Margaret Helen Dence (born 1 February 1942) is an Australian actress of stage and screen, with a career spanning some seven decades. Dence is known to early audiences for her roles in the satirical TV comedy The Mavis Bramston Show, and also serving as that series' mascot (originally portrayed in the pilot by Noeline Brown). Dence featured in comedy Kingswood Country with stars Ross Higgins and Judi Farr as snobbish Merle Bullpit. Her dramatic roles include Rose Sullivan in The Sullivans, Bev Baker in Prisoner, and school headmistress Dorothy Burke in Neighbours.
Career Mavis Bramston and Kingswood Country Dence played various characters influential Australian satirical sketch comedy program The Mavis Bramston Show from 1966 and 1968. One of her characters was the title character Mavis Bramston – the joke being that Mavis appeared in only the opening segment of each episode and was not seen again thereafter. She was also a recurring guest in the popular 1980s sitcom Kingswood Country, playing the snobbish Merle Bulpitt.
Soap opera: The Sullivans, Prisoner and Neighbours Her best-known soap opera roles are The Sullivans as the sweet-natured Rose Sullivan between 1976 and 1978, and Prisoner in a darker role in 1984 as an evil psychopath and serial killer called Bev 'The Beast' Baker. She played stern school headmistress Dorothy Burke in Neighbours from 1990. Dence decided to leave the show in late 1992 and she filmed her final scenes in November. She then travelled to the UK, where she played the Fairy Godmother in a pantomime production of Cinderella.
Other roles Dence also had smaller cameo roles in TV serials A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, All Saints and Heartbreak High.
In 2005, she appeared in the award-winning Australian film Look Both Ways.
Personal life Dence was married to actor and director Graham Rouse for 56 years until his death in June 2021. They met at the Independent Theatre in Sydney.
Awards and recognition Dence was named (on 29 September) the 2011 recipient of the Equity Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding services to the performing arts – both stage and screen – and her longstanding involvement with the NSW Actors' Benevolent Fund. The award, presented by Foxtel, is from Maggie's peers and members of her union, the Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance Equity (Performers) Section, which she joined in 1962.
Dence was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2022 Queen's Birthday Honours "for service to the performing arts".
Filmography
Film Year Title Role Notes1971Wake in FrightReceptionistFeature film1982Shop assistantFeature film1982Italian LadyFeature film1988CherithFilm short1989Luigi's LadiesShandraFeature film2003Danny DeckchairMeredith ButcherFeature film2003Peter PanLady Quiller Couch Feature film2005Look Both WaysJoanFeature film2009GraceNonaFilm short2015Old WitchFilm short2015ElaineFilm short2016Film short2016SetaceousFilm short2018GrannyGrannyFilm short2018Inside WaterYabbyFilm short2019StrangersBibiFilm short20??Dirt CheapIreneFeature film2021The Drover's WifeMrs. Shirley McGuinessFeature film2023The Appleton Ladies' Potato RaceMiss VaughnFeature film
Television Year Title Role Notes1966–1968The Mavis Bramston ShowMavis BramstonTV series (regular lead role)1967; 1975HomicideElaine FlemingTV series, 1 episode: "The Legacy"1968–1969I've Married a Bachelor TV series, 3 episodes "You Tell Me Your Dreams, I'll Tell You My Dreams", "Into the Breach"1969Skippy the Bush KangarooSopranoTV series, 1 episode: "El Toro"1970The Link MenEdie WhitmanTV series, 1 episode 11: "Somebody's Kid Is Missing"1972A Nice Day at the OfficeMrs. QuiggleyTV series, 1 episode1973BoneyMrs. CouttsTV series, 1 episode: "Boney and the Emu Man"1973Division 4Marion EvansTV series, 1 episode: "Willie"1974Silent NumberNurse Janet KayTV series, 1 episode: "Bang, Bang, You're Dead"1975HomicideAnne Carson / Elaine FlemingTV series, 1 episode: "Brick Veneer"1976–1979The SullivansAunty Rose SullivanTV series, 250 episodes 1979Doctor Down UnderMrs. PeabodyTV series, 1 episode: "A Bird in the Hand"1980Trial By Marriage TV series1980–1984Kingswood CountryMerle BullpitTV series, 18 episodes; 1981A Town Like AliceMrs. O'ConnorTV miniseries, 2 episodes1981Daily at Dawn TV series, 1 episode1981A Country PracticeJan HardyTV series, 2 episodes: "Secrets: Parts 1 & 2"1981Holiday Island Mrs BrandonTV series, 1 episode1981Tickled PinkTV series, 1 episode1981The World Around Us: Stress - It Wasn't Meant to be EasyHerselfTV documentary1982A Country PracticeCourtney FraserTV series, 2 episodes: "Show Down: Parts 1 & 2"1984A Country PracticeBlanche MitchellTV series, 2 episodes: "Ships in the Night: Parts 1 & 2"1984PrisonerBev BakerTV series, 6 episodes1985The PerfectionistRosie PetersTV film1985PossessionLady ShannonTV series 1985Winners: The Other Facts of LifePsychiatristTV film1987Willing and Abel TV series, 1 episode: "Miss September"1987The Flying DoctorsHelen ManningTV series, 1 episode: "Sapphire"1988Act of