Just One Look at Harriet Thorpe

For many of us, Harriet Thorpe has been a familiar face from TV and cinema over the past 20 years, having been involved with some of the most entertaining and original productions on both the small and big screens.

From The Brittas Empire to Harry Potter, Harriet has enjoyed a distinguished career, in comedy as much as straight theatre, working with such comedic legends as Victoria Wood, French and Saunders, Alexei Sayleand Fry and Laurie.

The stage is still a huge attraction for her and it’s a live audience that will be enjoying her performances over the next 12 months as she stars in arguably one of the most popular feel-good musicals in the West End at the moment, Mamma Mia.

“What is there not to like about a job that lets you dress up in lycra and sing your heart out to Abba every evening?” she laughed.

Attractive, witty and clearly a woman completely at easewith her art, Harriet has inherited the acting gene.

“I've always been attracted to the the limelight! Perhaps because I grew up in such an artistic atmosphere: my mother, Gillian Freeman, was an author and Hollywood screenwriter and my father, once an actor, was a novelist and prominent ballet critic.

"My sister Matilda Thorpe is also an actress and thanks to my parents we spent our youth living between London and Los Angeles! So I suppose it was always presumed that I would take up some kind of role in this profession. I originally trained as a dancer at the Royal Ballet School but I diversified into acting when I realised that my breasts, undesirable in a tutu, would be perfect for Restoration Comedy! So I went to train at Central School of Speech and Drama.”

Having played so many roles across so many different mediums, which, I wondered, was her favourite performing platform?

“TV, film and theatre each have their very own distinctive feel and form. I can’t say I have a preference for one over the other, although there is nothing to beat the thrill and buzz of immediacy associated with performing live. 

“Mamma Mia is a fascinating show to be in. It has a very distinctly feminine feel about it, not just because of the subject matter but also due to the principal cast and director all being women. It does share some of these themes with the previous West End show I was in, Wicked, and the familiar songs and central theme of independent women, trying to redefine themselves in their respective worlds, say a lot about why it remains such a successful and well-loved show.

“Each night I step out on stage I am always aware of the diversity of our audiences. Young people come in great numbers – partly perhaps because of the popularity of the movie that came out a couple of years back – but also because in truth, you just can’t beat a good story and well written songs.

“The other thing I love about this particular show is the energy and youth that it projects. It certainly helps you keep fit and demands more than just turning up and saying your lines. The set is constantly moving and the cast always engaging the audience with their energy so you have to be active as well as alert.”

The entertainment industry can be an unforgiving beast and still has some way to go when it comes to equality for women; so has Harriet ever experienced negativity because of her gender?

“I can’t say it has ever been a problem for me, but then I have enjoyed a fortunate career to date and have worked with some really strong and powerful women in the industry. There are a few of them about, although perhaps not as many as we would like!

“However, I read a statistic recently which claimed in entertainment in general, 90% of the work out there is given to 19-25 year olds, which says something about what producers and the main companies are looking for and also the demographic they are reaching out to.

“You certainly have more of a chance as a man over 40 than you do as a woman and that is something we need to change. It has to be a re-education process and I don’t think it will happen overnight.”

Outside of her work, Harriet is a devoted mother to a teenage son and daughter and also a keen animal lover with a dog and four cats to look after.

“In my spare time I also like to read and exercise and I am Vice Chairperson of the Actors' Centre and Ambassador for the Breast Cancer Charity, Walk The Walk (The Moonwalk).”

Harriet Thorpe will be starring in Mamma Mia for the next 12 months and if you would like more information then visit the show’s website at www.mamma-mia.com

George R Vaughan

Posted Tue, 07/27/2010 - 16:26 by Harriet Thorpe