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).
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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.
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
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
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
