Fenella Woolgar

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Fenella Woolgar^[1] (born 4 August 1969) is an English film, theatre, television and radio actress. She is known for her roles in films including Bright Young Things, Swallows and Amazons and Victoria and Abdul and for TV shows including Doctor Who, as crime novelist Agatha Christie, Inside Number 9, Call the Midwife and The Buccaneers.

Woolgar was born in London. Her mother is of Irish descent and she has joint UK and Irish citizenship. Woolgar's early years were spent in New Canaan, Connecticut, USA. She was educated at Mayfield School, Durham University, and then Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA).^[1]

At university, along with acting she directed Murder in the Cathedral in Durham Cathedral and wrote and performed comedy in The Durham Revue.

Following Woolgar's graduation from RADA she worked in rep at The Royal Exchange, Manchester, York Theatre Royal, Sheffield Crucible and for the BBC in both television and radio.

She was cast as Agatha in Stephen Fry's film Bright Young Things for which she was nominated for a number of awards. She subsequently went on to work with Mike Leigh in Vera Drake and Mr. Turner, and Woody Allen in Scoop and You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger. Other notable films include Victoria and Abdul and Swallows and Amazons. ^[2]

Woolgar's recent TV work includes series 1 and 2 of The Buccaneers for Apple TV, The Deal for Bande Apart films and as Margaret Thatcher in The Reckoning for the BBC. She did two series as Alison Scotlock in Home Fires. She joined Call the Midwife as Sister Hilda for 4 series. She played Agatha Christie in Doctor Who.^[3]

Woolgar has most recently worked in theatre at the Royal Court, the Donmar, the National Theatre, the Old Vic and in the West End. She worked with Conor McPherson in The Veil at the National Theatre. She won the Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Brian Friel’s adaptation of Hedda Gabler. She won the Sunday Times Culture Award for Stage Performance of the Year for playing Margaret Thatcher in Handbagged in the West End.

She is regularly heard on BBC radio and was nominated for Best Actress on the radio for An American Rose in which she played Rosemary Kennedy. Roles include Mrs Dalloway for BBC Radio 4 and Edith Wharton in both The Jinx Element and Ethan Frome. She starred in the titular role in BBC Radio 4 comedy Dot, written by Ed Harris. She has narrated many audiobooks and was nominated for Audio Book of the Year for Life after Life by Kate Atkinson.^[4]

She also paints portraits in oils and won Celebrity Portrait Artist of the Year.

• Celebrity Portrait Artist of the Year - Sky Arts 2019
• Stage Performance of the Year – The Sunday Times Culture Awards 2014^[5]
• Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress in the West End 2013.^[6]

Woolgar has been nominated for several awards, including:

• Best Supporting Actress – What's On Stage Awards 2013
• Best Actress – BBC Radio Drama Awards 2013
• Best Audio Book of the Year (for Life After Life) 2013
• Best Supporting Actress – British Independent Film Awards 2003
• Best Supporting Actress – Empire Film Awards 2003
• Best Supporting Actress – London Critics Circle 2003
• Best Newcomer – Evening Standard Theatre Awards 2003
• Best Supporting Actress – Manchester Evening News Awards 2000 and 2001

• 1994: Nelly, Playboy of the Western World, Bristol Old Vic
• 1999: Varya, The Cherry Orchard, York Theatre Royal
• 2000: Lucy, Bring Me Sunshine, Royal Exchange, Manchester
• 2000: Kitty Verdun, Charley's Aunt, Sheffield Crucible
• 2000: Celia, As You Like It, Royal Exchange, Manchester
• 2001: Eleanor, The Miser, Salisbury Playhouse
• 2001: Teresa, How the Other Half Loves, Watford Palace Theatre
• 2002: Emma, Way Upstream, Derby Playhouse
• 2002: Helena, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester
• 2004: Adela, Passage to India, Shared Experience Theatre Company
• 2005: Charlotte Brontë, Brontë, Shared Experience Theatre Company
• 2006: Helen, Motortown, Royal Court, London
• 2009: Madge, Time and the Conways, National Theatre, London directed by Rupert Goold
• 2010: Charlotte, The Real Thing at the Old Vic, London
• 2011: Madeleine, The Veil by Conor McPherson, National Theatre, London, directed by Conor McPherson
• 2012: Thea Elvsted in Brian Friel's adaptation of Hedda Gabler, Old Vic, London
• 2013: Theresa in Circle Mirror Transformation, Royal Court Local Theatre, Rose Lipman Building, Haggerston, London
• 2013: Margaret Thatcher (Mags) in Handbagged by Moira Buffini, Tricycle Theatre, London^[7]
• 2014: Margaret Thatcher (Mags) in Handbagged, Vaudeville Theatre, London
• 2016: Valerie, Welcome Home Captain Fox, Donmar Warehouse, London
• 2017: Miss Roach, The Slaves of Solitude, Hampstead Theatre, London
• 2023: Lady Agrippina, Mates in Chelsea, Royal Court, London

Includes:

• Virginia Woolf in The Hours for BBC Radio 4, Polly Thomas and Judith Kampfner
• Poetry Please with Roger McGough for BBC Radio 4
• Book of the Week for Radio 4 including Only In Naples by Katherine Wilson and Millions Like Us by Virginia Nicholson
• Dot in Dot by Ed Harris, series 1 and 2
• Blood Sex and Money – Zola, BBC Radio 4 Polly Thomas written by Dan Rebellato
• Mrs Dalloway in Mrs Dalloway, BBC Radio 4 Marc Beeby
• Rosemary Kennedy in An American Rose, BBC Radio 4 Sally Avens
• Edith Wharton in Ethan Frome and in The Jinx Element, BBC Radio 4 Sally Avens
• Before They Were Famous, Hat Trick
• Flaw in the Motor, Dust in the Blood, BBC Radio 4, Toby Swift written by Trevor Preston
• Miss Bingley in Pride and Prejudice, as part of the Jane Austen BBC Radio Drama Collection

Includes:

• Life After Life and Transcription by Kate Atkinson
• The Other Family and Daughters in Law by Joanna Trollope
• Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery, a collection of winter-themed short stories by Agatha Christie
• Dr. Sofia Lamb – BioShock 2

• List of RADA alumni

• Fenella Woolgar at IMDb