Monica Margaret Dolan (born 15 March 1969) is an English actress. She won the BAFTA TV Award for Best Supporting Actress for playing Rosemary West in Appropriate Adult (2011) and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role for All About Eve in 2019.
Early life and education 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.
Career 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.Sutcliffe, Tom (6 September 2010), "The Weekend's TV: U Be Dead, Sun, ITV1/My Funniest Year: 2000, Channel 4", independent.co.uk. .Wollaston, Sam (6 September 2010), "TV review: U Be Dead and The Yorkshire Dales On Film", guardian.co.uk. ."U Be Dead's Monica Dolan Discusses The Art of Stalking" , tv.com, 8 September 2010. 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"King Lear" , guardian.co.uk, 31 May 2007. 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.Appropriate Adult Wins Big at BAFTA TV Awards" , yahoo.com, 27 May 2012.Singh, Anita (27 May 2012), "Bafta Television Awards 2012: Fred West drama Appropriate Adult dominates", telegraph.co.uk. .
On stage, she starred as Loretta in Chalet Lines, written by Lee Mattinson, at the Bush Theatre.Spencer, Charles (16 April 2012), "Chalet Lines, Bush Theatre, review", telegraph.co.uk. . 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.
Personal life 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."
Acting credits Film Year Film Role Notes 1996 A Midsummer Night's Dream Hermia 1999 Topsy-Turvy Miss Barnes 2003 She Stoops to Conquer Miss Kate Hardcastle Video 2005 Guernsey Claire 2007 Hope Mother Short film 2009 Stalin: Reign of Terror Pitkovskaya 2010 The Arbor Ann Hamilton Never Let Me Go Nurse 2011 Meconium Kel (voice) Short film 2012 Sightseers Janice 2013 Bed Trick Beatrice Short film Out of Darkness Short film Vice of Mind Mother (voice) Short film Kick-Ass 2 Tommy's Mum Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa Angela Ashbourne 2014 Pride Marion Cooper The Falling Miss Martha Alvaro Twelve Jodie Short film 2015 Eye in the Sky Angela Northman 2017 Fern Woman Short film 2019 Official Secrets Fiona Bygate National Theatre Live: All About Eve Karen Richards Days of the Bagnold Summer Sue Bagnold Rialto Claire 2021 The Dig May Brown Cyrano Marie 2022 Empire of Light Rosemary Bates Typist Artist Pirate King Audrey Amiss A Woman Walks into a Bank Narrator Short film 2024 This Time Next Year Connie 2025 Book Club Jane Short film 2026 The Lost Children of Tuam Catherine Corless Elsinore Linda Tolhurst Onwards and Sideways Liz Evans
Television 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 & 2BAFTA 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 & 3Nominated — 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
Radio Year Title Role Notes 2025 High Cockalorum Receptionists / Jackie Radio play
Theatre