Carol MacReady

Last updated

Carol MacReady
NationalityEnglish
OccupationActress
Years active1961–present
Spouses James Laurenson
(m. 1970; div. 1997)
Children1

Carol MacReady is an English actress. She has been working in the profession since 1961. She is known for the role of Mrs Dribelle in the series Bodger and Badger .

Contents

Career

Television

MacReady has often been cast as matronly, authority and mother figures, such as Mrs Atkins in Danger: Marmalade at Work, Madge in Victoria Wood's play The Library , Susan Speed in Waiting For God , Mrs Daws in The Darling Buds of May , Elizabeth in The Ghostbusters of East Finchley , Agnes Wilford in 102 Dalmatians (2000), Olga in My Family and Ethel in Doc Martin.

One of her earlier notable roles was in the Play for Today story Schmoedipus (1974) written by Dennis Potter. In 1996, MacReady was memorably cast as Mrs Tinker, the paranoid mother of Alice Tinker in The Vicar of Dibley episode "The Christmas Lunch Incident". She later appeared as Mrs Norcliffe in Gentleman Jack and Irene Hickson in two episodes of Strike .

Theatre

On stage, MacReady has appeared in several productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Love in a Wood as Mrs Joiner, [1] Bartholomlew Fair [2] as Ursula and Roberto Zucco as Madam. [3] She has also featured in several plays at the National Theatre, including The Mandate as Tamara [4] and Tales From the Vienna Woods as First Aunt. [5]

Personal life

MacReady married actor James Laurenson in 1970. The marriage produced one child. The couple divorced in 1997. [6]

Selected filmography

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1967 ITV Play of the Week Sister TheresaLittle Moon of Alban
1968 Sherlock Holmes CarrieEpisode: "Shoscombe's Old Place"
Softly Softly Ellen SimpsonEpisode: "Take Them in Singles"
1970 The Six Wives of Henry VIII AmalieEpisode: "Anne of Cleeves"
1971 The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder Miss HillardEpisode: "Death of an Angel"
1974 Play For Today DorothySchmoedipus
1974-5An Unofficial RoseNancy Bowshott4 episodes
1975 The Sweeney KathEpisode: "Trojan Bus"
1975-6CouplesHeather Barnes64 episodes
1978 Come Back, Lucy Mrs Clayton2 episodes
1980Play For TodayATS Sergeant The Imitation Game
1981 The Flame Trees of Thika Mrs Nimmo4 episodes
1982 Tales of the Unexpected Liz FergusonA Harmless Vanity
The Woman in White Mrs Michelson3 episodes (mini series)
Union Castle Elizabeth Steel5 episodes
1984 Danger: Marmalade at Work Mrs Atkins10 episodes
Winter SunlightMrs Swain2 episodes
1985 Mapp and Lucia Daisy Quantock2 episodes
Roll Over Beethoven Petra Stopforth1 episode
1985-6Troubles and StrifeMargaret13 episodes
1986 Dramarama Marian BertLast Days at Black Berts
1987 A Dororthy L. Sayers Mystery Miss Martin3 episodes (mini series)
1989 Victoria Wood MadgeEpisode: "The Library"
1990 Agatha Christie's Poirot Milly CroftEpisode: "Peril at End House"
Birds of a Feather Mrs SimmonsEpisode: "Love on the Run"
1991 Never the Twain Traffic WardenEpisode: "The First of the Queue"
Waiting For God Susan SpeedEpisode: "Foreign Workers"
1992 A Bit of Fry and Laurie Liz Tragic1 episode
Casualty Aunt PaulineEpisode: "Body and Soul"
1992-3 The Darling Buds of May Mrs Daws4 episodes
1993 The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries Mrs IvesEpisode; "Death at the Bar"
Get Back PamEpisode: "Drive My Car"
The Return of the Psammead Cook3 episodes
1994The Rector's WifeCelia Harper3 episodes (mini series)
1995 The Ghostbusters of East Finchley Elizabeth5 episodes
1996 The Vicar of Dibley Mrs TinkerEpisode: "The Christmas Lunch Incident"
1996-7 Bodger and Badger Mrs Dribelle33 episodes
1997 Dangerfield Mrs SmedleyEpisode: "Guilt"
2000 Trial and Retribution Vera Collingwood2 episodes
2004 Doc Martin Mrs BeckettEpisode: "The Portwenn Effect"
2006 Midsomer Murders Hatty DownEpisode: "Vixen's Run"
2008Agatha Christie's PoirotMiss JohnsonEpisode: "Cat Among the Pigeons"
2009 My Family OlgaEpisode: "The Guru"
2013Doc MartinEthel2 episodes
2016CasualtyEvelyn ThompsonEpisode: "A Life Less Ordinary"
2017 Marley's Ghosts Mrs HarringtonEpisode: "Dead Man's Chest"
2018 The Royals DottieEpisode: "There's Daggers in Men's Smiles"
2020 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Dorothy TearsheetEpisode: "The Sticking Place"
2022 Gentleman Jack Mrs NorcliffeEpisode: "Faith is All"
2022 Strike Irene Hickson2 episodes
2022 This is Going to Hurt German Professor1 episode

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1971Cider with RosieBaronessTV film
1973The Taming of the ShrewKatherinaTV film
1977A Christmas CarolMrs CratchitTV film
1978 Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf WendyTV film
1980InvasionCzech officialTV film
1982Murder is EasyMrs PierceTV film
The Scarlet Pimpernel Madame DuvalTV film
1983 Forever Young Brenda
1991How's BusinessKath
1994 A Feast at Midnight Miss Plunder
Stanley's Dragon Mrs Bradley
2000 Quills Sister Noirceuill
102 Dalmatians Agnes Wilford
2003 Wondrous Oblivion Mrs Wilson
2006Love Lies BleedingLandladyTV film
2018 Walk like a Panther Pat
Dead in a Week or Your Money Back Celia
2021 A Boy Called Christmas Mother Gerri
DecryptedAlice Bertrand

References

  1. "Love in a Wood". RSC Performances.
  2. "Barthomolew Fair". RSC Performances.
  3. "Roberto Zucco". RSC Performances.
  4. Billington, Michael (27 October 2004). "The Mandate". The Guardian .
  5. Billington, Michael (15 October 2003). "Tales From the Vienna Woods". The Guardian .
  6. https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/coronation-street-crown-star-james-29148352