recording stu ...

'' at the National Theatre. The ''

New Statesman The ''New Statesman'' is a British political and cultural magazine published in London. Founded as a weekly review of politics and literature on 12 April 1913, it was at first connected with Sidney and Beatrice Webb and other leading members ...

'' noted her "electrifying presence and vocal nuance", and ''

'' called her "eye-catching". She subsequently co-starred opposite

Matt Smith Matthew Robert Smith (born 28 October 1982) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as the Eleventh Doctor, eleventh incarnation of The Doctor (Doctor Who), the Doctor in the BBC series ''Doctor Who'' (2010–2013), Daemon Targarye ...

at the

Royal Court Theatre The Royal Court Theatre, at different times known as the Court Theatre, the New Chelsea Theatre, and the Belgravia Theatre, is a non-commercial West End theatre in Sloane Square, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London, Englan ...

Anthony Neilson Anthony Neilson (born 1967, Edinburgh) is a Scottish playwright and director. He is known for his collaborative way of writing and workshopping his plays. Much of his work is characterised by the exploration of sex and violence. Neilson has bee ...

's new play ''Unreachable'' (2016), about an obsessive film director. The experimental play received somewhat mixed reviews but Lawrance was widely praised, described as "extraordinary" (''WhatsOnStage''), "superb" (''

''), and having "astonishing candour and directness" (''The Guardian''). ''

The Hollywood Reporter ''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...

'' wrote that Lawrance was "required to switch fluidly among different accents and emotional registers, with the most weighty dramatic monologues resting on her young shoulders. Bigger, brighter roles will surely follow." At year's end ''

'' named her one of "10 theatre faces to look out for in 2017" and ''

'' listed her in "20 talents set to take 2017 by storm". In 2017 she was Viola in ''

'' at the National Theatre, and a performance of the production was cinecast live around the world on

. Reviewers called her performance "compelling" and "passionate", and '' Time Out'' called her "charismatic and loveable". She won second prize at the

for the performance. She was Cordelia opposite

Ian McKellen Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...

's Lear in the

Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester Festival Theatre is a theatre and Grade II* listed building situated in Oaklands Park in the city of Chichester, West Sussex, England. Designed by Philip Powell and Hidalgo Moya John Hidalgo Moya (5 May 1920 – 3 August 1994), ...

's 2017 production of ''

King Lear ''King Lear'' is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare. It is based on the mythological Leir of Britain. King Lear, in preparation for his old age, divides his power and land between two of his daughters. He becomes destitute and insane an ...

''; critics praised her "heartfelt simplicity" and called her a "rising star". On television, following ''Undercover'' (2016), she had a leading role as

Prince Harry Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, (Henry Charles Albert David; born 15 September 1984) is a member of the British royal family. He is the younger son of Charles III and his first wife Diana, Princess of Wales. He is fifth in the line of succ ...

's revolutionary girlfriend in the 2017 BBC television film ''

''. The work is a Shakespearean-style

future history A future history is a postulated history of the future and is used by authors of science fiction and other speculative fiction to construct a common background for fiction. Sometimes the author publishes a timeline of events in the history, whi ...

imagining of the current British royal family; ''The Guardian'' noted that "It's Lawrance who makes the blank verse sound least theatrical and most natural." Her next television appearance was as the client in one of the six episodes of the 2018 legal drama '' The Split''. She also has a recurring role as Bonnie Sands in series 3 of the crime drama ''

No Offence ''No Offence'' is a British television police procedural drama on Channel 4, created by Paul Abbott. It follows a team of detectives from Friday Street police station, a division of the Manchester Metropolitan Police (a fictional version of the ...

''. In film, in 2017 she had a supporting role in ''

On Chesil Beach ''On Chesil Beach'' is a 2007 novella by the British writer Ian McEwan. It was selected for the 2007 Booker Prize shortlist. ''The Washington Post'' and Pulitzer Prize-winning book critic Jonathan Yardley placed ''On Chesil Beach'' on his to ...

''. In December 2018 Lawrance starred as a slave on a sugar plantation in 19th-century Jamaica in the three-part BBC adaptation of

's novel ''

''; her co-stars were

Jack Lowden Jack Andrew Lowden (born 2 June 1990) is a Scottish actor. Following a four-year stage career, his first major international onscreen success was in the 2016 BBC miniseries '' War & Peace'', which led to starring roles in feature films. Lowden s ...

and

Hayley Atwell Hayley Elizabeth Atwell (born 5 April 1982) is a British and American actress. Born and raised in London, Atwell studied acting at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made her stage debut in a 2005 production of James Kerr's translation ...

. She also co-starred in

's adaptation of Poe's ''

The Tell-Tale Heart "The Tell-Tale Heart" is a short story by American writer Edgar Allan Poe, first published in 1843. It is related by an unnamed narrator who endeavors to convince the reader of the narrator's sanity while simultaneously describing a murder the n ...

'' at the National Theatre beginning in December 2018 through 8 January 2019."The National Theatre Announces More Season Details, Including ''Follies'' Casting"
''Broadway World''. 19 June 2018.

Acting credits

Theatre

Television

Film

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Lawrance, Tamara 1994 births Living people Black British actresses English stage actresses English television actresses Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Actresses from London Actors from Wembley 21st-century British actresses English people of Jamaican descent 21st-century English women 21st-century English people