Fiona Spence
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Fiona Spence (b. 30th December 1949, Kent, England) is a British-born actress, best known for her roles on Australian television.
She first found fame playing the sour, authoritarian prison officer Vera Bennett in cult soap opera Prisoner. The role continued from the show's premiere in 1979 until 1981, episodes 1 to 224. In the first episode she was coldly sadistic. Later developments showed other more sensitive angles of her personality and explored the idea that her tough behaviour in the cell block was connected to her loneliness and social awkwardness outside the prison. The nickname "Vinegar Tits" was applied to her by inmate Franky Doyle in the show's first episode. Vera came to visit Franky in solitary and asked "Would you like a cigarette?" When Franky timidly said "yes," Vera sarcastically replies "Too bad it's against the rules." In an attempt to get even with Vera for this she nicknamed her "Vinegar Tits," and said that Bea Smith thought it up. This was apparently in an attempt to cause trouble for prison rival Bea Smith, with Franky falsely telling Vera that Bea had invented the nickname. Nevertheless the name stuck and was repeated by various prisoners on occasion through the years Vera remained in the storyline.
Spence who played Vera with her hair in a tight bun, was hardly recognizable if she let her hair down. Spence herself commented she wasn't readily recognized in real life, as Vera whenever she wore her hair down.
Spence later became well known for playing spinster Celia Stewart in Home and Away from 1988 until 1991.
Spence made her theatre acting debut in the early 1990s recreating the role of Vera Bennett in a British stage play version of Prisoner.
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