Carol MacReady is an English actress. She is perhaps best known for the role of Mrs Dribelle in Bodger and Badger. She 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". More recently, she has appeared as Mrs. Norcliffe in Gentleman Jack and Irene Hickson in two episodes of Strike.

On stage, MacReady has appeared in several productions with the Royal Shakespeare Company, including Love in a Wood as Mrs. Joiner,[1] Barthomlew Fair [2] as Ursula and Roberto Zucco as Madam [3] MacReady 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]

Selected filmography

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TV
Year Title Role Notes
1967 ITV Play of the Week Sister Theresa Little Moon of Alban
1968 Sherlock Holmes Carrie Episode: "Shoscombe's Old Place"
Softly Softly Ellen Simpson Episode: "Take Them in Singles"
1970 The Six Wives of Henry VIII Amalie Episode: "Anne of Cleeves"
1971 The Mind of Mr. J.G. Reeder Miss Hillard Episode: "Death of an Angel"
1974 Play For Today Dorothy Schmoedipus
1974-5 An Unofficial Rose Nancy Bowshott 4 episodes
1975 The Sweeney Kath Episode: "Trojan Bus"
1975-6 Couples Heather Barnes 64 episodes
1978 Come Back, Lucy Mrs. Clayton 2 episodes
1980 Play For Today ATS Sergeant The Imitation Game
1981 The Flame Trees of Thika Mrs. Nimmo 4 episodes
1982 Tales of the Unexpected Liz Ferguson A Harmless Vanity
The Woman in White Mrs. Michelson 3 episodes (mini series)
Union Castle Elizabeth Steel 5 episodes
1984 Danger: Marmalade at Work Mrs. Atkins 10 episodes
Winter Sunlight Mrs. Swain 2 episodes
1985 Mapp and Lucia Daisy Quantock 2 episodes
Roll Over Beethoven Petra Stopforth 1 episode
1985-6 Troubles and Strife Margaret 13 episodes
1986 Dramarama Marian Bert Last Days at Black Berts
1987 A Dororthy L. Sayers Mystery Miss Martin 3 episodes (mini series)
1989 Victoria Wood Madge Episode: "The Library"
1990 Agatha Christie's Poirot Milly Croft Episode: "Peril at End House"
Birds of a Feather Mrs. Simmons Episode: "Love on the Run"
1991 Never the Twain Traffic Warden Episode: "The First of the Queue"
Waiting For God Susan Speed Episode: "Foreign Workers"
1992 A Bit of Fry and Laurie Liz Tragic 1 episode
Casualty Aunt Pauline Episode: "Body and Soul"
1992-3 The Darling Buds of May Mrs. Daws 4 episodes
1993 The Alleyn Mysteries - Mrs. Ives Episode; "Death at the Bar"
Get Back Pam Episode: "Drive My Car"
The Return of Psammead Cook 3 episodes
1994 The Rector's Wife Celia Harper 3 episodes (mini series)
1995 The Ghostbusters of East Finchley Elizabeth 5 episodes
1996 The Vicar of Dibley Mrs. Tinker Episode: "The Christmas Lunch Incident"
1996-7 Bodger and Badger Mrs. Dribelle 33 episodes
1997 Dangerfield Mrs. Smedley Episode: "Guilt"
2000 Trial and Retribution Vera Collingwood 2 episodes
2004 Doc Martin Mrs. Beckett Episode: "The Portwenn Effect"
2006 Midsomer Murders Hatty Down Episode: "Vixen's Run"
2008 Agatha Christie's Poirot Miss Johnson Episode: "Cat Among the Pigeons"
2009 My Family Olga Episode: "The Guru"
2013 Doc Martin Ethel 2 episodes
2016 Casualty Evelyn Thompson Episode: "A Life Less Ordinary"
2017 Marley's Ghosts Mrs. Harrington Episode: "Dead Man's Chest"
2018 The Royals Dottie Episode: "There's Daggers in Men's Smiles"
2020 Shakespeare & Hathaway: Private Investigators Dorothy Tearsheet Episode: "The Sticking Place"
2022 Gentleman Jack Mrs. Norcliffe Episode: "Faith is All"
2022 Strike Irene Hickson 2 episodes
2022 This is Going to Hurt German Professor 1 episode
Film
Year Title Role Notes
1971 Cider with Rosie Baroness TV film
1973 The Taming of the Shrew Katherina TV film
1977 A Christmas Carol Mrs. Cratchit TV film
1978 Me! I'm Afraid of Virginia Woolf Wendy TV film
1980 Invasion Czech official TV film
1982 Murder is Easy Mrs. Pierce TV film
The Scarlet Pimpernel Mme. Duval TV film
1983 Forever Young Brenda
1991 How's Business Kath
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
2006 Love Lies Bleeding Landlady TV film
2018 Walk like a Panther Pat
Dead in a Week or Your Money Back Celia
2021 A Boy Called Christmas Mother Gerri
Decrypted Alice Bertrand
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References

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  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.