Pooky Quesnel

Actor profile

Career and selected work

Pooky Quesnel is an English actor and writer whose screen work includes medical drama, police series, literary adaptations and science fiction. Her selected television roles include Monica Broome in Cardiac Arrest, Grace Harris in Thief Takers and Rachel Branning in EastEnders. Doctor Who viewers may recognise the Captain in A Christmas Carol. The 2012 film adaptation of Great Expectations gives another point of entry as Sarah Pocket.

The selection is deliberately varied. A soap character can develop through recurring appearances, while a self-contained television story or feature film has to establish a person more quickly. That difference is useful to keep in mind when watching the compact introductions of Moonflower Murders. Compare how a character’s job or family position is communicated before much backstory is supplied. Quesnel’s work as a writer is a separate professional credit; her appearance in a programme does not by itself mean that she wrote the script or created the character.

Six roles to explore

• Cardiac Arrest (1994) — Dr Monica Broome.
• Thief Takers (1996) — DC Grace Harris.
• EastEnders (2007–2010) — Rachel Branning.
• Criminal Justice (2009) — Amelia Rose.
• Doctor Who (2010) — the Captain.
• Great Expectations (2012) — Sarah Pocket.

In the Susan Ryeland adaptations

Quesnel plays Pauline Treherne in the contemporary story and Maureen Gardner inside Alan Conway’s novel. Pauline is part of the family that runs Branlow Hall, whose daughter Cecily has disappeared. Maureen belongs to the period household Susan reads about. The casting lets the audience compare domestic relationships across the two worlds. Watch which concerns each woman voices openly and which subjects are discussed around her by other people. The parallel is useful for reading the adaptation, but the two women have separate histories and separate knowledge of the events under investigation.

Where to watch and explore next

Explore the Susan Ryeland episodes. Check local streaming services for other roles before subscribing. Use the year and character to identify the right production.

The character links below lead into the story guides. Endings stay in closed sections. Open them when you are ready for spoilers. Watching for the first time? Follow the episodes in order. Rewatching? Compare the performances across the two worlds.

Characters played

• Pauline Treherne
• Maureen Gardner