red bull dance your style 2026

top. Jaki
earrings. Thomas Sabo

Karla Crome has spent the last decade and a half moving fluidly between acting and writing — from breakout roles in ‘Misfits’, ‘Carnival Row’, ‘Under the Dome’ and ‘Am I Being Unreasonable?’, to writing credits on ‘Safe’, ‘The Stranger’ and ‘Screw’. Now she brings both sides of her career together with ‘Possession‘, the five-part supernatural thriller she created and wrote for Sky Atlantic, starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jonny Lee Miller, Bel Powley and Sheldon Shepherd.

Developed from an original idea by Jefferson Bannis, ‘Possession’ follows Claudia, a lawyer whose routine inheritance case pulls her from Bristol to Jamaica and into a mystery tangled up with slavery’s legacy, generational trauma and restless spirits at the crumbling Hope Hill plantation. Directed by Storm Saulter and shot on location in both Bristol and Jamaica, the series blends gothic horror with colonial history to create what Saulter calls “tropical noir.”

Ahead of the show’s premiere, Crome spoke about writing her way into her own Jamaican heritage, avoiding the trap of gratuitous violence against Black bodies onscreen, and why horror was the only genre that could hold this story.

opposite
dress. Karen Millen
bracelet. Sinner in Pearls

You’ve moved between acting and writing. Does one inform the other, or do you switch mindsets completely between the two?

I think they absolutely inform one another. Although I had no formal training as a writer, as an actor you can tell pretty quickly whether a script is good or bad. Good dialogue is easy to remember and simple to deliver. It has a flow to it. Both disciplines are basically storytelling — characters working toward an objective and meeting obstacles along the way. The real challenge in both disciplines is making that storytelling engaging and authentic.

Was there a specific moment when you knew you wanted to write and create your own series rather than just act in other people’s?

I don’t remember there being any specific moment. When I was in my 20s, people were more skeptical of multi-hyphenates. Anyone who called themselves an actor-director-producer I would write off as a sort of Del-Boy character. The temptation is always to shut up and stay in your lane. But every now and then I would watch a play or read a TV script and think “Well, I can do that.” At some point you have to put your money where your mouth is, and hopefully, people will respond positively.

Genre-wise, you’ve worked across comedy, drama and now supernatural horror. Is horror a genre you’ve always gravitated toward, or is Possession a new direction for you?

I’ve always loved horror. I directed a short film, Canvas 5, in 2021, which won best short at the Edinburgh Film Festival. I also played ‘Nell’ in ‘Something Very Bad is Going to Happen’ this year, which was a fun take on the genre. Work is hard to come by as both an actor and writer, so doing work that aligns with my taste is a real treat.

Looking back at ‘Misfits’ early in your career, how do you think that show shaped the kind of storytelling you’re drawn to now?

‘Misfits’ was a simple but brilliant concept, but in my opinion its strength was the characters and dialogue. You can have the best idea in the world, but it’s the execution that really makes it sing. That said, I do enjoy stories that have fantastic or magical elements, even if they are subtle. I want narrative to do what documentaries can’t — be boldly, wildly imaginative.

top, bralette + trousers. Margene
shoes. Essen
earrings. Maison Lumiere
bracelet. Retro Chic
opposite
top. Margene
earrings. Thomas Sabo

‘Possession’ started life as ‘Inheritance’, based on an idea by Jefferson Bannis. What did that original idea look like, and how did it evolve into the story you ultimately wrote?

Jefferson had an incredible idea for a story — an enslaved man lives to the present day and launches a legal case for his own reparations. Jenny Van De Lande, a friend of mine who was then working at Snowed In Productions, took me for lunch and asked if the idea interested me and how I might handle it as a writer. I was immediately taken by it and wanted to be involved, and we slowly started to build out the world and characters.

The series blends gothic horror with colonial history and inheritance. Why was horror the right genre to explore those themes rather than a straight drama?

The enslavement of Africans was a real-life horror story. That said, I didn’t want to make another show in which black bodies are brutalised for ‘entertainment,’ so we avoided that. We know what that looks like, and we don’t need to be beaten over the head with it. Each of our characters, at some point, is fighting for survival — whether they are victims of chattel enslavement, outcasts of society or battling supernatural forces. So, yes, there are moments of violence, tension and horror — but they earn their place. Nothing is gratuitous.

Claudia’s story is rooted in a very personal haunting — how much of the emotional core of the series came from your own family history or connection to Jamaica and Britain?

Even though I have Jamaican heritage, I don’t feel very culturally connected to Jamaica. That’s definitely where Claudia is at the start of episode one. I think we may have a shared internal shame or guilt about our lack of connection. Perhaps I was exorcising something personal in this script, and reclaiming that Jamaican identity.

