Fenella Woolgar (born 4 August 1969) is an English actress. Her films include Bright Young Things (2003), Cheerful Weather for the Wedding (2012), Swallows and Amazons (2016) and Victoria & Abdul (2017). On television, she is known for her roles in the BBC series Jekyll (2007) and Call the Midwife (2018–2022, 2025), the ITV war drama Home Fires (2015–2016), and the Apple TV+ series The Buccaneers (2023–2024). She also guest starred in episodes of Doctor Who (2008) as crime novelist Agatha Christie and Inside No. 9 (2018).
Early life 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 the Connecticut town of New Canaan. She was educated at Mayfield School, St Mary's College of Durham University, and then the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.
At university, along with acting she directed Murder in the Cathedral in Durham Cathedral and wrote and performed comedy in the Durham Revue.
Career Following Woolgar's graduation from RADA she worked in repertory theatre 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.
Woolgar's 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.
Woolgar has 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.
She also paints portraits in oils and won Celebrity Portrait Artist of the Year.
Awards and award nominations Stage Performance of the Year – The Sunday Times Culture Awards 2014 Clarence Derwent Award for Best Supporting Actress in the West End 2013."Fenella Woolgar and Paul Chahidi win Clarence Derwent awards". Retrieved 17 April 2014.
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
Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes2003 Bright Young Things Agatha Nominated - Empire Award for Best Newcomer Nominated - London Film Critics' Circle Award for Supporting Actress of the Year Nominated - British Independent Film Award for Most Promising Newcomer Nominated - Evening Standard Film Awards Best NewcomerStage BeautyAurelia MeresvaleVera Drake Hester 2004 Wah-Wah June Broughton 2006 Scoop Jane Cook 2007St Trinian's Miss Cleaver 2009 You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger Jane 2012 Cheerful Weather for the Wedding Nancy Dakin 2013Mr. Turner Elizabeth Eastlake 2016Swallows and Amazons Miss Crummock Whisky Galore! Dolly 2017 Victoria & Abdul Miss Phipps 2019Mr Jones Miss Stephenson JudyMargaret Hamilton 2024The ChoralLady Horsfall
Television Year Title Role Notes 2000 Poirot Ellis Episode: "Lord Edgware Dies"2001 People Like Us Episode: "The Bank Manager" The Way We Live Now Lady Julia Monogram Mini-Series Mr Charity Lady Sophie Series Regular 2003 Eroica Princess Marie Lobkowitz TV film 2004 He Knew He Was Right Arabella French Mini-series 2006 Mr. Loveday's Little Outing Angela Moping TV film 2007 Jekyll Min Series regular2008 Freezing Heidi 1 episode Doctor Who Agatha Christie Episode: "The Unicorn and the Wasp" 2010 Agatha Christie’s Poirot Miss Whittaker Episode: "Hallowe'en Party"2011 Silk Wendy Ford TV series, 1 episode Case Histories Amelia Land Part 1 & 2 "Case Histories" 2013 Spies of Warsaw Lady Angela Hope TV Mini-series, 4 episodes 2015-2016 Home Fires Alison Scotlock Series regular 2016 War & Peace Catiche Kuragina 3 episodes2017 The Halcyon Lady Ashworth 1 episode Harlots Lady Repton 4 episodes Quacks Lady Campbell 2 episodes 2018-2022, 2025 Call the Midwife Sister Hilda Series regular2018 Inside No. 9 June Episode: "And the Winner Is....." Midsomer Murders Hazel Webster Episode: "Till Death Do Us Part" 2019 Plebs Jocasta Episode: "The Grumbrella" 2020 Unprecedented: Real Time Theatre from a State of Isolation Tara 1 episode 2021 Dalgliesh Sister Mavis Gearing 2 episodes: "Shroud for a Nightingale" 2023 The ReckoningMargaret Thatcher 1 episode 2023-2024 The Buccaneers Lady Brightlingsea Main role 2024 The Deal Margaret DaviesMain role 2025 Dreaming Whilst Black CarolSupporting Role
Theatre 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, A 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 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
Radio 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
Audio 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
See also List of RADA alumni
References
External links