Karla Crome Talks Possession, Slavery’s Legacy, Jamaican Spirituality and Gothic Horror

Karla Crome is a writer and actor whose work has spanned some of British television’s most acclaimed dramas and genre series.

Known to audiences for performances in Misfits, Carnival Row, Under the Dome and Am I Being Unreasonable?, Crome has also built a reputation behind the camera, writing for series including Safe, The Stranger and Screw. She now brings those talents together in Possession, the five part supernatural thriller she created and wrote for Sky Atlantic.

Starring Gugu Mbatha-Raw, the series blends gothic horror with questions of inheritance, colonial history and belonging, exploring the intersections of British and Jamaican identity through a story of power, spirituality and family secrets.

Crome reflects on creating the series, collaborating with Jamaican director Storm Saulter, and why horror remains one of the most compelling ways to explore the world we live in.

Please introduce yourself …
I’m Karla; I’m a typical Cancerian. I’m of mixed Jamaican and British heritage and I’m from Borehamwood.

Describe your life in one word or a sentence …
I hate it when people say this, but, busy.

Why are we here?
We are here to talk about Possession, a 5-part supernatural thriller I created and wrote for Sky Atlantic.

Tell us about Possession from your perspective …
Tonally, it’s Modern Gothic. A woman travels to a remote location. A foreboding ‘house on the hill‘. She has this vague feeling that something terrible is about to happen (spoiler – it does). It’s the same set-up as Jane Eyre, Dracula, or The Woman in Black, but it centres around the experience of a woman of colour in the present day.

At the centre of the drama is an inheritance claim, but the story quickly opens up into questions around family, power, history and belonging. What are the conversations you want audiences to have after watching?
We were always mindful not to preach to our audience or push an agenda. So it was important the show was pacy and entertaining, but there’s a metaphor in there about reparations. Somehow, it’s become a sort of existential, moral debate for parliament and big corporations. But if someone came to you, directly claiming your ancestors enslaved theirs and demanded millions in compensation, I imagine you’d react quite strongly. The provocation in this show is, regardless of your liberal sensibilities what would you do if it was your money? Really?

The series also explores the legacy of colonialism through both a British and Jamaican lens. How did you approach writing a story that moves between those two worlds?
There are two strands in the show, the present day and the 1700’s. I particularly enjoy writing dialogue and playing with dialect so moving between Period Georgian and contemporary patois was really fun. The legacy of colonialism is present in the way the characters speak and express themselves.
We were lucky enough to film in both Bristol (which was a major port in the transatlantic slave trade) and across Jamaica. In both cases, the history is in the landscape. In Jamaica, we visited a number of former plantation houses to find our main location. Many of them have been developed into luxury hotels, resorts and museums. However, the house we settled on is actually a private residence, which has retained many of its colonial features. It is not a pleasant place. It’s dark, remote, instantly unsettling. No Sandals resort. We all agreed pretty much straight away that this was the right location. You can feel the history pulsating through the walls.

One of the things that immediately stands out about Possession is the way it brings together English witchcraft traditions and Jamaican Obeah. What interested you about placing those belief systems in conversation with one another?
Traditionally, TV and film have made very poor, offensive representations of African Spirituality and Creolised practices. What was demonised and outlawed as ‘Obeah’ were actually ways in which enslaved Africans were able to engage in spiritual practices that confirmed their autonomy and peoplehood. Anything that may have reminded the enslaved of their self-determination was feared as it would lead to rebellion. I don’t want to give too much away, but when our protagonist Claudia, played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, arrives in Jamaica, these surviving practices do make her feel uneasy, because she doesn’t understand them. I suppose in our story European ritual magic is an allegory for control and Obeah (or what might be better described as Revivalism) represents the spirit of rebellion.

With Obeah often misunderstood or misrepresented on screen what research and conversations informed your approach?
We had a cultural advisor and Kumina priestess Dr Stines on set, who advised us on creating accurate and authentic sequences. She is not keen on the word ‘Obeah.’ She advised on how practices would be performed, how people would move to catch the spirit at a Nine Night, what might happen before or during a spirit trance. She also blessed the set on occasion and adapted some sequences so we didn’t unwittingly invite any malignant spirits into the space. It was a privilege and an education to have her. I was also very inspired and affected by Marlon James’ novel, The Book of Night Women. It was recommended to me early on in the writing process and its exploration of Obeah and Myal (a form of traditional Afro-Jamaican spirituality) had a profound affect on me. It’s just a brilliantly written book. It might be the best book I’ve ever read.

Storm Saulter has spent much of his career telling Jamaican stories through a distinctly Jamaican lens. How important was it to have a director who shared that commitment to authenticity and specificity?
As a UK based team we knew quite early on that we needed a native Jamaican voice in the room to make the show work. I felt like I’d hit the jackpot when Storm came onboard. He was so passionate and excited about the world we were creating. As a writer, you want to be free to let your imagination run wild. I cooked up all sorts of bat shit narratives, characters and scenarios. Instead of fencing me in, Storm encouraged me to go big, and he always found a way to ground it and make it authentic. He had a rural Jamaican upbringing, he knows the oral histories of the island and the spirit of the Jamaican people. His eye on the script was invaluable. He also took a red pen to my shocking attempt at writing Patois, to which I’m eternally grateful.

