 Although her career mostly centred on television, Benham began her career appearing on the West End stage in the 1940s and continued to appear on the London stage periodically throughout her career.She appeared on Broadway as Helena in the 1954 revival of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" opposite Patrick Macnee as Demetrius.Joan Benham appeared in sixteen episodes of "Upstairs, Downstairs", from the first to the last series, as Bellamy family friend, Lady Prudence Fairfax.