During the three decades before she landed a starring role in Downton Abbey, the English actress Lesley Nicol was in search of her big break. Her career began in 1985, with 13 episodes on a British soap opera. From the 1990s into the aughts, she had roles in various dramas, sitcoms, and sketch shows, as well as stints in West End musicals. Then, in 2010, she was cast in Julian Fellowes’s historical drama as Cook, a role that would earn her three Emmys. Nicol has now turned her autobiography into a one-woman musical. The story of her childhood in Manchester and her years as a working actress is set to a score of 10 original songs written and composed by Mark Mueller. The 80-minute show starts its U.S. run in Chicago, then heads to New York City and Pittsburgh. —Jensen Davis