Mr Bates vs The Post Office legend on why the theme of forgiveness is so important in her work – especially “actor dependent” new play

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Monica Dolan has a remarkable talent for bringing real-life stories to the screen. She consistently takes on incredibly challenging and morally ambiguous roles – whether it’s portraying Jo Hamilton in Mr Bates vs The Post Office or Rose West in Appropriate Adult – and approaches them with impressive energy and dedication.

I was really struck by what she said recently. She explained that the key to understanding people, especially when it’s difficult, is to just avoid judging them altogether. She told TopMob that as an actor, judgement is actually one of the worst things you can bring to a role. You have to be completely open to becoming someone else, and that means letting go of your own opinions and simply being that person, without criticism.

The actress recently realized how important forgiveness is to her work, so she feels her current play, Mass, is a perfect fit.

The play Mass, inspired by the 2021 film with Ann Dowd and Jason Isaacs, centers on a meeting between two sets of parents in a church basement. They’re there to talk about a heartbreaking event involving their children. While the details of this tragedy won’t be revealed here, it’s something most people would struggle to overcome, which is what drew actress Julie Dolan to the role.

She said: “I guess I feel like that’s something that really, really divides people.

Honestly, I think truly understanding other people is incredibly challenging. It often demands a huge amount of empathy and willingness to see things from their perspective – sometimes more than we even realize.

Forgiveness seems possible, but it takes real effort and a bit of luck. It often involves connecting with something bigger than yourself to truly let go and feel it.

The play features a small cast, including Paul Hilton as Dolan’s husband, Richard, and Adeel Akhtar and Lyndsey Marshal, known from Harlan Coben’s series, as their opposing parents. Susie Trayling, Rochelle Rose, and Amari Bacchus also appear, but most of the scenes focus on the interactions between the two couples.

She explained that the success of the project heavily depends on the actors involved. It’s a bit like her previous work on ‘W1A,’ because it requires strong teamwork and precise timing, but with a much greater emphasis on emotional performance.

The really captivating part is that most of it takes place in a single, continuous scene, and it requires a lot of precise work.

The audience might be eager to jump right in, and we hope they’ll stick with us through what will be a very fast-paced and intense experience.

She believes the play is worth seeing because theatre is best experienced live, sharing a space with the performers. She thinks the audience will feel deeply connected to the characters and recognize the unusual nature of their circumstances.

Honestly, what struck me most about this film wasn’t the plot, but the simple act of watching these characters connect. It’s fascinating to see them navigate their differences and actually talk to each other. There’s a raw, almost primal quality to these interactions – it feels very basic and human, and I found myself completely drawn in.

Mass is playing at London’s Donmar Warehouse until 6 June.

Authors

Olivia Garrett

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2026-04-29 13:34