Sherwood's Monica Dolan is TV's most underrated actress FACT
By Helen FearMonica Dolan steals every scene in the second series of Sherwood. A hard feat indeed amongst one of the finest casts on TV - we're talking Lorraine Ashbourne, and Lesley Manville here!
The Yorkshire-born actress, 55, is currently portraying Ann Branson in the sublime drama, airing on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Fans will know that Ann is the tough matriarch whose son Nicky was shot dead in the gripping first episode. Left childless, Ann became a revenge-seeking missile in human form (with a nice jumper).
Not content with Oliver Huntingdon's character Ryan Bottomley handing himself in and being flung behind bars, Ann ordered the execution-style killing of two of Ryan's family innocent members. What. A. Cow.
Monica's icy-cold performance has once again proven that the actress is one of the most underrated in TV and film today.
Perhaps more famed for playing mousey, overlooked characters, Monica has proved she is the Queen of the Transformation. Here are her top 5 finest performances before she played the chilling grieving mother Ann in Sherwood.
Monica Dolan as Rosemary West in Appropriate Adult on ITV/ITVX
In 2011, Monica Dolan took on a role many might have refused. She portrayed British serial killer Rosemary West in the ITV drama Appropriate Adult. Once again, she unsettled TV audiences with her chilling depiction of a mother who did unspeakable acts.
Unsurprisingly, the role earned her a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actress. Viewers praised her performance as Rosemary West, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for her part in the horrific murders.
In the first episode, viewers saw how Rose could be gripped with fits of rage. In one notable scene, the character flew off the rails at "appropriate adult" Janet Leach (Emily Watson), who had been to the Wests’ home to fetch some clothes for her. The performance was both chilling, unsettling, and masterful. Monica was scarily convincing - and unforgettable.
Tracey Pritchard in W1A on BBC One/BBC iPlayer
Of course, comedy fans will know Monica Dolan best for playing appeared Senior Communications Officer Tracey Pritchard in W1A. She portrayed the role in three series, running from 2014 to 2017.
In the show - in which the Beeb had a good laugh at itself - Monica proved that she could make us laugh as well as cry. And she NAILED the Welsh accent.
Straight-talking Tracey was most likely to say: "I'm sorry, I'm not being negative or anything, but..." But we can find nothing negative to say about Monica's role in this. She put her tongue firmly in cheek, and was said to have spoken in a Welsh accent all through filming - even when the cameras weren't on. Now that's commitment.
Monica Dolan as Marion Thorpe in A Very English Scandal on BBC One/BBC iPlayer
In 2018, Monica portrayed another real life person, a big responsibility as an actor. She played Marion Thorpe in the critically-acclaimed miniseries A Very English Scandal.
Once again, her performance was recognised by viewers, critics, and powerful people in the TV world. Unsurprisingly, she received her second BAFTA nomination for Best Supporting Actress.
A Very English Scandal was Russell T Davies' take on the Jeremy Thorpe affair. Marion was the second wife of the disgraced politician, who stood by her husband (played by Hugh Grant), because she loved him.
Talking about Monica's role in the series, Russell said at the time: "It's hard to turn up in a guest role on any drama. And it's even harder when there are lions roaming, when you've got a star like Hugh Grant giving the performance of his life.
"So to watch Monica fit into that, carve her own space and find her own voice while harmonising with everyone else's was an absolute joy. And God, she works hard."
Monica more than held her own against Four Weddings star Hugh, and he knows a thing or two about public disgrace...
Anne Darwin in The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe on ITV1/ITVX
In The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe, Monica took on yet another real person. And once again managed to outshine some of her talented and arguably more famous cast mates. And by that, we mean the brilliant Eddie Marsan, who played her husband.
Monica starred as Anne Darwin, whose husband John faked his own death in a bid to cash in on his life insurance. The 2022 adaptation of the sorry tale saw Monica eek a surprising level of sympathy out of the audience.
Yes, she did wrong. But was she more to blame than her husband, who hatched the plan? (She received a bigger jail sentence). Monica bought nuance to the role, but didn't ham it up. In fact, Monica's very talent lies in her ability to be absorbed by the character. You totally forget she's acting, and that's the art of the true chameleon.
Jo Hamilton in Mr Bates vs The Post Office on ITV1/ITVX
More recently, Monica played the role of subpostmistress Jo Hamilton in the ITV drama series Mr Bates vs The Post Office. Jo Hamilton was one of the many subpostmistresses who was wrongly accused of theft.
It was another heartbreaking performance. In an interview at the time, Monica described the responsibility she felt playing someone with such an important story to tell.
And it came across on screen. Once again, Monica was beautifully 'unstarry' and did justice to Jo and her plight. Monica deserves all the awards.
