Following over 40 pages of google search (some of the more helpful were in German, oddly), I present to thee A Nice Complete Biography (ANCF, which could also stand for All New Chickens Bounce... But it doesn't.)
If you'd like, you can skip straight to the filmography section to read about Kate's various works of spiff.
Please note that this biography and filmography was researched on the internet, which is both a rich and slightly questionable resource. This biography uses footnotes not only because my time studying Law made me shamefully footnote-dependent, but so if there are errors you can see they aren't mine (hopefully). If you have additional information not mentioned in this biography, please send it to dark_pheonix7@hotmail.com. Don't reproduce this without asking me first, because this is by no means a cut 'n' paste bio, and took quite some time to compile.
Biography
On the 5th January 19591, the world’s amount of overall spiff increased. This was because on that date in London, England, Catherine Anne Duchêne (OR Kate Alexandra Elizabeth Duchêne, depending on which online biography is correct) was born. Thankfully, as is the case with many human beings, both her cognitive abilities and body size increased over a period of several years, ultimately resulting in a 1.78m (5' 10")2 tall, incredibly good-looking and talented biped engaged in the business of acting.
Kate’s Swiss grandfather, Louis, was the manager of the Ritz Hotel in London, and her father, Louis-François Duchêne (1927 – 2005) was a press attaché to the European Coal and Steel Community. Reportedly, Louis-François “surprised his friends by writing a study of W.H. Auden”3. Kate’s mother, Anne Purves Duchêne, is very elusive insofar as information is concerned, save for the sad fact of her passing away in 19974. Kate has one daughter, Anna Charlote Duchêne, born on April 15th 20065.
Kate has many qualifications, some of which include having the requisite number of limbs to function in modern society, and the study Modern Languages at Trinity College, Cambridge6. While at Cambridge, she participated in Footlights from 1981 to 19857. As well as being an actor of immense caliber, possessing the ability to self-propel using legs (also known as walking, to lesser mortals). Add to that the fact that she speaks fluent English, French and Spanish8, which increases Kate’s spiff quotient to near intolerable (especially for those of us who don’t live in England and thus can’t see all her theater work.9) wonderful levels.
Kate’s career spans theatre, film and television, notably portraying the paragon of ultimate spiff that is Constance Hardbroom in the television series the Worst Witch. Also, by no means limited to visual mediums, Kate has also done quite a bit of voice and radio work, most recently for producers David Tyler, Andy Jordan, and Jeremy Mortimer10. Of note is Kate’s ongoing affiliation with theatrical director Katie Mitchell, who is renowned both for her preference for ensemble-style acting, and tendency to push the boundaries of established theatrical conventions.
Hmm, this biography is looking a little too short for my liking. Verily I will extend it using my elite prediction skills, utilizing advanced statistical methods of extrapolation11. One may speculate that, for whatever reason, if you were to cover Kate in yellow paint, she would look quite blue. The same applies to red, purple and green paint. Blue is the only exception, really, owing to her strange biological ability of absorbing blue substances, the existence of which hasn’t actually been observed or proven. The ability, that is, not the substances. Not that I’m saying you should cover her in paint, unless you absolutely had to (in order to save the universe, or something of similar magnitude).
1
Sourced from http://www.imdb.com
2 Ibid
3 Sourced
from http://www.timesonline.co.uk/
4 Ibid
5 Date
from an IMDB forum - can anyone confirm this?
6 Sourced from http://www.imdb.com
7 Ibid
8 Sourced
from http://www.thersp.com/
9 Curses on thee, my geographical location! Here's hoping for a day
when a freak anomoly causes Australia to move and become England's neighbour!
10
Sourced from
http://www.thersp.com/
11 ... Which may or may not be entirely accurate
Titles and additional information where I could find it, this filmography is arranged in the following sections:
Radio/voice..........Film............Television...........Stage
This isn't just a list cut and pasted from IMDB, 'tis a little more meaty.
Giles
Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off (BBC Radio 4 Comedy Show)
Last broadcast - 28 August 2002, this play followed the global adventures
of archetypal looser Giles Wemmbley-Hogg, as he takes his gap year before
going to University. While no longer on free-to-air radio, this series
is widely available from online stores.
Ironhand (Parts 1 & 2, BBC Radio 3)
Lessons In Italian (BBC Radio 4)
Grosse
Fugue (BBC Radio 4)
Last broadcast
- 1998?
Citizens (BBC Radio 4)
Ivy Who (BBC Radio 4)
Losing
Venice (BBC Radio 3)
Adapted for BBC3 in 1986 following a 1985 performance in Traverse
Theatre, Edinburgh, this play has Kate credited as "Duchess".
For further information, see the Teatro
Do Mundo website.