Gugu Mbatha-Raw leads the series as a lawyer investigating the inheritance claim. Before she even arrives in Jamaica, she is being drawn towards her own heritage through dreams and visions. What did those supernatural elements allow you to explore about her relationship with a culture and history she feels disconnected from?
When you are a person of colour in a predominantly white country, your history is written into your appearance. You can’t erase it. But the truth is that most people don’t spend oodles of time agonising over their heritage. For the most part, we’re focused on bills, work; domestic responsibilities. It’s no different for Claudia. However, there is some part of her, buried deep in her conscience, that is compelled to connect with her ancestry. I think those ghosts of the past are reaching for her too. When she arrives in Jamaica she is forced to confront them.

The cast includes a number of Jamaican actors, including Sheldon Shepherd and Shantol Jackson. How important was it that the Jamaican side of the story felt rooted in authentic voices and perspectives?
Making TV is high risk and the expense involved is huge. So we knew we’d have to fight for our Jamaican cast, as established British actors would’ve been a ‘safer’ bet. However, given our subject matter it felt especially important to be intentional and authentic with our casting. Ultimately, its about getting the best people for the job. I don’t believe audiences care about star casting as much as broadcasters would have us believe. Unfamiliar faces actually help us suspend our disbelief.

Storm wanted Sheldon from the beginning, and it’s easy to see why. He brings gravity to an impossibly complex character which could easily descend into pantomime, but never does. Shantol is a natural, gifted actress who conveys a lot whilst doing very little. And of course I have to shout out Olunike Adeliyi, Jeff Crossley and Peter Williams who all blew me away on a daily basis. My favourite character in the show is Mercy, who is played by the incredible Nadean Rawlins. Nadean is a producer and established theatre actress in Jamaica, but, unbelievably, this is her first major TV role. Her tape just made us all lean in. I get shivers thinking about it.

Without giving too much away, were there particular themes or storylines that proved especially challenging to balance during the writing process?
Representing chattel slavery on screen is really hard. Audiences are tired of seeing black bodies brutalised on screen. However, I didn’t want to undermine or ignore the cruelty of planation life. I made a decision early on that if we needed to negotiate this, it could be implied without being gratuitous. Instead, when we jumped into the historical scenes, we focused on subverting the narratives of our enslaved characters. They are victims, but they are also families, rebels, leaders and organisers. They can be funny, selfish, remorseful, bored. Despite what they go through, they are, subtly, masters of their own destiny with the power to affect change.

Looking at your career so far, from acting to writing, what kinds of stories are you finding yourself most drawn to as a storyteller?
I love horror, so I’m in this amazing space at the moment where the work I’m doing really aligns with my tastes. It’s just a great way to explore our anxieties and paranoias. As an actor, I was really proud of Something Very Bad is Going to Happen and Possession has similar genre notes. Even the comedy I am filming now, the final season of Am I Being Unreasonable? has a dark and twisted storyline. Comedy is a great excuse to be silly and I love it. I’d like to try writing comedy in the future.

We’re seeing more projects that place African and Caribbean stories at the centre rather than the margins. Do you feel the industry is becoming more open to stories that aren’t filtered through a predominantly British or American perspective?
I certainly hope so. I have seen fierce talent both in front of and behind the camera whilst working in Jamaica, and that’s only one of many regions in the Caribbean. I was really inspired by the Trinidadian film Play the Devil by Bahamian filmmaker Maria Govan and Karnaval: A Peoples history of Haiti in 6 Chapters by Leah Gordon. Very different films documenting very different Caribbean cultures, but the history of ‘Mas’ was very prominent in both. They both inspired the Junkanoo sequence in Possession, which is probably my favourite set piece in the show.

GETTING TO KNOW …

If not this, then what? I used to say a Police Officer but I don’t think I’d have there stomach for it now. I’ve watched too many episodes of 24 Hours in Police Custody. I’d quite like to be a retired multi-millionaire.

What’s made you sad, mad, & glad this week? The answer to all 3 is being a parent.

What are you watching? The new series of Smoggie Queens on BBC.

What are you reading? The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse.

The last film you watched? Obsession.

The last play you saw? The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher at Liverpool Everyman.

The last live music event? Oh god. I watched a Christina Aguilera tribute at a Holiday park in Northampton last week. Does that count?

What’s currently on your playlist? My go to is always Tems. She is a vibe for any occasion. The song is What you need.

Which podcast are you listening to? Not as We Planned.

What’s on your bucket list? I’d like to go to Japan.

Where’s your happy place? Anywhere near water and in the sunshine- at least 26 degrees.

Celebrate someone else … My friends Kimberly Hart-Simpson and Jessica Ellis, who I met at drama school nearly 20 years ago. Kimberly is taking a show she has written, Amnesia to Edinburgh Fringe this year and has raised all the funds with sheer determination and hard work. She’s a grafter. Jess is developing a TV show as well as touring in theatre and I talk to her everyday. She’s the funniest person I know. I’m very proud of all my friends. They are relentless optimists.

Celebrate yourself … I always knew I wanted to be an actor, since I was 4 years old. My parents, a nurse and a plumber, were always supportive of my choices but I didn’t come into this with any connections or advantage. I own my own house in London, pay my mortgage and bills by myself and I provide for my kids. I’m really proud of myself. On paper I give boss energy which is funny because when you meet me, I’m a complete gimp.

What’s next? Writing: Reputation (BBC). Acting: Am I Being Unreasonable? 3 (BBC), Youth (HBOmax) The Last Disturbance of Madeline Hynde (Kenneth Branagh).

Where can we find you? (socials) Insta: crome_karla

Where can we watch you at work? At my kitchen table or on my garden steps. Just let me know you’re watching, and I’ll put some clothes on.

Possession – Coming Soon to Sky TV