Born in Cardiff, Clare spent her youth performing in the New Theatre pantomimes alongside Jonathan Morris, Roy Hudd and Marti Caine. She won the Anthony Hopkins Drama Award and performed as Madame Thénardier alongside Peter Karrie in the first ever schools production of Les Misérables. Before leaving Wales to train in London, she became an associate with Diversions Dance Company of Wales. She gained a scholarship to train at Doreen Bird College and graduated in 2005 with a BA (hons) in Dance and Theatre Performance.
Theatre includes: West End debut as assistant dance captain/ swing in Mary Poppins (Prince Edward Theatre), understudy/ performed as Miss Lark and Katie Nanna; featured singer/ dancer in Barbara Cook and Friends World AIDS Day concert (London Coliseum) and commercial dancer (London Astoria); Circus Girl, understudied/played the Milkmaid and Strawberry Seller in the original revival cast of Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane); featured singer/dancer on the UK tour of Gotta Sing Gotta Dance; Fairy Good Apple in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Gordon Craig Theatre); Adele Astaire in the ‘Lost Musicals’ revival of The Band Wagon (Sadler’s Wells);
lead vocalist in The Summer Ice Spectacular (Congress Theatre); White Christmas, understudied and played Judy
(Mayflower, Canal and Empire theatres); Blue Fairy in the UK premiere of Stephen Schwarz’s My Son Pinocchio: Gepetto’s Musical Tale (Gordon Craig).
Recordings include: the original revival cast recording (2009) of Oliver! featuring Rowan Atkinson and Jodie Prenger; Feeling for Language; audiobooks The Spectacular Safari and Cinque Terre; short stories for an educational audio book entitled Context; Gleerups as part of Teflonstage; HarperCollins English Educational DVD.
Clare is delighted to be joining the cast of 42nd Street and wishes to thank her family and friends for their continued support.
www.clarerickard.co.uk
