Angela Kilian: A star like no other

From Evita to Sunset Boulevard, Angela Kilian has truly built a name for herself as a premier performer, currently singing showstopper Barcelona in Sean Bovim’s Queen at the Ballet.

“The challenge about singing a song like Barcelona, is the expectations the audience has, which adds an exciting pressure,” she said.

She grew up in Port Elizabeth, where she studied drama at the Robin Williams Drama Studio. Her passion for the theatre then took her to Cape Town, where she studied drama at the Waterfront Theatre School and obtained her London Trinity Performers Diploma. This experience developed a great respect and love for musical theatre within her.

“The funny thing about the theatre is that a straight play actor will frown on musical theatre and tell me that it’s not acting, and opera singers will say it’s not singing – but it can’t be compared to any of these because it’s a style on its own, and when you put all three together in one it’s definitely the most challenging,” she said, highlighting the difficulty of merging dance, acting and singing in a performance.

After much success and pulling off coveted roles such as the eponymous role in Evita and Jellylorum/Griddlebone in Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Cats, as well as a slew of awards, she has established herself as a prominent name in the industry.

While she holds great affection for the theatre, Kilian is equally excited about working in television and has enjoyed acting, presenting, writing and directing.

TV credits include roles in 7de Laan, Isidingo, and Binnelanders.

“Performers, especially in South Africa, have to be adaptable to all markets,” she added, saying that being able to adjust to both the intimacy of television and the spectacular performances of musical theatre is important.

After wrapping up her performance in Sunset Boulevard, she is currently preparing for an exciting tour of Seoul, South Korea, for Cats.