Suri Noelle, the 20-year-old daughter of actor Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, has made her theatrical debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Noelle is appearing in a production of Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream,' which has been adapted into a queer retelling.
The show, titled 'Midsummer!', began its 13-day run on Thursday. Noelle is performing alongside eight fellow students from the Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The production is described as "bursting with queer transformative joy."
Noelle, who legally changed her name from Cruise, reportedly bears a strong resemblance to her father. She was seen in costume, sporting a pillbox fascinator, a yellow shirt, and a purple corset and matching skirt, during a dress rehearsal.
She spent over three hours preparing for the performance, which is taking place at a venue on Edinburgh’s St Andrews Square. Noelle is pursuing acting, two years after graduating from the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in New York City. While previously reported to be studying fashion, she has now followed her parents into acting.
Noelle's parents, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, divorced in 2012. Holmes, who retained full custody of Suri, raised her in New York. Cruise reportedly paid significant annual living expenses until Noelle turned 18. According to voter records, Holmes currently resides in Pennsylvania, where she registered her name using her mother's middle name, Noelle.
Reports suggest Cruise and Noelle have been estranged for years, a situation often attributed to Holmes's and Noelle's departure from the Church of Scientology after the divorce. Scientology is known for discouraging relationships with individuals outside the faith. Cruise, a prominent Scientologist, has not publicly commented on his daughter's debut.
While Cruise is known to be a fan of Scotland, having played golf in St Andrews, it is uncertain if he will attend his daughter's performance.
