Maggie Dence

Margaret Helen Dence (born 1 February 1942) is an Australian actress of stage and screen, with a career spanning some seven decades. Dence is known to early audiences for her roles in the satirical TV comedy The Mavis Bramston Show, and also serving as that series' mascot (originally portrayed in the pilot by Noeline Brown). – the joke being that Mavis appeared in only the opening segment of each episode and was not seen again thereafter. She was also a recurring guest in the popular 1980s sitcom Kingswood Country, playing the snobbish Merle Bulpitt.

Soap opera: The Sullivans, Prisoner and Neighbours Her best-known soap opera roles are The Sullivans as the sweet-natured Rose Sullivan between 1976 and 1978, and Prisoner in a darker role in 1984 as an evil psychopath and serial killer called Bev 'The Beast' Baker. She then travelled to the UK, where she played the Fairy Godmother in a pantomime production of Cinderella.

Awards and recognition Dence was named (on 29 September) the 2011 recipient of the Equity Awards Lifetime Achievement Award for her outstanding services to the performing arts – both stage and screen – and her longstanding involvement with the NSW Actors' Benevolent Fund.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre Year Production Venue 1959 Volpone Independent Theatre 1960 The Crucible Independent Theatre 1960 Clerambard Independent Theatre 1960 Inherit the Wind Independent Theatre 1962 Rhinoceros Independent Theatre 1962 What's New? Phillip St Theatre 1962 The Rose and the Ring Independent Theatre 1963 The Rage Copenhagen Downstairs Revue 1963 Twenties Spectacular Independent Theatre 1963 Abousir and Aboukir Independent Theatre 1966 Muriel's Virtues Independent Theatre 1967 Hail Gloria Fitzpatrick Phillip St Theatre 1968 Breath of Spring Independent Theatre 1969 The Women Independent Theatre 1970 Oh, Sir Henry! Melbourne Athenaeum 1972 Blop Goes the Weazel University of NSW, Parade Theatre 1 1973 Bonbons and Roses for Dolly Jane Street Theatre 1974 Kookaburra Nimrod Theatre 1975 Girl's Night Out Jools Theatre Restaurant 1975 Balance of Payments Tregear Community Centre & AMP Theatrette, Sydney (2 performances) 1976 Still Life with Apples Bankstown Town Hall & AMP Theatrette, Sydney (2 performances) 1976 Kennedy's Children Nimrod Theatre 1976 The Shoemaker's Holiday Sydney Opera House 1978 The Comedy of Errors Nimrod Theatre 1978 The Lady from Maxim's Sydney Opera House 1979 Last of the Red Hot Lovers Ensemble Theatre 1979 The Sea Nimrod Theatre 1980 Has He Anyone Ensemble Theatre 1981 The Man from Mukinupin Sydney Ooera House 1982 Annie