How did you approach writing the plantation setting of Hope Hill so that it functions as both a literal location and a kind of psychological space?

There are two period strands in the show (the present day and the 1760’s). Hope Hill house is the device from which we move from one time period to the other. The location has to feel timeless, suggesting both opulence and generational wealth, but also feel remote, abandoned and unloved. It is a metaphor for how the wealth generated from enslavement has survived to the present day.

top + trousers. A-Jane
shoes. Pleiades
earrings. Ysso
opposite
top. Jaki
earrings. Thomas Sabo
ring. Sinner in Pearls

What was it like collaborating with Storm Saulter as director — how involved were you in shaping the visual and tonal direction of the show?

I loved working with Storm. We were so lucky to have him and his eyes on the scripts from early on in the process. Although I have Jamaican heritage, I’m culturally British, and Storm filled in so many gaps which grounded the script with an authentic Jamaican voice. He calls his take on the scripts tropical noir — Claudia is a detective pulling on a string, drawn into something far-reaching, complex and dark. However, the colour, energy and tone feel wholly Caribbean; there’s a saturation, a brightness and colour that is distinctly Jamaican. He is not afraid of being colourful, and I love that.

With Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Jonny Lee Miller, Bel Powley and Sheldon Shepherd all playing characters you created, was there a moment where an actor’s interpretation changed how you saw your own writing?

I don’t think anyone’s interpretation changed the writing, but it certainly elevated it. I gave the patois a shot, and Sheldon and the rest of the cast graciously made it their own and authentic to their own way of speaking. That I found really exciting.

Filming spanned both Bristol and Jamaica — how did shooting in two very different places shape the tone of the finished series?

There is an energy totally unique to Jamaica — the heat, the colour, the sound; there’s always a couple of sound systems competing in the street. We turned up the dial on this against a more muted grey and blue in Bristol. Bristol was a major port in the slave trade, and it was built on the wealth generated there. To ground our world and make it authentic, we needed to shoot in Jamaica. Given the themes of colonialism, it felt essential.

Now that ‘Possession’ is finished and about to air, is there anything about the finished series that surprised you compared to what you set out to make?

I’m always happy to watch with new audiences and hear them scream in fear, then giggle at a line from Mercy (played by Nadean Rawlins). Although some of the themes are heavy, it’s nice to see the lighter moments break through.

After creating and writing your own series, do you see yourself continuing down that path, or are you still keen to keep acting alongside it?

I would like to keep my career as varied and diverse as possible. I love both acting and writing. Ultimately I would love to write material for myself. I’m really interested in comedy and would love to do that one day.

blazer. Margene
earrings. Maison Lumiere
opposite
top + bralette. Margene
trousers. STPLE
shoes. Pleiades
earrings + bracelet. Thomas Sabo

photography. Kayla Raquel Middleton @ Sunday Agy
art direction. Emily Reid @ Sunday Agy
fashion. Ruta Jane
casting. Emma Fleming
talent. Karla Crome
hair. Stefan Bertin @ A-Frame Agency using Amika
make up.Kenneth Soh @ A-Frame Agency using Vieve
production. Clara La Rosa
interview + editor. Kelsey Barnes
fashion assistant. Alex Bradley
special thanks. Michael Baker @ Sunday Agy

rugby shirt. Aimé Leon Dore
skirt. Aknvas
sneakers. Adidas x Wales Bonner
opposite
coat. Gabriela Hearst
shirt. Altuzarra
shorts. Saint Laurent
tie. The Frankie Shop

Gabby Policano never expected ‘Legally Blonde’ to become part of her own story. Long before she stepped into the world of Elle Woods, she was simply another fan who grew up watching Reese Witherspoon’s iconic heroine and dreaming about carrying a Chihuahua everywhere she went. Today, she’s introducing audiences to Liz, a grunge-loving record store employee whose quiet confidence offers a striking contrast to Elle Woods’ unmistakable optimism.

Between theatre, spoken-word poetry and her first television role, Policano is still adjusting to the whirlwind that followed booking the series. She laughs about “gaslighting” herself into believing she belonged on set, reflects on years of rejection before finally landing her breakthrough, and explains why portraying a queer teenager in the 1990s without making her sexuality the entire story felt so important.

Speaking to Schön!, Policano opens up about growing up with ‘Legally Blonde’, finding confidence through uncertainty and why sometimes friction really does mean you’re in the right place.

jacket, trousers + shoes. Sportmax
boxers. The Frankie Shop
opposite
suit + shirt. ETRO
heels. Altuzarra

‘Legally Blonde’ has been around for 25 years now, yet people still connect so deeply with Elle Woods. I think a lot of it comes down to that “fish out of water” feeling and staying true to yourself. Was that something you related to? And how much did the original film shape you growing up?

