Join 198 CAL for an evening of conversation with Dona Croll, the Jamaican-born, Birmingham-raised doyenne of theatre, television, film and radio. She will be in conversation with veteran actor, director and broadcaster Burt Caesar, reflecting on an illustrious career spanning half a century and taking us on her remarkable journey from the margins to the centre.
Dona Croll: Roles You Know her For on Stage and Screen
With a career spanning over five decades, Dona Croll has long held her place as one of Britain’s most accomplished and versatile performers. Born in Jamaica and raised in Birmingham, Croll’s body of work reflects a deep commitment to representation, character, and craft — from soap operas and radio dramas to West End stages and international film sets.
Many viewers will recognise her from her role as Emerald Fox in EastEnders (2017), the formidable mother of Denise and Kim. But her connection to the iconic BBC soap runs deeper: she also appeared in earlier years playing different characters, including Joy Lucas and Emma, dating as far back as 1988.
Her television career is rich and far-reaching. She portrayed Nurse Adele Beckford in Casualty during the early 1990s and guest-starred in shows like Doctors, Holby City, and The Bill. In 2006, she appeared in Doctor Who as Matron Casp, and in 2020 she brought her signature acting strength to the shores of Death in Paradise as Eleanor Beaumont.
Croll’s recent screen work includes Lady Kilbourne in the Regency-era feature Mr Malcolm’s List (2022), and she has taken roles in independent short films like Deadly Gossip and Ken (both 2024). She also appears in the upcoming season of Whitstable Pearl (2025) as Rhea Collis, continuing her character-driven television work.
In theatre alongside many roles, Croll made history as the first Black woman to play Cleopatra in Antony and Cleopatra (Talawa Theatre Company), and has more recently starred in The Score (Theatre Royal Bath), The Doctor (UK tour), and Playhouse Creatures (2025). Her stage work is known for its depth, subtlety, and power — performances that centre lived experience and emotional complexity.
Beyond her credits, Dona Croll is part of a generation of Black British actors who opened doors for others. Her 2022 appearance at the George Padmore Institute’s tribute to poet Jean Binta Breeze — where she read Breeze’s Ordinary Morning — is just one example of how she continues to lend her voice to moments that matter.
Hosting the conversation at 198 will be Burt Caesar, groundbreaking director, broadcaster and actor. Burt’s radio work includes the BBC 4 programme ‘What We Leave We Carry: The Legacy of John La Rose’. Broadcast in 2011, the show detailed the life of GPI co-founder and founding member of New Beacon Books.
The programme also featured Sarah White, La Rose’s wife and fellow co-founder of the GPI and New Beacon Books. GPI Trustee Linton Kwesi Johnson, publisher Margaret Busby and education campaigner Gus John participated in the show as well.
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to hear the remarkable story of a pioneering actress of theatre, film and broadcasting.
