Her mother was also named Catherine and her father Peter Campbell was a marine engineer.
[3] After the first world war Lena Ashwell was delivering subsidised theatre around London.
She produced two "International Masterpieces Seasons" which included The Cherry Orchard and Uncle Vanya by Chekov and The Wild Duck by Henry Ibsen.
Notably she produced a play in which Pierre Fresnay of the comedie Francais delivered his lines in French.
[7] In 1954 she was appearing at the St James's Theatre in London in Terence Rattigan's successful play Separate Tables where she played "Mabel" with a cast led by Margaret Leighton and Eric Portman.