Janet Henfrey

Janet Ethne Anne Henfrey (born 16 August 1935) is an English actress with a career spanning seven decades. She is a familiar face on stage and screen since the 1960s starring in a variety of British Television favourites. She is perhaps best known for playing Mrs. Bale on As Time Goes By, and for her role as the schoolteacher in the Dennis Potter television play Stand Up, Nigel Barton and Potter's serial The Singing Detective (1986), also as a schoolteacher.

Early life Before training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art she read English at St Anne's College, Oxford, and spent a graduate year at Smith College reading History.

Credits Other TV credits include: Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (1985); As Time Goes By, The Jewel in the Crown; Reilly, Ace of Spies; Doctor Who (in the serial The Curse of Fenric and the episode "Mummy on the Orient Express"); Jeeves and Wooster; Casualty; Lovejoy; One Foot in the Grave; My Uncle Silas and Simon and the Witch. Henfrey also played a minor character in an episode of the 1996 series of The Famous Five, "Five Get into Trouble" and Mistress Hecate Broomhead in two episodes of The Worst Witch ("The Inspector Calls" and "Just Like Clockwork"). She appeared in the 2002 adaptation of the British miniseries Tipping The Velvet, based on the novel by Sarah Waters, playing Mrs Jex. She also appeared in the 2015 British miniseries adaptation of Wolf Hall.

Personal life Henfrey lives in Islington, north London. She is a member of the Labour Party and a trustee of the International Performers Aid Trust.

Filmography Film Year Title Role Notes 1963 It's All Happening April 1974 The Tamarind Seed Embassy Section Head 1981 Reds Emma Goldman's Jail Guard Uncredited 1983 Fanny Hill Lady in Intelligence Office Uncredited 1985 She'll Be Wearing Pink Pyjamas Lucy 1986 Lady Jane Housekeeper Foreign Body Landlady 1989 The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover Alice 1990 The Fool Unknown 1994 Dragonworld Miss Twittingham A Pin for the Butterfly Mrs. Veverka 1997 Mrs Dalloway Miss Pym Amy Foster Mrs. Rigby The Man Who Knew Too Little Ms. Goldstein 1998 Les Misérables Mme. Gilot Ever After Celeste Jilting Joe Miss Doughty 1999 An Ideal Husband Miss Prism 2000 The Nine Lives of Tomas Katz Janice Waily 2001 Blow Dry Aerobics Teacher 2006 The Omen Mrs. Horton 2009 Season of Mists Mary National Theatre Live: All's Well That Ends Well The Widow 2012 Metamorphosis The Cleaner 2014 Mr. Turner Janet Uncredited 2015 London Road Ivy 2016 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies Dowager Bridget Jones's Baby Mavis Enderbury 2021 Cruella Society Maven 2022 Persuasion Viscountess Lady Dalrymple

