Olivia Vinall is an English actress known for her roles in Apple Tree Yard (2017), The Woman in White (2018) and as Detective Matilda Stone in Queens of Mystery in 2019.
Early life Olivia Vinall was born in Brussels, Belgium but spent part of her childhood in London and Washington DC. Vinall lived most of her early life in Belgium, attending secondary school there, moving to Washington DC for five years.
Vinall studied drama at the University of East Anglia and graduated in 2010 with a First Class BA (Hons) Degree in Drama before going on to further her education at the Drama Studio London. Vinall has performed at the National Student Drama Festival (NSDF) and is an NSDF alumna.
Theatre In 2010, Vinall's first appearance on stage was in a production of Romeo and Juliet. Further theatre work 2013 included playing Desdemona in Othello, and in 2014, Vinall starred as Cordelia in Sam Mendes's King Lear at The Royal National Theatre. In 2015, Vinall took centre stage again at National Theatre Live in Tom Stoppard's play The Hard Problem as Hilary. In 2015, Vinall was nominated for Best Supporting Performance for playing Nina in Anton Chekhov's The Seagull where she performed at Chichester Festival Theatre and when the production was transferred to the National Theatre.
TV and film Vinall's first television appearance was as Cassie Lock in the episode Cupcakes in Doctors in 2011. In 2013, she starred as the heroine Juliette in the rock musical Gutterdämmerung alongside rock stars such as Iggy Pop, Grace Jones, Lemmy and Slash. In 2017, Vinall starred in the BBC's Apple Tree Yard, where she played Carrie alongside Emily Watson. Vinall also starred as Arlette in the 2017 ITV television drama Maigret in Montmartre opposite Rowan Atkinson who played Maigret.
In 2018, she starred in the Amma Asante-directed romantic war drama arthouse film Where Hands Touch playing Hermine, a Jewish girl in Nazi Germany, alongside Abbie Cornish and Christopher Eccleston. In the same year, Vinall played two characters; asylum patient Anne Catherick and also Laura Fairlie in the BBC period drama adaptation of Wilkie Collins’ The Woman in White, alongside Charles Dance. In 2019, Vinall took lead role as Detective Matilda Stone in six episodes (three two-part stories) of the Acorn TV comedy-drama murder-mystery series Queens of Mystery
Vinall played the role of Sophie in Hermione Sylvester directed short film Fuel which had its international premiere at the 2020 Arrow London FrightFest Film Festival, an event which was held online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Vinall played the role of Julia Blythe, the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister (played by Helen McCrory) in the BBC political thriller television series Roadkill in 2020.
Vinall played the role of Stella in the modern romantic film A Beautiful Curse in 2021, where she is struck down by a form of sleeping disorder. The Martin Garde Abildgaard directed film premiered at the Cinequest Film & Creativity Festival in 2021.
Filmography Film YearTitleRole 2016 GutterdämmerungJuliette 2018 Lungs (Short) Claire 2018 Where Hands Touch Hermine 2019 Fuel (Short) Sophie 2019 Salt (Short) Olivia 2019 Vert (Short) Jem 2021 A Beautiful Curse Stella2023 Soft Facts (Short)Maia 2024Truth Serum (Short)Abbie2024Not Dark Yet (Short)Lucy2025Leonora in the Morning LightLeonora Carrington
Live streaming theatre YearTitleRoleNotes 2013 National Theatre Live Othello DesdemonaVia satellite 2014 National Theatre Live King Lear Cordelia Via satellite 2015 National Theatre Live The Hard Problem Hilary Via satellite
Television YearTitleRoleNotes 2011 Doctors Cassie Lock 1 episode Cupcakes 2012 Casualty Georgia Saddler Season 27, episode 4 An Amateur Sport 2013 Doctor Who Effie 1 episode The Crimson Horror 2014-2015 Holby CityLisa Chad 3 episodes 2016 Midsomer Murders Kim Fosse 1 episode - Breaking the Chain 2017 Maigret in Montmartre Arlette TV film 2017 Apple Tree YardCarrie 4 episodes 2018 The Woman in WhiteLaura Fairlie / Anne Catherick 5 episodes 2019 Queens of Mystery Matilda Stone 6 episodes 2020 Roadkill Julia BlytheAll 4 episodes 2023 Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix Dominique and Lucie (voice) 6 episodes
Audio YearTitleRole 2019 Middlemarch (BBC Audio) Dorothea
Video games YearTitleRole 2015 Sword Coast Legends Illydia Maethellyn 2019 Battlefleet Gothic: Armada 2 Autarch Yramahr / Id'artharn 2020 South of the Circle Clara 2021 Bravely Default 2 Marla - English version
Awards and nominations
Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref. 2013 Evening Standard Theatre Awards Milton Shulman award for outstanding newcomer Othello 2014 14th WhatsOnStage Awards London newcomer of the year Othello 2014 Ian Charleson Awards Outstanding performances by actors under 30 in classical roles Othello 2015 UK Theatre Awards Best Supporting Performance The Seagull 2018 Screen International Stars of Tomorrow (Career so far)
References
External links
Bespoke Voice Agency - Olivia Vinall