Monica Dolan

• Name — Monica Dolan • Birth Name — Monica Margaret Dolan • Born — 15 March 1969 • Birthplace — Middlesbrough, North Riding of Yorkshire, England • Alma Mater — Guildhall School of Music and Drama • Occupation — Actress • Years Active — 1992–present • Awards — BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress

Dolan was born in Middlesbrough, England, to Irish parents, and raised in Woking, Surrey, with three older siblings. She trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.

Her credits include Agatha Christie's Poirot, Dalziel and Pascoe, Tipping the Velvet (with Rachael Stirling) and Judge John Deed. She also starred in ITV drama U Be Dead. In 2006, she played the future Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother in the television drama Wallis and Edward. Her stage appearances include Kate Hardcastle in She Stoops to Conquer, Regan in King Lear and Masha in The Seagull, the latter two with Ian McKellen. Dolan played British serial killer Rosemary West in the ITV drama Appropriate Adult in 2011, receiving critical acclaim and a BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress. On stage, she starred as Loretta in Chalet Lines, written by Lee Mattinson, at the Bush Theatre. In 2013, she portrayed twin sisters Meg and Mave Carter in the BBC TV series Call the Midwife. She appeared in W1A (a three-series follow-up to BBC2's BAFTA-winning comedy series Twenty Twelve), as Senior Communications Officer Tracey Pritchard. In 2016, Dolan appeared as Janet McIntyre in the BBC two-part drama The Witness for the Prosecution, an Agatha Christie play adapted for television by Sarah Phelps. In 2017, she made guest appearances in Catastrophe, Death in Paradise and Strike, whilst also writing and starring in her debut one-woman play, The B*easts at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. The play went on to win an Edinburgh Stage Award. In 2018, Dolan made a guest appearance in an episode of the fourth series of Inside No 9. Later that year, she portrayed Marion Thorpe in the critically acclaimed miniseries A Very English Scandal, receiving her second BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress. The B*easts also transferred for a limited London run at the Bush Theatre. In 2019, she portrayed Karen Richards in the stage production of All About Eve for which she received a Laurence Olivier Award for Best Supporting Actress. June 2020 saw her appearing in the remade television series of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads on BBC One. In one of two newly written episodes, Dolan performed a monologue in "The Shrine". This was one of the episodes staged at London's Bridge Theatre in September 2020, with Dolan reprising her role. In 2021, she appeared in The Dig, playing May Brown, wife of the archaeologist and astronomer Basil Brown, who discovered the Anglo-Saxon treasure at Sutton Hoo near Woodbridge, Suffolk. In 2022, Dolan starred as Sister Aloysius in Doubt: A Parable at the Chichester Festival Theatre, receiving critical acclaim. She also appeared alongside Eddie Marsan in the ITV drama The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe as Anne Darwin. She has appeared in two episodes of Black Mirror: "Smithereens" from Series 5 and "Loch Henry" from Series 6. In 2023, she played Carmel in six-part Channel 4 comedy drama The Change. She also starred in Typist Artist Pirate King, directed by Carol Morley, as British artist Audrey Amiss. The film had its UK premiere at the Glasgow Film Festival in March, and was released in October 2023, to positive reviews. In January 2024, she played the role of subpostmistress Jo Hamilton in Mr Bates vs The Post Office, an acclaimed four-part ITV drama based on the true story of the Horizon IT scandal, which saw numerous innocent subpostmasters prosecuted for fraud. The series ignited considerable public and media interest and was watched by an estimated 13.5 million viewers. In August 2024, she appeared as Ann Branson, the mother of a murdered son, in the second series of the BBC TV drama Sherwood. In March 2025, Dolan was nominated for both performances at the British Academy Television Awards, in the Best Actress and Best Supporting Actress categories respectively. She also received a nomination for Leading Actor - Female at the Royal Television Society Awards for Mr Bates vs The Post Office. In August 2025, it was announced that Dolan would be joining the cast of award-winning BBC sitcom Smoggie Queens.

