{{short description|English actress}} {{Infobox person | name = Cora Kirk | image = | birth_date = | birth_place = | occupation = Actress | education = Royal Central School of Speech and Drama | notable_works = ''Your Christmas or Mine?'' }} '''Cora Kirk''' is a British stage and film actress. She starred in the film ''Your Christmas or Mine?'' (2022) and its sequel (2023). In 2026, she joined the cast of the BBC school drama series ''Waterloo Road'' as Leah Merchant.
==Early life== From Moorside in Oldham, Greater Manchester, Kirk attended the Waterhead Academy in her home town.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/72774/water-way-to-make-the-grade|title= Water way to make the grade|first=Helen|last=Korn|date= 28 August 2012|accessdate=15 November 2023|website=Oldham Chronicle|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231115094632/https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/72774/water-way-to-make-the-grade|archive-date=15 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= Don't look down!|date=28 June 2011|url=https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/57994/don%E2%80%99t-look-down|website=Oldham Chronicle|accessdate=15 November 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241212162408/https://www.oldham-chronicle.co.uk/news-features/8/news-headlines/57994/don%E2%80%99t-look-down|archive-date=12 December 2024}}</ref> She attended the Oldham Theatre Workshop,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://oldhamtheatreworkshop.co.uk/story-festival/|website=Oldhamtheatreworkshop.co.uk|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= Welcome To The Oldham Summer Story Festival |date=28 April 2020 }}</ref> before she trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cssd.ac.uk/news/alumni-news-roundup-autumn-2022|website=cssd.ac.uk|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= Alumni News Roundup - Autumn 2022|date=1 November 2022}}</ref>
==Career== In 2017, Kirk played Lucy in a Sally Cookson stage adaptation of ''The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe'' in Leeds.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2017/dec/07/the-lion-the-witch-and-the-wardrobe-review-sally-cookson-west-yorkshire-playhouse|website=The Guardian|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe review – Sally Cookson conjures magic of make-believe|first=Catherine|last=Love|date=7 December 2017}}</ref> She worked with Cookson again in 2020 on her adaptation of ''A Monster Calls'', cast as Lily for a UK tour.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://playbill.com/article/inside-rehearsal-for-the-uk-tour-of-a-monster-calls|website=Playbill.com|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= Inside Rehearsal for the U.K. Tour of A Monster Calls|first=Marc J.|last=Franklin|date=15 January 2020}}</ref> She also played Wendy in an adaptation of ''Peter Pan'' at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre in London.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://openairtheatreheritage.com/actors/cora-kirk/XEiQiBEAAB8ABeyq|website=Openairtheatreheritage.com|title=Cora Kirk|accessdate=15 November 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://theartsdesk.com/theatre/peter-pan-regents-park-open-air-theatre-review-ensemble-playing-its-best|website=The Arts Desk|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= Peter Pan, Regent's Park Open Air Theatre review - ensemble playing at its best|first=Heather|last=Neil|date=28 May 2018}}</ref> She also appeared in ''Peter Pan'' when Sally Cookson took an adaptation to the National Theatre.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://officiallondontheatre.com/news/cast-members-fly-peter-pan/|website=Officiallondontheatre.com|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= Cast members fly into Peter Pan once more|first=Robin|last=Johnson|date=17 June 2019}}</ref>
In 2022, Kirk could be seen in the Daniel Stamm directed film ''Prey for the Devil''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/prey-for-the-devil-review-a-passable-exorcism-horror-that-says-to-hell-with-clerical-sexism-1235416731/|website=Variety|accessdate=15 November 2023|date= October 27, 2022|title='Prey for the Devil' Review: A Passable Exorcism Horror That Says To Hell With Clerical Sexism|first=Dennis|last=Harvey}}</ref> Kirk had a lead role playing Hayley, alongside Asa Butterfield, in the Tom Parry penned 2022 Christmas comedy film ''Your Christmas or Mine?'',<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/trailers/a41841744/asa-butterfield-your-christmas-or-mine-trailer|website=Digital Spy|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= First trailer for Sex Education star's new Christmas movie |date=2 November 2023|first= Stefania |last=Sarrubba}}</ref> and the 2023 sequel ''Your Christmas or Mine 2''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/asa-butterfield-your-christmas-mine-2-trailer-exclusive-newsupdate/|website=Radio Times|first=Patrick|last=Cremona|title=Sex Education's Asa Butterfield in trailer for Your Christmas or Mine 2 |date=15 November 2023|accessdate=15 November 2023}}</ref>
In March 2023, she played Aalyah in Federico García Lorca’s ''The House of Bernarda Alba'' in Manchester.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2023/mar/31/of-all-the-beautiful-things-in-the-world-review-home-manchester|website=The Guardian|accessdate=15 November 2023|title= Of All the Beautiful Things in the World review – Lorca moves to Moss Side|first=Mark|last=Fisher|date=31 March 2023}}</ref> In 2026, it was announced that she had joined the cast of the BBC school drama series ''Waterloo Road'' as Leah Merchant, a newly qualified teacher. She will make her first on-screen appearance in its eighteenth series.<ref>{{cite news |title=Chelsee Healey returns for Waterloo Road's 20-year anniversary |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/2026/chelsee-healey-returns-to-waterloo-road |access-date=12 March 2026 |work=BBC News}}</ref>
==Filmography== ===Film=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2018 |''Wishin' and Hopin''' |Veronica |Short film |- |2020 |''Don't Water the Vine'' |Helen |Short film |- |2021 |''Tony'' |Malaya |Short film |- |- |2022 |''Prey for the Devil'' |Emilia | |- |2022 | ''Your Christmas or Mine?'' |Hayley Taylor | |- |2023 | ''After Everything'' |Freya | |- |2023 | ''Your Christmas or Mine 2'' |Hayley Taylor | |- |}
===Television=== {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year ! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes |- |2014 |''Grantchester'' |Anita Carson |1 episode |- |2018 |''Doctors'' |Holly Plummer |Episode: "Out There" |- |2020 |''Bard from the Barn'' |Juliet |Episode: "Juliet" |- |2021 |''Doctors'' |Morgan Scott |Episode: "One Point Six Percent" |- |2022 |''Midsomer Murders'' |Etta Derby |Episode: "The Blacktrees Prophecy" |- |2023 |''Father Brown'' |Lila Tate |Episode: "The Hidden Man" |- |2023 |''Vera'' |Eliza Wilmore |Episode: "The Rising Tide" |- |rowspan="2"|2024 |''Grantchester'' |Feathers |Episode: "Series 9, Episode 1" |- |''Daddy Issues'' |Tamika |Episode: "Normal Men" |- |2026 |''Waterloo Road'' |Leah Merchant |Main role |}
== References == {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb name|8230647}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kirk, Cora}} Category:English film actresses Category:Actresses from Oldham Category:Alumni of the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama Category:21st-century English actresses Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:English stage actresses Category:English television actresses