Television Year Title Role Notes 1961 Comedy Matinee Unknown Episode: "Thark" 1964 Martin Chuzzlewit Bridesmaid/Second Daughter 2 episodes Silas Marner Miss Gunn 2 episodes 1965 A Tale of Two Cities Mrs. Cruncher 2 episodes The Wednesday Play Miss Tillings Episode: "Stand Up, Nigel Barton" 1968 The Jazz Age Frau Tonn Episode: "Black Exchange" 1973 Wessex Tales Mary Episode: "Barbara of the House of Grebe" 1975 Churchill's People Charlotte Episode: "Silver Giant, Wooden Dwarf" 1981 Great Expectations Camilla Episode: "Episode Two: Part 1" Mark Gertler: An Autobiography Lady Ottoline Morrell Television film 1983 Jury Miss Wood Episode: "Julian" Reilly: Ace of Spies Receptionist Episode: "Shutdown" The Weather in the Streets Lady Blanche Television film 1984 The Jewel in the Crown Edwina Crane Episode: "Crossing the River" Chocky Cranky Woman Episode: "Episode #1.5" 1984-1992 Screen Two Mlle. Debierre/Teacher 2 episodes 1985 Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV Mrs Hennigan Episode: "Episode #1.2" Honour, Profit & Pleasure Hop-Pole Television film Oliver Twist Martha 3 episodes 1986 Alice in Wonderland Queen of Hearts 2 episodes Henry's Leg Mrs. Snell Episode: "Episode #1.1" The Singing Detective Schoolteacher 5 episodes 1987 Boon University Registrar Episode: "A Fistful of Pesetas" 1987-1988 Simon and the Witch Tombola 6 episodes 1988 Mr. Majeika Dilys Sherwood Greene Episode: "He Came From Walpurgis"(uncredited) Wild Things Sophie Buchanan Television film 1989 Ticket to Ride Olga Episode: "A Horse is a Horse, Of Course, Of Course" Young Charlie Chaplin Sister Mills Episode: "Episode #1.6" Capstick's Law Miss Price Episode: "Episode #1.5" Doctor Who Miss Hardaker Serial: "The Curse of Fenric" 1990 The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries Mrs. Hipkins Episode: "Artists in Crime" 1991 The Upper Hand Dorothy Cooper Episode: "Common Entrance" Jeeves and Wooster Miss Mapleton Episode: "Wooster with a Wife (or, Jeeves the Matchmaker)" Casualty Sister Joan Episode: "Making the Break" Bernard and the Genie Miss Purse Television film 1992 Moon and Son Madame Lefebre Episode: "The Horns of Capricorn" Inmates Unknown Television film Crime Story Kay Calhaem Episode: "Deadly Obsession" 1993 One Foot in the Grave Miss Lander Episode: "Hearts of Darkness" Just a Gigolo Cynthia Episode: "Episode #1.6" Lovejoy Miss Frobisher Episode: "The Price of Fish" 1993-2005 As Time Goes By Mrs. Bale 16 episodes 1994 Downwardly Mobile Anna Episode: "Grapefruit and Roses" 1995 Mike & Angelo Mrs. Hardacre Episode: "Mrs Shoutfire" The Famous Five Aggie Episode: "Five Get Into Trouble" 1996 Delta Wave Receptionist Episode: "The Light Fantastic: Part 2" No Bananas Miss Cardew 6 episodes The Prince and the Pauper Goody Watson 3 episodes The Moonstone Mrs. Yolland Television film The Treasure Seekers Governess Television film 1997 Cone Zone Twigg Episode: "High Flyer" Scene Danusha Episode: "Skinny Marink" Dual Balls Unknown Short film 1999 Doomwatch: Winter Angel Julie Television film 1999-2000 The Worst Witch Miss Hecate Broomhead 2 episodes 2001 Attila the Hun Palcharia 2 episodes Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased) Hettie Craven Episode: "Whatever Possessed You?" I Was a Rat Mrs. Cribbins 3 episodes Mr. Thompson's Carnation Miss Simmons Short film 2001-2003 Uncle Silas Aunt Tibby 2 episodes 2002 Tipping the Velvet Mrs. Jex 2 episodes 2003 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Mrs. Robey Television film 2004 The Basil Brush Show Aunt Quartermass Episode: "Basil's Christmas Turkey" 2009 Scouting for Rudeboys Scout Leader Short film 2010 Fairytale of London Town Elsie Grindell Television film 2010-2014 Doctors Martha Bidwell/Poppy Heppel 2 episodes 2012 Our Life Together Alice Short film 2013 Quick Cuts Customer Episode: "Episode #1.3" Marple Mrs. Lee Episode: "Endless Night" 2014 Father Brown Vera Thimble Episode: "The Daughters of Jerusalem" Doctor Who Mrs. Pitt Episode: "Mummy on the Orient Express" Toast of London Penny Traitor Episode: "The Moose Trap" 2015 Wolf Hall Lady Margaret Pole 2 episodes 2017 The Crown Vita Sackville-West Episode: "Vergangheit" 2018 Nutritiously Nicola Therapist 2 episodes Dirty Little Rascals Nan Short film 2019 Sil and the Devil Seeds of Arodor The Adjudicator Television film 2019-2020 The New Pope Lady Brannox 2 episodes