Dolan was raised Catholic and has spoken about its lasting influence on her outlook. In a 2020 interview, she remarked, "You never stop being a Catholic really – not culturally. It goes deep."

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1993 — The Bill — Mrs. Heaton — Series 9; Episode 154: "Cause for Concern" • 1997 — Ruth Bell — Series 13; Episode 43: "A Bitter Pill" • 1998 — The Gift — Jo — Television film • 2001 — Judge John Deed — Natalie Abbott — Series 1; Episode 1: "Rough Justice" • 2002 — Dalziel and Pascoe — Megan Lowry — Series 7; Episode 1: "The Unwanted" • Tipping the Velvet — Alice Astley — Mini-series; Episode 1 • 2005 — Wallis & Edward — Elizabeth — Television film • 2006 — Agatha Christie's Poirot — Cora Gallaccio / Miss Gilchrist — Series 10; Episode 3: "After the Funeral" • The Commander: Blacklight — DC Pamela Hayes — Television film • 2007 — The History of Mr. Polly — Annie Larkins — Television film • 2008 — Great Performances — Regan — Series 37; Episode 12: "King Lear" • 2009 — Occupation — Nicky Swift — Mini-series; Episodes 1–3 • U Be Dead — Maria Marchese — Television film • Midsomer Murders — Imogen Stroud — Series 12; Episode 7: "The Great and the Good" • 2010 — Excluded — Amanda — Television film • DCI Banks: Aftermath — Maggie Forrest — Series 1; Episodes 1 & 2: "Aftermath: Parts 1 & 2" • 2011 — Appropriate Adult — Rosemary West — Mini-series; Episodes 1 & 2 BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress • 2012 — Coming Up — Lisa — Series 10; Episode 4: "Spoof or Die" • 2013 — Call the Midwife — Meg / Mave Carter — Series 2; Episode 3 • Complicit — Judith — Television film • The Escape Artist — Eileen Morris — Mini-series; Episodes 2 & 3: "Parts 2 & 3" • 2014–2024 — W1A — Tracey Pritchard — Series 1–4; 16 episodes • 2015 — Wolf Hall — Alice More — Mini-series; Series 1; Episodes 2 & 4: "Entirely Beloved" and "The Devil's Spit" • The Casual Vacancy — Tessa Wall — Mini-series; Episodes 1–3 • 2016 — Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge — Angela — Series 2; Episodes 1 & 4: "Foxhunter + Radio Play" and "Jasper + Chef" • Neil Gaiman's Likely Stories — Dr. Marshall / Café Manager / Nora / Miranda Walker — Mini-series; Episodes 1–4 • The Witness for the Prosecution — Janet McIntyre — Mini-series; Episodes 1 & 2 • 2017 — Death in Paradise — Patricia Lawrence — Series 6; Episode 2: "The Secret of the Flame Tree" • Catastrophe — Polly — Series 3; Episode 2 • Strike — Leonora Quine — Series 1; Episodes 4 & 5: "The Silkworm: Parts 1 & 2" • 2018 — Inside No. 9 — May — Series 4; Episode 3: "Once Removed" • A Very English Scandal — Marion Thorpe — Mini-series; Episodes 2 & 3 Nominated — BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress • Vanity Fair — Mrs. Peggy O'Dowd — Mini-series; Episodes 4–7 • Hang Ups — Alison Jones — Episodes 1 & 3 • God's Own County — Jackie — Television short film • 2019 — Christmas University Challenge — Herself - Contestant — Series 9; Episode 3: "Guildhall School of Music and Drama v UCL" • Urban Myths — Catherine Dickens — Mini-series; Series 3; Episode 1: "Bleak House Guest" • 2019, 2023 — Black Mirror — CS Linda Grace, Janet McCardle — Series 5; Episode: "Smithereens", Series 6; Episode 2: "Loch Henry" • 2020 — Unprecedented — Kat — Episode 4 • Talking Heads — Lorna — Episode 12: "The Shrine" • 2022 — The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe — Anne Darwin — Mini-series; Episodes 1–4 • My Name is Leon — Maureen — Television film • 2023 — The Change — Carmel — Series 1; Episodes 1–6 • 2024 — Celebrity Chase — Herself - Contestant — Series 14; Episode 2 • Mr Bates vs The Post Office — Jo Hamilton — Mini-series; Episodes 1–4 • Comic Relief: Funny for Money — Tracey Pritchard — Television film • Inside No. 9 — Herself — Series 9; Episode 6: "Plodding On" • Sherwood — Ann Branson — Series 2; Episodes 1–6 • A Ghost Story for Christmas — Mrs. Dorman — Episode 18: "Woman of Stone" • 2026 — Smoggie Queens — Paula — Series 2; 3 episodes

