Lyndsey Marshal (born 16 June 1978) is an English actress best known for her performance in The Hours, as the recurring character Cleopatra on HBO's Rome, and as Lady Sarah Hill in BBC period drama Garrow's Law.
Biography Marshal was born in Manchester, England. She attended Old Trafford Junior School and Lostock High School. After studying the classics at college for a career in archaeology, she applied to the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.
Her first major part was in the play Fireface at the Royal Court Theatre, which she took just before graduation.Lyndsey Marshal | Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama In 2001, she won the Critics' Circle Theatre Award for Best Newcomer in 2001 for her performances in Redundant at the Royal Court Theatre and Boston Marriage at the Donmar Warehouse. In 2003, she won the TMA Theatre Award for Best Supporting Actress in A Midsummer Night's Dream. She appeared alongside James McAvoy in the 2009 West End production Three Days of Rain. In 2011, she appeared in Greenland at the National Theatre.
Marshal has appeared in the films The Hours alongside Nicole Kidman, and Hereafter, directed by Clint Eastwood.
Marshal starred as Cleopatra in HBO's Rome. Since 2009, she has played Lady Sarah Hill in the three series of the BBC One drama Garrow's Law and, with Julie Walters, in the BBC TV film A Short Stay in Switzerland. She starred also in ITV's new series of Agatha Christie's Marple.
In January 2013, Marshal played Eileen Blair, wife of Eric Blair, in the BBC Radio 4 drama The Real George Orwell – Homage to Catalonia. She also played Queen Gertrude in the radio drama series "Elsinore".
Filmography Film Year Film Role Notes 2002 Lottie Hop 2003 Stories of Lost Souls Simon's Girlfriend Segment: "Standing Room Only" 2004 Mags Livingston 2005 Frozen Tracey Festival Faith Myers Snuff-Movie Sandy / X / Janice 2008 1234 Emily 2010 Hereafter Jackie No Pressure Schoolteacher Short film produced by climate change mitigation campaign 10:10. Uncredited role 2012 In the Dark Half Kathy 2013 National Theatre Live: Othello Emilia Season 5 live broadcast on 26 September 2013 2014 Sarah 2016 Trespass Against Us Kelly Cutler 2019 Tor Irving 2024 Restless Nicky Up the Catalogue Hailey Cartin To Love a Narcissist Charlotte Post-production Truly Naked Julia
Television Year Film Role Notes 2000 Peak Practice Natalie Pearce Series 10; episode 12: "Masquerade" 2002 Peggy Television film Midsomer Murders Emma Tysoe Series 5; episode 3: "Ring Out Your Dead" 2003 Sons & Lovers Miriam Leivers Television film Ethel Monticue Television film 2005 Born and Bred Mary Pilling Series 4; episode 4: "Never Seek to Tell" Agatha Christie's Poirot Anne Meredith Series 10; episode 2: "Cards on the Table" 2005–2007 Rome Cleopatra Series 1; episode 8, and series 2; episodes 2 and 8–10 2007 Green Izzie Television film Isabel Meredith Television film 2008 Kiss of Death George Austen Television film. Also known as Breathless and Blood Rush Agatha Christie's Marple Amy Gibbs Series 4; episode 2: "Murder Is Easy" 2009 A Short Stay in Switzerland Jessica Television film 10 Minute Tales Gemma Episode 3: "Ding Dong" 2009–2011 Garrow's Law Lady Sarah Hill Series 1–3; 12 episodes 2010 Being Human Prof. Lucy Jaggat Series 2; episodes 1–8 Playhouse: Live Hannah Episode 2: "Ghost Story" 2012 Florrie Fontaine Television film Titanic Mabel Watson Mini-series; episodes 1–4 Blackout Lucy Demoys Mini-series; episodes 1–3 2014 Inside No. 9 Laura Series 1; episode 5: "The Understudy" That Day We Sang Sal Television film 2015 Iona Episodes 1–5 From Darkness Lucy Maxley Mini-series; episodes 1, 3 and 4 2016 Silent Witness Sasha Blackburn Series 19; episodes 5 and 6: "Life Licence: Parts 1 and 2" 2017 Ellie Series 4; episodes 1–3 2018 Trauma Susie Bowker Mini-series; episodes 1–3 2019 Hanna Rachel Series 1; 4 episodes Agatha and the Curse of Ishtar Agatha Christie Television film 2020 Dracula Bloxham Mini-series; episode 3: "The Dark Compass" 2022 Inside Man Mary Watling Episodes 1–4 2024 Inside No. 9 Party Guest Series 9; episode 6: "Plodding On" Insomnia Caroline Mitchell Episodes 1–6 2025 Death in Paradise Sadie Jones Series 14; episode 8
Theatre Year Title Role Company Director 2000 Fireface Olga Royal Court Theatre Top Girls Shona / Kit / Waitress New Vic Theatre 2001–02 Boston Marriage Catherine Donmar Warehouse / West End Redundant Lucy Royal Court Theatre 2003 Hermia Bristol Old Vic Bright Polly Soho Theatre 2004 Mary Warren Sheffield Crucible 2004–05 Sleeping Beauty Beauty Young Vic / New Victory Theater NYC 2005 Blood Wedding Wife Almeida Theatre 2005–06 Toinette Almeida Theatre 2007 June Olivier Theatre Absurdia Lucienne / Uncle Ted Donmar Warehouse 2008 Sylvia Royal Court Theatre 2009 Three Days of Rain Nan / Lina Apollo Theatre 2013 Othello Emilia Olivier Theatre 2015 Oresteia Clytemnestra HOME, Manchester 2018 (by Robert Icke, after Ibsen) Gina Almeida Theatre 2021 Force Majeure Ebba Donmar Warehouse
Awards 2001 Critics' Circle Theatre Award Best Newcomer (Redundant / The Boston Marriage) nomination 2002 Evening Standard Award Best Newcomer (Redundant / The Boston Marriage) nomination 2002 Olivier Award Best Supporting Actress (The Boston Marriage) 2003 TMA Theatre Award Best Supporting Actress (A Midsummer Night's Dream) nomination 2006 Ian Charleson Award (The Hypochondriac) 2016 1st International Film Festival & Awards – Macao Best Actress (Trespass Against Us)
References
External links
Lyndsey Marshal's National Theatre member profile Lyndsey Marshal's Troika Talent profile