I honestly can’t remember a time in my life when I hadn’t seen the movie. I saw it very young, and it was always with me. Then the musical came out when I was about eight or nine, and I got to see the original Broadway cast. I love every version of ‘Legally Blonde’. It’s such a timeless story about being a fish out of water in a new place. With ‘Elle’, we’re seeing her in high school, making very human mistakes and having those life experiences that shape the firecracker we meet in the film. Sixteen is a crazy age for everyone, and I think people can relate to figuring out who they are while trying to find where they belong.

I thought Elle Woods was the coolest woman ever when I was a kid. I remember thinking, I’m going to have a Chihuahua when I grow up and carry it around just like she does. Getting to be part of this story 25 years later is such a gift. Not that Elle ever left, because she’s a cultural icon, but getting to tell a new part of her story is an incredible honour. I still can’t believe I’m part of that storytelling process. It feels surreal every single day.

You come from a theatre background, but this is your first major television role. Was stepping onto a TV set intimidating?

I was absolutely petrified. I think this is the part of the interview where you’re supposed to say, “No, I walked in full of confidence.” I didn’t. I was scared. When I got cast, I kept thinking, They’re going to realise as soon as I get to set that they made a mistake. On the first day, I kept asking Lexi (Minetree), “Am I doing this right? What am I doing?” She finally looked at me and said, “The trick is you have to gaslight yourself into believing you know exactly what you’re doing and that you’re 100 percent meant to be here. Eventually, you’ll start believing it.” It actually worked.

I also think there’s a misconception that television acting is completely different from theatre. It really isn’t. You’re just learning a whole new language—the technical side, the terminology and the rhythm of filming. At the core, it’s still the same thing. It’s about meeting the character where they are, figuring out who they are and settling into them once the cameras start rolling. Luckily, theatre gave me that foundation.

I also discovered you’re an award-winning spoken-word poet. Does poetry feed into your acting, or do they live in completely different parts of you?

I started writing a long time ago and studied poetry in college. After I graduated, I didn’t book anything for almost a year. I’d gone to conservatory, I’d trained my whole life, and suddenly I was auditioning constantly without getting any work. I remember thinking, “There has to be something I can do creatively that’s actually within my control,” so I started going to open mics in New York.

For a couple of years, I was writing every day. I’d sit in coffee shops for hours, then perform that night, workshop the poems, edit them and do it all over again. Eventually I started competing in slams at the Nuyorican Poets Cafe, and it became such a huge part of my life. Looking back, I don’t think poetry would have existed without the actor in me. Performing the poems became just as important as writing them. Even now, when I perform poetry, I’m using everything I’ve learned as an actor to tell the story the way I want to.

polo + dress. Lacoste
mules. Jimmy Choo
opposite
rugby shirt. Aimé Leon Dore
skirt. Aknvas
sneakers. Adidas x Wales Bonner

Tell me about the audition process for ‘Elle’. Did you connect with your character Liz right away?

I already knew they were making the show because I’d seen the video of Lexi and Reese, but I never imagined there would be a role for someone like me in the ‘Legally Blonde’ universe. Then I got the audition notice for Liz, and they described her as the opposite of Elle in every way. Elle moves through life at a million miles an hour. I saw Liz as someone who moves with a much steadier heartbeat. When I taped the audition, I put on my headphones and picked up a book. Both ended up becoming part of the character, so I felt connected to Liz almost immediately.

If Liz could take some pieces from your closet, what would she take?

We’re actually very different people, but we do have one thing in common: our closets. I already owned half of Liz’s wardrobe before filming, and honestly, I feel like the coolest version of myself whenever I get to be Liz. In season two, there’s an outfit my character wears that I personally own—head to toe.

Liz has such a distinct style and personality. How much research did you do to get into that ’90s grunge mindset?

I went on a huge grunge deep dive. I researched it as both a genre and a culture, learning about what was happening in Seattle in 1995 and who the defining artists were. I made this huge playlist and spent hours listening to Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Bam Bam, Hole and Soundgarden. I wasn’t just listening, either. I took notes on the lyrics, the production and how the songs were constructed because Liz is a musician. I wanted to understand not only what she listened to, but why.