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 2025 — High Cockalorum — Receptionists / Jackie — Radio play

• Year — Title — Role — Director — Venue • 1992 — The Merchant of Venice — Jessica — John Durnin — Northcott Theatre • Outside Edge — Unknown — Martin Harvey • The Three Musketeers — Unknown — John Durnin • To Kill a Mockingbird — Unknown — Christopher Sergel • 1992–1993 — Robin of the Wood — Much — John Durnin • 1994 — Unfinished Business — Feebs — Steven Pimlott — Barbican Theatre • Words, Words, Words — Performer — Unknown — The Other Place • 1994–1995 — Coriolanus — Virgilia — David Thacker — Swan Theatre Barbican Theatre • Henry V — Princess Catherine — Matthew Warchus — Royal Shakespeare Theatre Barbican Theatre • Measure for Measure — Juliet — Steven Pimlott — Royal Shakespeare Theatre Theatre Royal, Newcastle • 1995–1996 — A Midsummer Night's Dream — Hermia — Adrian Noble — Barbican Theatre Golden Gate Theatre Shubert Theatre • 1996–1997 — Peter Pan — Unknown — Matthew Warchus — West Yorkshire Playhouse • 1997 — Jane Eyre — Jane Eyre — Polly Teale — UK tour • 1998 — The Glass Menagerie — Laura — Polly Teale — Royal Lyceum Theatre • An Experiment with an Air-Pump — Maria Fenwick — Matthew Lloyd — Hampstead Theatre • 1999 — The Glory of Living — Lisa — Kathryn Hunter — Royal Court Theatre • Hay Fever — Sorel Bliss — Declan Donnellan — UK tour • The Taming of the Shrew — Katherine — Lindsay Posner — Barbican Theatre • 2001 — The Walls — Mary — Mick Gordon — Cottesloe Theatre • Sliding with Suzanne — Suzanne — Max Stafford-Clark — Royal Court Theatre • 2002–2003 — A Laughing Matter — Peg Woffington / Hannah More — Max Stafford-Clark — Lyttelton Theatre UK tour • She Stoops to Conquer — Kate Hardcastle — Max Stafford-Clark — Lyttelton Theatre UK tour • 2004 — Mary Stuart — Mary — Patrick Sandford — Nuffield Theatre • 2005 — Macbeth — Lady Macbeth — Max Stafford-Clark — Oxford Playhouse Arcola Theatre • 2007–2008 — King Lear — Regan — Trevor Nunn — Courtyard Theatre UK & World tour • The Seagull — Masha — Trevor Nunn — Courtyard Theatre UK & World tour • 2008 — Birth of a Nation — Painter — Ramin Gray — Royal Court Theatre • 2013 — Chalet Lines — Loretta — Madani Younis — Bush Theatre • The Same Deep Water as Me — Anne / Georgina — John Crowley — Donmar Warehouse • 2015 — Plaques and Tangles — Megan — Lucy Morrison — Royal Court Theatre • 2017 — The B*easts — Tessa — John Hoggarth — Writer Edinburgh Festival Fringe Bush Theatre • 2019 — All About Eve — Karen Richards — Ivo van Hove — Noël Coward Theatre • Appropriate — Toni Lafayette — Ola Ince — Donmar Warehouse • 2020 — The Shrine — Susan — Nicholas Hytner — Bridge Theatre • 2022 — Doubt: A Parable — Sister Aloysius — Lia Williams — Chichester Festival Theatre