After training at the
Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Brown debuted in the
West End production of the musical
Once on This Island (1994), playing the lead role of Ti Moune. Since then, her acting experience has taken her from the
Royal Shakespeare Company and the
National Theatre to television and feature films. Brown's 2008 feature film debut, '''', won the
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury at the
59th Berlin International Film Festival and saw her nominated for
Best Actress in a Supporting Role at the
26th Robert Awards, the Danish equivalent of the American
Oscars and British
BAFTAs. In 2004, she played production assistant Abba throughout the six series of the
sketch comedy series
French and Saunders, soon followed by a few parts in
The Catherine Tate Show. From 2007 to 2008, she starred as regular Leanne Samuels in ten episodes of
ITV's
police crime drama The Bill, before making her guest and final appearance in the 2009 episode "
One Year On". In 2016, Brown starred in the
eighteenth series of the
medical drama Holby City as consultant psychiatrist Naomi Palmer, a love interest for
Adrian Fletcher and
Raf di Lucca, and then took the recurring role of Vicky Bale in the
financial thriller Devils (2020). In 2022, she appeared as Cal in
Catherine Tate's six-part
mockumentary sitcom
Hard Cell, released on
Netflix, and as Rose Hathaway's mother Janine in the
Peacock fantasy horror series
Vampire Academy, based on the
novel series of the same name by
Richelle Mead. She has been in a number of theatrical productions, including
National Theatre Live's
Medea (2014), starring
Helen McCrory, and
Hamlet (2017), starring
Andrew Scott and broadcast on
BBC Two. She has also portrayed
Erzulie in the revival of the musical
Once on This Island (2009) and
Gertrude,
Queen of Denmark in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of
Hamlet (2018), with
Paapa Essiedu in the title role. Outside of acting, Brown has been a
session singer with various bands and has worked with
Gladys Knight,
Courtney Pine,
Eric Clapton,
Lee "Scratch" Perry,
Peter Andre and
Terry Callier. She has also written, recorded and performed her own music. == Filmography ==