I also loved discovering how many different versions of grunge existed, especially among female artists. You had Courtney Love’s baby doll dresses and Doc Martens, then bands like Team Dresch with a much more masculine presentation. I loved exploring all of it. Honestly, researching grunge was one of my favourite parts of preparing for season one.

jacket + trousers. Sportmax
oppposite
coat. Gabriela Hearst
shirt. Altuzarra
shorts. Saint Laurent
sneakers. Scarosso
tie. The Frankie Shop

One thing I really appreciated was seeing a queer character in the ’90s whose sexuality wasn’t treated as the entire storyline. How important was that to you?

It was really important to all of us. Lori Kittrell and Caroline Dries, our showrunners, are both queer women, and we were completely aligned on what we wanted Liz’s story to be. We didn’t want their queerness to be a tragedy. We wanted to show a young queer person in the ’90s who was already out, surrounded by a supportive family and friends. That felt like a story we hadn’t seen enough. Liz is queer, and that’s wonderful. She is also a musician, a writer, she makes zines, and she is fiercely loyal to her friends. There are so many parts of who she is that reducing her to just her sexuality never felt fair.

There’s a quote in the show that really stayed with me: “Sometimes friction means you’re in the right place.” Has there been a moment in your own life where that mindset really carried you through?

I think back to the years right after graduating college. Everyone tells you this industry is going to be hard and full of rejection, but nothing really prepares you for what that feels like. I was waiting tables, nannying, working at a gym, doing everything I could to pay rent while trying to build an acting career. It felt like nothing was moving. But I remember thinking, If I don’t give myself at least five years to really try, I’ll never forgive myself.

Looking back, I’m grateful it was so hard. It threw me into the deep end, and if it had been easy, it wouldn’t have prepared me for how much work this career actually takes. It’s still hard. People sometimes think that once you’re on a TV show, you’re set forever, and that’s just not true. This is one chapter of a much bigger journey. But I feel so much more prepared now because I had those years of struggling before ‘Elle’ came along.

suit + shirt. ETRO
heels. Altuzarra

‘Elle’ is streaming now on Prime Video.

photography. Emerald Layne
fashion. Tatiana Cinquino
talent. Gabby Policano
hair. Seiji Yamada @ Walter Schupfer Management using Color Wow!
make up. Quinn Murphy using SPATCH
production. Cassidy Cocke
photography assistant. Allison Brooks
fashion assistant. Oriana Aponte
editor. Kelsey Barnes
interview. David Baczyk

Off the back of three singles, Villanelle have spent the summer barrelling from festival to festival with barely a breath in between. This leg took Gene Gallagher, Ben Taylor and Jack Schiavo somewhere new entirely: Spain, and Mad Cool Festival, for the first time in the band’s history. No prior gigs in the country, no idea what to expect from the crowd, just a flight out of London and the intention to give it everything. What followed was a blur of airport busks, roadside Estrellas, a tent soundcheck done at speed, and a set that by all accounts had the crowd going properly mental. Here’s how it went, in their own words.

Cheeky airport busk

Sebastian the cat

How do you prep a setlist differently for a festival slot versus your own headline show?

Typically the set is shorter so instead we are pushing for maximum energy from the tunes. We normally leave out the softer moments designed to make the set more dynamic and just aim to thrash it out and get the crowd moving.

Is there anything about playing Spain specifically that changes your approach, language, crowd energy, past experiences here?

None of us had played in Spain before so we went in blind with the intention of just giving it everything we had. Naturally Gene made some comments about the football and local team, but other than that we just cracked on as normal.

Villanelle se bebe una Estrella

Checking that sound out.

Multi-day festivals mean sharing a bill with a huge range of artists, did anything on this year’s lineup make you want to catch someone else’s set?

We caught as much as we could on the day of our show but we were gutted to not stick around to see the rest of the weekend. We would’ve loved to see Pixies but we will catch them on the road over the Summer.

How different is your soundcheck process at a festival with a tight turnaround versus a full production night?

Playing a tent with a closed door meant we got a pretty solid soundcheck at Mad Cool so it was pretty akin to our normal process albeit done with a bit more pace. We get our ear monitors ready to go and trust our team with the sound out front.

Bleu gone fishing.

What kind of rituals do you guys have before performing on stage?

Finishing the whole rider of drinks a few hours before and then scrambling to get more for the stage

What’s one thing about this festival that surprised you compared to what you expected going in?

We had heard so much about how great the European hospitality is as a touring band and it did not disappoint. Everyone from the festival team were so attentive and the free bar was a lovely albeit dangerous plus!

Were you able to catch any other bands/artists’ sets?

We tried to catch everything we could. We caught Hot Wax before our show but sadly clashed with Wolf Alice who we were keen to see. We managed to see Foo Fighters though and loved it.

Crowd going mental clearly.

Look at Dave go.

We played here.

header image. Thomas Smith