Dorothy Caroline Atkinson (born 1966) is an English actress and singer.[1][2] She has appeared in several plays by playwright Alan Ayckbourn and in films by Mike Leigh, including Topsy-Turvy, All or Nothing, and Mr. Turner, which premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival, and for which she was nominated for the BIFA for Best Supporting Actress.[3]

Dorothy Atkinson
Atkinson in 2014
Born
Dorothy Caroline Atkinson

1966 (age 57–58)
OccupationActress
Years active1988–present
SpouseMartin Savage
Children1

In television, she has appeared as Zoe Parrish on ITV drama London's Burning, Jane Sutton in the BBC One drama Call the Midwife, Pauline in the BBC Two sitcom Mum, Florence Scanwell in the ITV Encore drama Harlots, and Mary Pennyworth in the Epix/HBO Max drama Pennyworth. An April 2021 announcement stated that Atkinson would be joining the cast of the second series of All Creatures Great and Small as Diana Brompton.[4]

Personal life

edit

Atkinson is from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Her father was a bursar for a school in Nottinghamshire and she has one sister. Her nickname is "Dot". She is married to actor Martin Savage and they have one son.[5]

Filmography

edit

Film

edit
Year Film Role Notes
1997 Keep the Aspidistra Flying Dora
1999 Topsy-Turvy Jessie Bond
2002 All or Nothing Silent Passenger
The Final Curtain Betty (Contestant)
2004 Every Time You Look at Me Receptionist TV film
2005 Look at Me I'm Beautiful Annie Joplin Short film
2006 Housewife, 49 Mrs. Mac TV film
2009 May Contain Nuts Mrs. Whimhurst TV film
Mid Life Christmas Kerry Perry TV film
2010 Chatroom Emily's Mother
2014 Mr. Turner Hannah Danby
That Day We Sang Gertrude Riall TV film
2015 Peter and Wendy Nurse Doyle TV film
2017 The Mercy Eve Tetley
2018 Peterloo Singing Weaver
2019 The Sands of Venus Phyllida Short film
2021 The Electrical Life of Louis Wain Mrs. DuFrayne
2023 Saltburn Paula Quick

Television

edit
Year Title Role Network Notes
1991–1993 London's Burning Zoe Parrish ITV Series regular
1994 Peak Practice Woman Driver ITV Episode: "Long Weekend"
Heartbeat Connie Gibson ITV Episode: "Nice Girls Don't"
2001 Murder in Mind Julie BBC One Episode: "Vigilante"
2003 Holby City Trudi Halliday BBC One Episode: "End of the Line"
2004 Life Begins Female Organiser ITV Episode: "Maggie & Helen"
Murder City Gill Grieves ITV Episode: "Mr. Right"
2005 No Angels Caroline Channel 4 Episode: #2.7
Bodies Sarah Tankard BBC Three 2 episodes
2006 Heartbeat Carol Parsons ITV Episode: "The Dying of the Light"
The Innocence Project Fiona Kinsella BBC One Episode: #1.3
2007 Skins Receptionist E4 Episode: "Effy"
Peep Show Therapist Channel 4 Episode: "Holiday"
2008 Sunshine Jennifer BBC One Mini-series, episode: #1.2
2009 Casualty 1909 Nurse Granger BBC One Episode: #1.1
2010 PhoneShop Sue E4 Episode: "Soldier, Swinger, Shelley, Shelley"
2011 Midsomer Murders Angela Lawrence ITV Episode: "Not in My Back Yard"
2012 Coronation Street Yvonne Perry ITV 2 episodes
The Town Ann ITV Mini-series, 2 episodes
2013 Call the Midwife Jane Sutton BBC One Series regular
2015 Code of a Killer Barbara Ashworth ITV Mini-series, 2 episodes
2016 Vera Shirley Hewarth ITV Episode: "The Moth Catcher"
2016–2019 Mum Pauline BBC Two Series regular
2017 Maigret Claire Grandjean ITV Episode: "Night at the Crossroads"
Comedy Playhouse Teresa Smith BBC One Episode: "Mister Winner"
Strike Kathryn Kent BBC One Episode: "The Silkworm"
2017–2018 Harlots Florence Scanwell ITV Encore Series regular
2018 Next of Kin Annabel Ghillies ITV Mini-series, 3 episodes
2019 Hanna Therapist Amazon Prime Video 2 episodes: "Town" & "Mother"
2019–2022 Pennyworth Mrs. Pennyworth Epix Series regular
2020–present Secrets of the Museum Narrator BBC Two Documentary series
2021 All Creatures Great and Small Diana Brompton Channel 5 3 episodes
2022 Magpie Murders Lady Pye BBC One 5 episodes
Pistol Sylvia Cook FX Mini-series, 4 episodes
Without Sin Jessie Cole ITV 1 Mini-series, 4 episodes
2023 Stonehouse Betty Boothroyd ITV 1 3 episodes[6]
The Gold Jeannie Savage BBC One 4 episodes[7]
The Long Shadow Betty Hoban ITV 1 Mini-series, 3 episodes
2024 Inside No. 9 Sheila BBC One Series 9, episode 3: "Mulberry Close"
Ludwig DCS Carol Shaw BBC One Series regular
Joan Mrs. May ITV 1 Mini-series, 5 episodes

Theatre

edit

Atkinson has performed many shows at the Stephen Joseph Theatre with Alan Ayckbourn, including The Boy Who Fell Into a Book, in which she originated the role of the Queen in 1998.

In 2002, she was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in Eden End as Lillian, by the Barclays Theatre Awards, an award recognising regional British theatre.

In 2003, she played Marie in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Beauty and the Beast by Laurence Boswell.[8]

In 2006, Atkinson played Nora in Epitaph for George Dillon at the Comedy Theatre, and in 2007 the Woman in A Matter of Life and Death at the National Theatre.

In 2009, she played Vera in Just Between Ourselves by Alan Ayckbourn at Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatre.

Atkinson made her Broadway debut in the 2010 production of Brief Encounter, playing three roles (Dolly/Hermione/Beryl). This production was conceived originally with the Kneehigh Theatre Company (of which she is a member) and she stayed with the show when it moved to New York.

References

edit
  1. ^ "Dorothy Atkinson credits". Curtisbrown.co.uk. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
  2. ^ "The Indiewire Springboard: 'Mr. Turner' Breakout and Mike Leigh Muse Dorothy Atkinson Says 'No' to Vanity". Indiewire.com. 16 May 2014. Retrieved 21 August 2020.
  3. ^ Pauline McLeod (26 October 2014). "Actress Dorothy Atkinson on Call the Midwife and Mr Turner - Life - Life & Style - Daily Express". Express.co.uk.
  4. ^ "Patricia Hodge Replaces The Late Diana Rigg On Channel 5/PBS Series 'All Creatures Great & Small'". Deadline Hollywood. 8 April 2021. Retrieved 11 April 2021.
  5. ^ Adrienne Onofri. "The Three Faces of BRIEF ENCOUNTER's Dorothy Atkinson". BroadwayWorld.
  6. ^ "Meet the cast of Stonehouse and their real-life counterparts". Radio Times. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 14 February 2023.
  7. ^ "First Look images and further casting announced for upcoming BBC Drama The Gold". bbc.co.uk/mediacentre. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  8. ^ "Brief Encounter Inside The Playbill on Broadway - Information, Cast, Crew, Synopsis and Photos - Playbill Vault". playbillvault.com. Archived from the original on 28 July 2014. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
edit