Emma Kim Levin

Tenacious, witty, and unconventional, there’s more to Caroline Cromwell than her gentle demeanor lets on. A curly-headed American from Roanoke, Virginia, Cromwell has planted herself in the UK to make London her hometown. As this actress makes a name for herself in the London theatre scene, her resourceful nature just may be the trait that takes her all the way.

"Under Milk Wood" Image by: Tavistock Repertory Company Ltd.

Cromwell began her London theatre career at East 15 Acting School and has since worked in many significant productions since her matriculation. She recently acted in “Under Milk Wood” and “Coram Boy,” performing at The Tower Theatre and Minack Theatre, respectively. Despite still being considered “green” in the industry, Cromwell chooses her roles with care and attention.

What do you believe is your most significant role in the UK theatre scene so far?

Last summer, I had the privilege of performing at the historic Minack Theatre in Cornwall in “Coram Boy.” Though I played many different parts, my most significant role was playing both the younger and older Alice Ashbrook. I conveyed both a lively and mischievous 7-year-old Alice and a more refined 16-year-old Alice.

In the second act, she is emotionally reunited with her brother after an 8-year separation. In just a few lines, I had to convey all the joy, relief, and confusion of seeing him again. I had to find the fine line between playing the big physicalities of the characters while still making it believable to a 1,000-seat outdoor amphitheater.

"Coram Boy" Image by: Tavistock Repertory Company Ltd.

One of the hallmarks of any great actor, Cromwell does not shy away from a challenge. In “Coram Boy,” the story involves passionate stories of love and loss across decades. Cromwell’s careful depiction of Alice Ashbrook at multiple ages was both believable and heartfelt.

Anyone lucky enough to see Cromwell perform on stage cannot deny her charm. There’s no mistaking her bright expressions on even the smallest of stages. Her piercing gaze and emotional range can silence a theatre, stealthily drawing the audience into her world.

How do you find inspiration as an actress?

I am a very intellectual person (there’s a reason I always related to Hermione Granger in Harry Potter), so a lot of my creative method is from what I write down. I use one notebook per show and fill it with information about my character.

I have access to so much affordable and diverse theatre in London, so I try to watch as many plays as I can, whether in tiny little pub theaters or big west end venues. I like plays that make you question your principles and beliefs. But I do like a fluffy musical every now and again–I love a big dance number!

Cromwell takes her daily experiences and the play’s text to find the emotional center of her characters. Recently, she mastered a Welsh accent for her role in “Under Milk Wood,” another large ensemble cast that required her to play multiple parts. When it comes to diving into her characters, Cromwell does not leave a page unturned.

"Under Milk Wood" Image by: Tavistock Repertory Company Ltd.

How do you prepare for a role?

I read through the script a few times, picking out what the character says about themselves, what they say about other characters, and what other characters say about them. You can tell a lot about a character by how others perceive them.

I also think about their backstory, like their background, class, economic status, family, overall health, etc. Then I work on physicality–how does the character move? I find this bit the hardest, it can feel weird to move in a way that is not your own.

However, I never try to fully become my character; we are just acting, after all. No crazy method techniques here!

If I am working on a show that requires an accent different than my native one, which often happens working in the UK, I will listen to as much of that accent as possible through TV shows, films, radio, or recordings with that accent.

"Incognito" Image by: Andrew H. Williams Photography 

However, even with Cromwell’s meticulous planning, she’s willing to make changes on the spot to benefit the production. She doesn’t hesitate to throw out her well-laid plans and start fresh.

Many times, all of this will change in the rehearsal room with a director, so it’s important once I’ve made all choices to trust in the process and let them go if needed.

Which London shows, or theatres inspire you?

I love new work, particularly that is written by women. I love plays that involve physical theatre or movement to convey the story.

I recently saw “Possession” at The Arcola, which is a tale of four mothers’ lives interweaving across continents and time, with themes of colonialism, oppression, and escape. I was fascinated by all the different storylines and compelling characters, and it left me wanting to know more about the effects of colonialism in the Congo during King Leopold’s reign.

One of my all time favorite shows I saw in London was “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe,” which premiered at The Bridge Theatre in 2020. I loved the puppetry, physical theatre, and lively music used to create different characters and environments. All the costumes and set had a nod to the World War II military theme, which showed how all the Pevensie children would have been imagining everything through this war lens.

There was audience involvement as well, we were given little green slips of paper to be our identity tag, as if we were the children evacuating London. Later, we used them again to create the leaves on the trees as spring was returning to Narnia. It was such a beautiful retelling of the beloved classic.

"A Christmas Carol" Image by: Andrew H. Williams Photography 

Regardless of how seriously she takes her craft, Cromwell remembers to have fun and embrace the playfulness of her industry. Theatre’s greatest actors may argue this is the most significant piece of work of all.

Do you have any personal theatre superstitions?

Never, ever, ever, ever say the G L words to a performer, it ALWAYS “break a leg”! Also, it is always “The Scottish play” when you are in a theatre, never Macbeth, even if you are not performing it. And always appease the theatre ghost. It seems that any theatre that’s older than 50 years or so is probably haunted, and if there are any rituals the theatre has created to make the ghost happy, you do those, so it doesn’t become a “Phantom of the Opera” situation.

Cromwell’s spirited nature and undeniable talent are gifts in her young career. We won’t be waiting long before her big break arrives…