Mary studied English and Drama at the University of Birmingham, staying on in the city to work at the Birmingham Rep in a variety of backstage and on-stage jobs.

She studied for her MA in Voice Studies at the Central School of Speech and Drama in 1999, and worked as a voice and speech teacher at a variety of London drama schools, including RADA, Central and LAMDA.

She has provided accent coaching for many theatre companies, including the Royal Court, Birmingham Rep, Sheffield Crucible, Salisbury Playhouse, The Bush, The National Theatre, Manchester Royal Exchange, The Donmar Warehouse, Mischief Theatre Company and the Liverpool Everyman, as well as Out of Joint (Our Country's Good, 2013), Shakespeare’s Globe (Much Ado about Nothing/Mysteries, 2011), the Old Vic (Sylvia) and Sheffield Crucible (Standing at the Sky's Edge)

Her TV/Film coaching includes The Spanish Princess, 24 Reboot, Bancroft, Netflix’s Daredevil, Catherine the Great, Behind Her Eyes, The Reunion, Murdered by my Boyfriend (Georgina Campbell - Best Actress Bafta 2015), Flux Gourmet, and Ridley Road.