Joan was an exceptionally talented actress who played a wide range of roles at the Rep, performing each with a high level of professionalism. Her stand out performances were often picked out in theatre reviews with local critics describing them as "beautifully played" and "movingly portrayed".

Some of her roles included Fiona Foster in 'How The Other Half Loves' (1975), Mrs. Hassaltine in 'Conduct Unbecoming' (1976), Elizabeth I of England in 'Vivat! Vivat Regina' (1977), Felicia Pappalardo in 'Climb The Greased Pole' (1978), Joanna Markham in 'Move Over Mrs Markham' (1979), Alma Rattenbury in 'Cause Celebre' (1980) Madame Dubbonet in 'The Boyfriend' (1980), Birdie Hubbard in 'The Little Foxes' (1980), Linda Loman in 'Death Of A Salesman' (1982), Jeanette Fisher in 'Last of the Red Hot Lovers' (1984), Miss Cooper in 'Separate Tables' (1984), Filumena Marturano in 'Filumena' (1986), Little Buttercup in 'H.M.S. Pinafore' (1986), Dotty Ottley in 'Noises Off' (1987), Ethel in 'The Curious Savage' (1988), Mrs. Prentice in 'What The Butler Saw' (1992) and Liz in 'Happy Families' (1995).

When Joan passed away, Peter Dutton wrote a personal tribute. We reprint it in full below. 
 

Joan Bennett combined a warm and friendly disposition and a puckish sense of humour with flair and insight as an actress – she was convincing in regal mode but was equally comfortable in sophisticated and low comedy parts. Her range was further demonstrated by her success in the leading roles she took in operatic productions.
 

Although she obviously enjoyed performing, she always maintained that she was happiest in the rehearsal stages of a production because she valued the challenge of the creative process and the companionship of her fellow performers. Above all else, she was a team player. A small part in a summer show sketch was given the same attention to detail as a key role in a main season production and she measured her contribution by its effectiveness in the context of the production as a whole.
 

Thus she was highly regarded by the theatre-going public for the quality of her work and, perhaps even more tellingly, with deep affection by her colleagues in the dressing rooms and backstage.
 

Joan appeared, with great success, in more than thirty Rep productions. These included Queen Elizabeth in 'Vivat! Vivat Regina', Joanna Markham in 'Move Over Mrs. Markham', Alma Rattenbury in 'Cause Celebre', Madame Dubonnet in 'The Boyfriend', Linda Loman in 'Death of a Salesman' and Dotty Otley in 'Noises Off'. She reprised this role when the play was chosen to open the new Repertory Theatre on Leek Road in 1997. Her final performance for the Players was in 'Deckchairs in the Bar'. She joined the team after an unexpectedly early return from America, quite late in the rehearsal period and was clearly very content to be back – a feeling which was heartily endorsed by the rest of the cast.
 

Louis Sassi spoke for many when he recalled working with Joan in 'Happy Families' in 1995. “She played the grandmother and it was a role that could almost have been written for her: warm, funny, tender, full of glorious non sequitir. She played the whole of the second part as a ghost still commenting tartly on the antics of the family. A memorable performance and as always it was a pleasure and an honour to be in the same cast as her; we all learnt a lot from her and had a great many laughs while doing so.”
 

Speculation about the professional potential of an amateur performer is a risky and potentially futile exercise but Peter Cheeseman, Director of the Victoria Theatre, was unequivocal in stating that he would be pleased to have had Joan on the playing strength of the Vic. This was not simply an example of diplomatic courtesy: it was a statement of fact and provides a fitting epitaph which would have given Joan herself quiet but justifiable pleasure.