Dorothy Atkinson

Dorothy Atkinson is an English actress and singer born in 1966 in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, where her father worked as a bursar for a local school. She has one sister and is married to actor Martin Savage, with whom she has one son. She is commonly known by the nickname "Dot."

Atkinson built a substantial stage career in regional British theatre, performing in numerous productions at the Stephen Joseph Theatre under playwright Alan Ayckbourn. Among those credits, she originated the role of the Queen in Ayckbourn's The Boy Who Fell Into a Book in 1998. In 2002, her performance as Lillian in Eden End earned her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the Barclays Theatre Awards, which recognizes regional British theatre. The following year she appeared in the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Beauty and the Beast, directed by Laurence Boswell, in the role of Marie. Her stage work continued with Nora in Epitaph for George Dillon at the Comedy Theatre in 2006, the Woman in A Matter of Life and Death at the National Theatre in 2007, and Vera in Alan Ayckbourn's Just Between Ourselves at Northampton's Royal & Derngate Theatre in 2009.

Atkinson made her Broadway debut in 2010 in Brief Encounter, a production that originated with the Kneehigh Theatre Company, of which she is a member. She performed three roles in the production — Dolly, Hermione, and Beryl — and remained with the show as it transferred from its earlier run to New York.

Her film work includes several collaborations with director Mike Leigh: Topsy-Turvy, All or Nothing, and Mr. Turner, which premiered at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival. Her performance in Mr. Turner brought her a nomination for Best Supporting Actress at the British Independent Film Awards.

On television, Atkinson has taken on a range of recurring roles, including Zoe Parrish in the 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. In April 2021 it was announced that she would join the cast of the second series of All Creatures Great and Small as Diana Brompton.