BetrayalDorothyTV film1989A Country PracticeVictoria FlemingTV series, 2 episodes: "Bel Canto: Parts 1 & 2"1989Rafferty's RulesVanessa PearceTV series, 1 episode1989Edens LostProducerTV miniseries, 4 episodes1989Home BrewMarjorie DaleyTV film1990More Winners: The Big WishLady MikeevilTV film1990–1993Neighbours Dorothy BurkeTV series, 356 episodes1994G.P.Judith Marr TV series, 1 episode: "Coitus Interruptus"1994The Mavis Bramston 30th AnniversaryHerselfTV special1995CorrelliMaureen Barnes TV series, 1 episode: "An Early Release"1995Neighbours: A 10th Anniversary CelebrationHerselfTV special1997Heartbreak HighMrs. MacTV series, 1 episode1998Blue HeelersElizabeth SchulzTV series, 1 episode: "Letting Go"1998Driven CrazyGranny RoseTV series, 1 episode: "Mousechap"1998–2007All Saints Lyn Brown / Maggie Cooper / June MarkhamTV series, 5 episodes2000Water RatsJoy TurnerTV series, 1 episode: "Mummy Dearest"2000Grass RootsEllen LeonardTV series, 1 episode: "The Whole Year"2000StingersCelia JonesTV series, 1 episode: "Organised Crime"2002Fairy Tale Police Department VoiceTV series, 26 episodes: "Pinocchio: Puppet in Peril"2002Always GreenerSister SternTV series, 1 episode: "Understanding the Cry"2002–2003All SaintsJune MarkhamTV series, 3 episodes: "Chemistry", "Trust", "Friend in Need"2006Small Claims: The ReunionRomaTV film2008Milly, MollyMiss BlytheTV series2008Out of the BlueOlive HammondTV series, 17 episodes2013The Very Trevor Ashley ShowOld LadyTV series, 1 episode: "Pilot"2013–2015WonderlandRuth MacPhersonTV series, 9 episodes2014; 2016Black Comedy TV series, 2 episodes2015Ready for ThisMabelTV series, 1 episode: "Fresh Meat"2016RakeJanet TV series, 1 episode: "4.3"2017Attack! Attack! Art?GranTV series, 4 episodes2019The CommonsJaniceTV miniseries, 1 episode2019FrayedMrs Atkins TV series, 7 episodes2022–2026Heartbreak HighNanTV series, 12 episodes2022Significant OthersPamTV series, 3 episodes2022Pushing The Boundaries: The Mavis Bramston ShowHerselfFilm documentary2023The MessengerMilla RosebyTV series, 6 episodes2023Queen of OzJuneTV series, 1 episode: "Ginger Eyebrows"
Theatre Year Production Venue 1959 Volpone Independent Theatre 1960 The Crucible Independent Theatre 1960Clerambard Independent Theatre 1960 Inherit the Wind Independent Theatre 1962 Rhinoceros Independent Theatre 1962 What's New? Phillip St Theatre 1962 The Rose and the Ring Independent Theatre 1963 The Rage Copenhagen Downstairs Revue 1963 Twenties Spectacular Independent Theatre 1963 Abousir and Aboukir Independent Theatre 1966 Muriel's Virtues Independent Theatre 1967 Hail Gloria Fitzpatrick Phillip St Theatre 1968 Breath of Spring Independent Theatre 1969 The Women Independent Theatre 1970 Oh, Sir Henry! Melbourne Athenaeum 1972 Blop Goes the Weazel University of NSW, Parade Theatre 1 1973 Bonbons and Roses for Dolly Jane Street Theatre 1974 Kookaburra Nimrod Theatre 1975 Girl's Night Out Jools Theatre Restaurant 1975 Balance of Payments Tregear Community Centre & AMP Theatrette, Sydney (2 performances) 1976 Still Life with Apples Bankstown Town Hall & AMP Theatrette, Sydney (2 performances) 1976 Kennedy's Children Nimrod Theatre 1976 The Shoemaker's Holiday Sydney Opera House 1978 The Comedy of Errors Nimrod Theatre 1978 The Lady from Maxim's Sydney Opera House 1979 Last of the Red Hot Lovers Ensemble Theatre 1979 The Sea Nimrod Theatre 1980 Has He Anyone Ensemble Theatre 1981 The Man from Mukinupin Sydney Ooera House 1982 Annie Canberra Theatre 1982 The Provok'd Wife University of NSW, Parade Theatre 1982 Camino Real University of NSW, Parade Theatre 1982 Four Lady Bowlers in a Golden Holden Kinselas, Darlinghurst & Canberra Theatre 1983 Sweeney Todd Q Theatre, Penrith 1984 The Season at Sarsaparilla The Playhouse, Adelaide 1985 The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui Seymour Centre 1985 Arms and the Man Seymour Centre 1986 Having a Ball..! Canberra Theatre 1987 The One Day of the Year Ensemble Theatre 1987 See How They Run Northside Theatre, Killara, 1988 Steel Magnolias Seymour Centre & Melbourne Athenaeum 1988 A Small Family Business Northside Theatre, Killara 1989 Curtains Northside Theatre, Killara 1993 Away Riverside Theatres, Parramatta 1994 Goodworks Q Theatre, Penrith 1996 The Shoe-Horn Sonata Playhouse Theatre, Perth 1996 Virtual Unreality Tilbury Hotel, Woolloomooloo 1996 Good Works The Space, Adelaide & Wharf 2 Theatre, Sydney 1997 Mongrels Wharf 1 Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company 1998 After the Ball Sydney Opera House 2001 Noises Off Sydney Opera House 2003 Uncle Vanya Darlinghurst Theatre 2003 The Kid Theatre Royal, Hobart 2005 Close to Home Stables Theatre 2008 Attack of the Granny Boomers Parade Theatre 2014 Once in Royal David's City Belvoir Street Theatre 2015 Seventeen Belvoir Street Theatre 2016 The Turquoise Elephant Stables Theatre 2017 Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Old Fitzroy Theatre 2018 Marjorie Prime Ensemble Theatre 2019 Baby Doll Ensemble Theatre
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