Blokada
(BBC Radio Scotland)
Broadcast 1986, Cordelia Oliver reviewed this radio play in
issue No. 51 of Scottish Theatre News... Not that I can get my hands
on the review.
The
Wish House (BBC Radio 4)
Monsieur
N. (2002)
Filmed in
French, with English subtitles, this movie is concerned with the mysteries
surrounding Napoleon Bonaparte's death. Kate plays the role of Madame
Balcombe. Click
here to visit the official website, or click
here to read several reviews of the film.
Click here for the Madame
Balcombe image gallery.
Calender
Girls (1999)
I can't find ANY information about this, and the man at the DVD store
looked at me very strangely when I tried to order it in (he kept insisting
that I wanted the 2003 movie of the same name). Humph.
The
Tall Guy (1989)
A light comedy about the misadventures of Dexter King, a 40-yr-old actor
whose career is stuck in a rut. Kate's role is "Old Girlfriend".You
can read reviews of the film here,
here,
and here.
Afterlife
(2005/2006)
A fascinating drama wherein the main character can
communicate with the spirits of the dead. Unlike the mass-produced,
run-of-the-mill American dramas of the same premise, this intriguing
British production pairs the 'gifted' main character with a skeptical
psychology lecturer. The resultant conflict between belief and science,
and the overlapping of the two, is explored throughout the series to
great effect. As a card-carrying Skeptic myself, this open debate (and
its masterful dramatic interpretation) that permeates the series is
as intellectually refreshing as it is entertaining. Kate's character
is Barbara Sinyard, coworker of the main character, psychology lecturer
Robert.
Click here for the Barbara Sinyard
image gallery.
Casualty:
Season 18, episode 32 - Forget Me Not (2004)
Casualty is a drama series set in the emergency department of Holby
General hospital. In one episode, Kate was Debbie Hansell. TV.com
explains the episode thus: "Harry has to suspend
his daughter when she confesses to her crimes against Lara and it's
a bad day for Simon as Lara finds a bag of coke in his pocket and after
he tells Tally she was the biggest mistake of his life She commits suicide
in the hospital toilets and the doctors have to resuscitate her but
will she survive? Roxy says a final goodbye to her baby as the surrogate
parents take him away and Josh has to suspend Luke following the investigation."...
Who did what in the where now? I hope that made sense to someone, somewhere.
Wyrdsister
College (2001)
A brief re-appearance of Kate as Constance Hardbroom emphasised to viewers
that Wyrdsister College was the 'sequel' to the popular Worst Witch
television series.
Midsomer Murders: The Garden
of Death (2000) - Jane Bennett
Midsomer Murders is a delightful detective program, wherein detective
Barnaby uncovers unimaginable intrigue beneath the calm surface of rural
English towns. This particular episode, “Garden Of Death”
sees several murders centered around the prospect of a garden monument
being dug up to allow for the construction of commercial tea rooms.
I can say no more without revealing the plot of this wonderful whodunit,
I’m not even going to tell you whodunit, so you’d better
get your hands on a copy and watch one and a half ours of pure dramatic
spiff!
Click here for the Jane Bennett image
gallery.
The Bill: On The Wagon (2000) - Laura
The
Worst Witch (1998 - 2000)
Oh, what to say about this amazing, fantastic, magnificent, spiffy show...
Cackle's Academy is a boarding school where young witches learn their
craft. From her very first day, young Mildred Hubble lurches from disaster
to disaster, despite the best of intentions. She has a group of four
loyal friends, an enemy in the nasty Ethel Hallow and her hench(wo)man
Drucilla Paddock, and despite her disaster-prone nature, Mildred always
manages to save the day. As well as the students, there is a fantastic
ensemble of staff at Cackle's Academy: Ms. Cackle, the kindly and wise
headmistress, Ms. Batt, the utterly insane but delightful chanting teacher,
Ms. Drill, the PE teacher and only non-witch at the school, and most
importantly Constance Hardbroom, the strict potions mistress, broomstick
flying teacher and deputy principal. Seasons one through three of The
Worst Witch saw Kate as Constance Hardbroom (also nicknamed HB
by the students), with lots of teleportation and zapping and shouting.
All humanoid beings must see this series at some point, such is its
spiff.
Click here for the Constance Hardbroom
image gallery.
Peak Practice: Season
8, Episode 5: Buying Time (1999)
TV.com
has the following to say about this episode: "Sam's
interest in MS sufferer Anna becomes less then healthy when he lets
his heart rule his head. The situation blurs his medical judgement and
causes friction with Andrew. Trent returns home from hospital but the
after effects of his illness begin to take hold."... Unhelpful
in this filmography, so alas all I can find that is constructive about
this episode is that it had Kate playing Dr. Jenny Ryan.
Kiss Me Kate (1998)
This BBC comedy looks at the happenings in a small psychotherapy centre
run by, amongst other dysfunctional characters, counselor Kate Salinger.
