Clare Perkins

Last updated

Clare Perkins
Born
England
OccupationActress
Years active1985–present

Clare Perkins is an English actress, known for her roles as Denise Boulter in Family Affairs and Ava Hartman in EastEnders .

Contents

Career

TV

Perkins' first role was as Opal in the 1991 TV film Hallelujah Anyhow in the Screen Two strand. On TV she has appeared in Family Affairs , All in the Game, My Wonderful Life, Pig Heart Boy , Casualty , EastEnders , Men Behaving Badly , Big Women, and Clapham Junction . [1] [ better source needed ]

She played the role of Ava Hartman in EastEnders . [2]

She played Kerene Nagashi in the Amazon fantasy series The Wheel of Time .[ citation needed ]

In 2021, she appeared in the horror film Censor , and stars in the TV comedy-drama The Outlaws , which was first broadcast in that year.[ citation needed ]

Perkins plays Carla McLain in the Apple+ science fiction drama series Silo from 2023. [3]

Radio

Perkins has been a member of the BBC Radio Drama Company, and played the character of Mel for eight years in the BBC World Service soap Westway .[ citation needed ]

In 2011 she performed in many radio dramas for Radio 4, including The Winter House, Landfall, Corrinne Come Back and Gone, and Best Intentions.[ citation needed ]

From 2021 she played Denise Metcalf, a veterinary nurse, in the long-running radio soap opera The Archers. [4] [5]

Film

Her film credits include Jill in the Palme d'Or-winning Ladybird, Ladybird (Ken Loach), Secrets & Lies (Mike Leigh), Bullet Boy (Saul Dibb) and 7 Lives .[ citation needed ] She played Beverly in the film Bullet Boy, which opened the London Film Festival in 2004; she won Best Actress for this role at the Screen Nation Awards.[ citation needed ]

Stage

Perkins has appeared on stage in many theatres, such as the Royal Court, Young Vic, National Theatre, and Soho Theatre.[ citation needed ] Perkins was in two West End productions in 2019 - Emilia which transferred from The Globe, and Sweat , which transferred from the Donmar Warehouse, with the consequence that at one point her face was on the front of two West End theatres simultaneously for a month, The Vaudeville and The Gielgud; it is believed that she is the only actress to achieve this.[ citation needed ]

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1994 Ladybird, Ladybird Jill
1996 Secrets & Lies Hortense's Sister-in-Law
2004 Bullet Boy Beverley
2006 Shoot the Messenger Mary Gibbs
2007 Deadmeat De Costa
2009 Normal: The Düsseldorf Ripper Nurse Susan
2011 7 Lives Kids Mum
2016 Kaleidoscope Launderette Assistant
2018 Been So Long Snowqueen
2021 Censor Anne
2022 Medusa Deluxe Cleve
TBALove Without WallsFayePost-production

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1991 Screen Two OpalEpisode: "Hallelujah Anyhow"
1993 Grange Hill MarciaEpisode: "Series 16, Episode 10"
1994 The Bill Delia FisherEpisode: "Skinning Cats"
1997 Men Behaving Badly Deborah's FriendEpisode: "Stag Night"
EastEnders Darts Team Leader1 episode
1997-1999 My Wonderful Life Bridget GrovesSeries regular
1998Big WomenCleoEpisode: "A Nest of Randy Vipers"
1999 Pig Heart Boy Cathy KelseyMain role
2000Whole New HeartCameron's MotherTV film
2001 Always and Everyone Gloria EdmundsEpisode: "Series 3, Episode 10"
Merseybeat Joy PattersonEpisode: "Deep End"
Casualty Bernice HealeyEpisode: "On the Edge"
2002 Doctors Miriam AkinbiyiEpisode: "Happy Days Are Here Again"
2003–2005 Family Affairs Denise BoulterMain role
2006 Holby City Gabrielle HornerEpisode: "Brother's Keeper"
All in the GameMrs. LamoneTV film
2007 The Bill Olivia VaughanEpisode: "Day of Reckoning"
Talk to Me ChildminderEpisode: "The Wedding"
Clapham Junction DollyTV film
2008 Casualty Rachel O'HaraEpisode: "Sex and Death"
2011 Holby City Simone TaitRecurring role, 7 episodes
Doctors Lorraine GreenhallEpisode: "Hitting the Wall"
2012 BBC Learning: True Stories Rosa Parks Episode: Episode 1.2
2012–2013 EastEnders Ava Hartman Series regular
2018 Doctors Ellen MorrisonEpisode: "The Woman Who Runs"
Death in Paradise Fabienne JordanEpisode: "The Healer"
2020 Flack ShirelleEpisode: "Sofi"
The Crown Social WorkerEpisode: "Fagan"
2021 The Outlaws Myrna OkekeMain role
The Wheel of Time Kerene NagashiMain role
2023 Silo CarlaRecurring role, 9 episodes

