Caroline Dawson
| Caroline McKenzie-Dawson | |
|---|---|
| Last Tango in Halifax character | |
| First appearance | 20 November 2012 (Episode One) |
| Created by | Sally Wainwright |
| Portrayed by | Sarah Lancashire |
| Information | |
| Occupation | Headteacher |
Caroline McKenzie-Dawson (also Caroline Elliot and Caroline Dawson) is a fictional character in the BBC1 drama series Last Tango in Halifax portrayed by Sarah Lancashire. The character was created by lead writer and executive producer Sally Wainwright and appears from the first episode of the series broadcast on 20 November 2012. Lancashire was initially unavailable to commit to the series, but was cast after the production of Betty Blue Eyes she had been starring in closed early.
Caroline, a successful career woman, is introduced as the daughter of protagonist Celia Dawson (Anne Reid), who falls in love again in her mid-seventies. Lancashire states that is her mother's second marriage that inspires Caroline, a closeted lesbian, to "finally be herself". The first series of Last Tango in Halifax deals with the break-up of Caroline's marriage to John (Tony Gardner) and the establishment of a relationship between Caroline and her colleague Kate (Nina Sosanya). Wainwright had intended Caroline's love-life to provide a source of drama and believed a gay relationship to be a more interesting story. Caroline's sexuality is a source of contention for Celia across the series, Anne Reid noted that their arguments are "vicious"; whilst Lancashire noted that Caroline is "wounded" by her mother's "non-acceptance" after she decides to marry Kate. In the third series, Wainwright decided to kill off Kate, as she felt this the only way to reconcile Celia with her daughter, leaving Caroline a widow and single-mother.
The character of Caroline has received both a strong fan response amongst gay women, and a positive critical response from the media. In 2014 Lancashire won the British Academy Television Award for Best Supporting Actress, having been previously nominated in 2013.
Lancashire was initially unavailable to portray Caroline in the series, due to starring in the original West End production Betty Blue Eyes. However, due to the musical closing early Lancashire became available to film the series. Lancashire discerned that the series was "very special" within reading two pages of the script. Other factors that persuaded her to commit to the series included the casting of Anne Reid and Derek Jacobi as the series' protagonists, and the juxtaposition of a heart-warming story with elements of humour. In terms of her character, Lancashire identified with Caroline being "a working woman trying to keep everything under control". She stated the series' ensemble cast was "the closest I’ve come to being in a theatre company on television" due to how well the actors worked together.
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