The official
BBC website about it explains it in a bit more depth. Kate (heh,
not the one from the title, the one this filmography is about) was in
two episodes of the first season ("Calender" and "Mike")
as Lesley.
Out
Of Hours (1998)
A six-part BBC production with Kate as Sue Craven.
Wing
And A Prayer (1997)
A drama nominated for a BAFTA in 1998. Kate was Gillian Rhodes
This
Is David Harper: Season 1, Episode 1: Dubious Achievement (1990)
Originally, this comedy series was called "This Is David Lander".
Kate was in the first episode as Caroline Jones.
A Sense
Of Guilt (1990)
A seven-part drama series looking at the problems created when a middle-aged
writer has an affair with his friend's teenage daughter. Kate plays
Marsha Hinde.
Boon:
Season 2, Episode 1: Paper Mafia (1987)
Kate was simply credited as "Pregnant Lady".
Miss
Marple: At Bertram's Hotel (1987)
Another adventure of everyone's favorite adorable detective, Miss Marple
(Joan Hickson in this version), wherein Kate played a character called
Rose.
England
Their England
I read somewhere that Kate was involved in something related to this,
but all I can find about it is that it is a satirical novel written
in 1933. A televised adaptation of the novel, maybe?
For reviews and photos from the following, see the 'round-up' section.
Attempts On Her life (Directed by Katie Mitchell, 2007)
Waves (Directed by Katie Mitchell, 2006)
Iphigenia At Aulius (as Clytemnestra, directed by Katie Mitchell, 2001 and 2006)
Mendelssohn's Antigone (as Ismene, 2003)
The Sugar Syndrome (as Jan, directed by Marianne Elliot)
Caryl Churchill Festival (as various, directed by Ian Rickson/Dominic Cooke, 2002)
The Inland Sea (as Simone, directed by Dominic Dromgoole, 2002)
A Midsummer Night's Dream (as Titania/Hippolita, directed by Jonathan Best, 1999-2002)
Small Craft Warning (as Violet, directed by Rufus Norris, 1999)
The Herbal Bed (as Susanna, direced by Michael Attenborough, 1997)
Faust parst one and two (as Earth Spirit/Martha/Helen of Troy, directed by Michael Bogdanov, 1995-1996)
The Relapse (as Amanda, directed by Ian Judge, 1995-1996)
The Cherry Orchard (as Varya, direcred by Adrian Noble, 1995-1996)
Hated Nightfall (as Caroline, directed by Howard Barker, 1994-1995)
The Country Wife (as Alithea, direcred by Max Stafford Clark, 1993-1994)
Murder In The Canal (in the chorus, directed by Steven Pimlott, 1993-1994)
The Merchant Of Venice (as Jessica, directed by David Thacker, 1993-1994)
Richard III (as Queen Elizabeth, directed by Sam Mendes, 1992-1993)
The Rivals (as Lydia, directed by John Adams, 1992)
The Resistable Rise Of Arturo Ui (Di Trevis, 1991)
The Miser (as Elise, directed by Steven Pimlott, 1991)
Kean (as Amy, directed by Sam Mendes, 1990)
The Cherry Orchard (as Charlotta, directed by Sam Mendes, 1989-1990)
Cloud Nine (as Maud and Betty, directed by David Leveaux, 1989)
The Triumph Of Love (directed by Jeremy Raison, 1989)
Summerfolk (as Kaleria, directed by Sam Mendes, 1989)
Love's Labours Lost (as Princess of Frances, directed by Sam Mendes, 1989)
The Sea (as Rose, directed by Peter Lichtenfels, 1986)
Klimkov (as Rayissa and Olga, directed by Jenny Killick, 1984-1986)
Dead men (as Anna, directed by Peter Lichtenfels, 1984-1986)
White Rose (as Lily Litvac, directed by Stephen Unwin, 1984-1986)
Losing Venice (as Duchess and Preist, directed by Jenny Killick, 1984-1986)
Lucy's Play (as Lucy, directed by Jenny Killick, 1984-1986)
Kathy and the Hippopotamus (as Ana, directed by Stephen Unwin, 1984-1986)
The Real Inspector Hound (as Cynthia, 1984)
Wuthering Heights (directed by Ellen Dean, 1984)
Spring and Port Wine (as Florence, 1984)
Taking Steps (as Kitty, 1984)
Carry On Up Pandora's Box (1981)
A Respectable Wedding (as Mother, directed by Jenny Killick, 1981)
Measure For Measure (as Mariana, directed by Stephen Unwin, 1981)
The Balcony (as Carmen, directed by Pip Broughton, 1987-1980)
Three Sisters (as Olga, directed by Brigid Larmour, ???)
The
Duchess Of Malfi (as the Duchess, directed by Richard Spaul, ???)