After drama school, Joyce joined the Royal Shakespeare Company. Her first television role was in the ITV drama Cracker, where she played the murderess in a 1995 episode. She also starred in another ITV1 drama series, Grafters, in 1999 and in 2003 played the part of DC Havers's new boss in The Inspector Lynley Mysteries.
In 2003 she appeared in series 2 episode 6 of Ultimate Force, playing the part of Nicky Strong.
In 2007, she appeared in the light-hearted drama Hotel Babylon, playing the part of Estelle. She also played Kate in the comedy drama Little Devil.
In the first half of 2008, she appeared in Happy Now?, a new play by Lucinda Coxon at the National Theatre, London. Also in 2008, she appeared in the six-part BBC comedy drama series Mutual Friends as Martin's (Marc Warren) boss Sarah Fletcher.
In 2010, Joyce played the part of Dr Sandra Fleming in Universal Soldier: Regeneration. In the same year she appeared as the Prime Minister's special policy advisor, Claire Sutton, in Antony Jay's and Jonathan Lynn's stage version of Yes, Prime Minister, which premiered at the Chichester Festival in May 2010 and moved to the Gielgud Theatre in London's West End in September 2010. In 2011, Joyce appeared in Series 7, Episode 19 of the BBC school-based drama Waterloo Road as local superstar DJ Viv O'Donnell. In 2013, Joyce appeared in an episode Down Among the Fearful of the ITV drama Lewis as Jane Grace. In 2011, Joyce starred in the one off BBC Christmas show, Lapland.
