Kate Harcourt was born in Amberley in 1927. She went to school at Amberley House in North Canterbury and then to Woodford House, where she later returned to teach singing and speech training.
Kate trained as a Kindergarten teacher in Chrischurch in 1946, then in 1951 she graduated with a diploma in singing, from the Melbourne University Conservatorium of Music, after which she undertook further training at the Joan Cross Opera School in London.
Kates professional career began in the 60’s with the pre-school radio program ‘Listen with Mother’ and ‘Junior Magazine’ a WNTV1 weekly children’s program.
During the 70’s and 80’s she was Kirkcaldie and Stains fashion co-ordinator, then publicist at Downstage Theatre – during which time she also appeared in film, radio and TV.
In 1990 and 1991 she toured internationally with Colin McColl’s Downstage production of ‘Hedda Gabler’ and was a founder member of Hens Teeth which has also toured New Zealand and been in the Adelaide Festival and has recently celebrated its 10th anniversary.
She played lead roles in Map Film Production’s ‘The Dig’, directed by Neil Pardington and in Nikki Caro’s ‘Plain Tastes’ for Montana Sunday Theatre. She continues working in commercials, training films, TV series, theatre and teaching voice.
Leading roles in radio include Minnie Dean in Lynley Hood’s The Baby Farmer (1996), and the reading of Barbara Anderson’s novel Proud Garments. In 1998 she appeared with her daughter Miranda Harcourt in the International Festival of the Arts production, Flowers From My Mothers Garden.
1996 Kate was honored to be made DNZM for her contribution to theatre in the newly formed New Zealand Order of Merti, and in1997 was chosen as the Evening Post’s Wellingtonian of the Year.
She's recently had another successful season of Flowers from My Mother’s Garden which was performed in Paraparaumu, Queenstown, Dunedin, Taranaki Festival and the Sky City theatre in Auckland.
