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Call The Midwife casts Harry Potter star

Photo credit: BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nicky Johnston
Photo credit: BBC/Neal Street Productions/Nicky Johnston

From Prima

We may have only just ventured into Spring, but break out the baubles because filming for Call the Midwife's Christmas special has just begun.

The BBC has announced that the Christmas special has cast acclaimed actress and Harry Potter star Miriam Margoyles to guest star, and feature in the first episode of series eight, which is also in production.

Photo credit: BBC / Neal Street Productions
Photo credit: BBC / Neal Street Productions

Miriam will play Sister Mildred, described as a forthright and indefatigable sister from the Order. She arrives unexpectedly at Nonnatus House, her hands full with four Chinese orphans.

Having fled China, the child refugees were found abandoned in Hong Kong and are being adopted in the UK as part of the World Refugee Project.

Photo credit: Karwai Tang  - Getty Images
Photo credit: Karwai Tang - Getty Images

With Christmas preparations in full flow and the midwives busy caring for the expectant mothers of Poplar, these unexpected visitors cause joy and chaos in equal measure.

Other exciting new cast members include War & Peace’s Fenella Woolgar, who plays Sister Hilda, The Last Kingdom actress Ella Bruccoleri as postulant Sister Frances and Waterloo Road’s Georgie Glen as Miss Higgins, the surgery’s new receptionist.

The BBC has also revealed that the Christmas Special will see the welcome return of Trixie (played by Helen George) just in time to cover for the Sisters as they leave for the Mother House.

Photo credit: BBC/Neal Street Productions/Coco Van Oppens
Photo credit: BBC/Neal Street Productions/Coco Van Oppens



The Order’s Mother Superior has been taken ill and a new spiritual leader needs to be elected. It soon becomes clear, much to Sister Julienne’s horror, that she is the favoured candidate to take over.

Meanwhile, spring in 1964 has sprung in series 8, and everyone is excited for the Queen’s Royal birth.

Which sounds familiar, as we’ve just welcomed royal baby number three, Prince Louis.

Violet (played by Jane Annabelle Apsion) is holding a Teddy Bears’ Picnic and raising funds through a competition on whether the Queen will have a boy or a girl.

With the additions of the two new Sisters, who have been sent to live and work with the team in Poplar, Nonnatus House feels full once more.

The midwives are introduced to their new midwifery bags, much to the upset of an already poorly Sister Monica Joan (Judy Parfitt) who disturbingly absconds from Nonnatus House. And Linda Bassett’s nurse Crane is braced for a twin delivery but is confident the team can handle this smoothly.

Call the Midwife’s creator, writer and executive producer Heidi Thomas said: 'It is an immense privilege to be starting work on Series Eight of Call The Midwife, and we can't wait to share the events of 1964 with our loyal and passionate audience.

'People often ask me how we can keep coming back year after year, but the answer is simple - we never run out of stories, and we never run out of love.'

Roll on Christmas…



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