Theatre

YearPlayRoleVenueNotes
1990 Meridian Meridian Contact Theatre, Manchester
1996 Mules Bridie Royal Court Theatre, London with Clean Break
1997Ready or NotVarious roles Theatre Royal Stratford East, London
2001Generations of the DeadLenore Young Vic, London
2002 Cyrano de Bergerac Lise/Mother/Usherette Nuffield Theatre, Southampton
Our Country's Good Liz Morden/Lieutenant Dawes Nuffield Theatre, Southampton
2006 Fabulation Mother/Caseworker/Inmate Tricycle Theatre, London
How Long Is Never? Darfur - A Response Tricycle Theatre, London
2008A Fag Burning the Carpet King's Head Theatre, London
Any Which WaySylviaOnly Connect Theatre, London
2009 The Hounding of David Oluwale Alice/Patience West Yorkshire Playhouse, Leeds with "Eclipse Theatre"
The Caucasian Chalk Circle West Yorkshire Playhouse - Leeds, Richmond Theatre - London, Nottingham Playhouse - Nottingham & Unicorn Theatre - London with Shared Experience
2010 Welcome to Thebes Helia/Aglaea Olivier Theatre, London
2012NeighboursManny HighTide Festival, Aldeburgh
The Rover Moretta Hampton Court Palace, London with "Artluxe Ltd"
2014How to Be ImmortalHenrietta Lacks/Deborah Lacks/Loretta PleasantUK tourwith "Penny Dreadful Theatre"
The House That Will Not StandMarie Josephine Tricycle Theatre, London
TwelveTeacherUK tourwith "Kali Theatre"
Little RevolutionElaine Almeida Theatre, London
2015 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mrs Shears/Mrs Gascoyne Cottesloe Theatre, London also, UK tour
2016Play On Almeida Theatre, London
Removal MenBeatrice The Yard Theatre, London
2017The ConvertMia Tamba Gate Theatre, London
RoundelayRing Mistress Southwark Playhouse, London
PrimetimeVarious roles Royal Court Theatre, London also, UK tour
NoraKrista Project Arts Centre, Dublin
Three MothersKhadyWaterloo East Theatre, London
Daisy Pulls It Off Monica/Belinda Park Theatre, London
2018The ImmigrantAma Hoxton Hall, London
Genesis IncLarissa/Sharon Hampstead Theatre, London
Mrs Dalloway Clarissa Dalloway Arcola Theatre, London
2019 Sweat Cynthia Donmar Warehouse, London
Emilia Emilia Vaudeville Theatre, London
2021 The Wife of Willesden Alvita Kiln Theatre, London

References

  1. "Flavors.me : Closed". flavors.me. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  2. Kilkelly, Daniel (4 September 2012). "'EastEnders': Cora's daughter arrival confirmed". Digital Spy . Hearst Magazines UK . Retrieved 4 September 2012.
  3. Hullender, Tatiana (14 November 2024). "Silo Stars Harriet Walter & Clare Perkins Address Martha And Carla's Tentatively Rekindled Romance In Season 2". ScreenRant. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
  4. "BBC Radio 4 - The Archers - Denise Metcalf". BBC. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  5. "The Archers". Twitter. 7 July 2022.