Rising musical theatre star Kristin Paulse is living her dream. For as long as she can remember, she hoped for a life on the stage. Now she is building a dazzling career in Australia, with recent roles including a lead performance at the iconic Sydney Opera House.
Yet behind the ovations, Kristin admits that each success has meant she is further from home and from those she loves.
“A real blessing and privilege of this job is that I get to travel so much and really integrate into a place,” the 27-year-old tells.
“But ironically, it’s lonely. All the people who you really love and care about are so far away, and they’re always going to be so far away.”
That distance has become especially pronounced, with her family facing new milestones without her.
“My parents are getting older – my father wasn’t doing very well at the end of last year, but he’s better now,” she explains.
“And my niece just started kindy, and I’m missing that moment. I have to wait for updates. Things like that are really hard. You watch life go on without you.”
(Credit: Emily Chalk.)
Ambition and family fuel her journey
While it’s a tough pill to swallow, Kristin admits her ambition – along with the unwavering support of her family from afar – keeps her focused.
“My drive is bigger than that,” she says.
“If anything, I want to scoop up everyone and bring them with me.”
Music has always been at the heart of Kristin’s world. Growing up in South Africa, her family was very involved in the church, so they sang a lot of gospel music and were part of the choir. When she was seven, her parents decided to emigrate to New Zealand in search of a better life. She recalls how her younger self didn’t quite understand the magnitude of the move.
“I didn’t clock that I was moving countries,” Kristin tells.
“I thought I was going to a different part of South Africa. It was a bit of a culture shock. “It was difficult communicating with other kids because I had a really strong accent at the time
and I played different games than everyone else. I didn’t know how to relate.”
Adjusting to a new home through music
As she adjusted to her new home, she found comfort in music.
“I’d walk around school singing to myself, making up little songs. I never felt sad or lonely – I was in my own little bubble,” Kristin shares.
While her parents went to every production she performed in during school, they were adamant that she attend university so she would have a “real job”.
Kristin agreed, embarking on a law degree. But she never stopped performing and, alongside her studies, the opportunities grew. The turning point came when she attended a programme run by Broadway industry professionals. Her talent impressed them so much that she earned one of four coveted spots to perform in their annual showcase in New York in 2018.
Surrounded by some of the most skilled young artists from around the globe, Kristin realised she compared well to them and it lit a fire in her belly.
Beyond Shakespeare: Kristin with the cast of & Juliet.
A life-changing moment on stage
“It sounds clichéd, but it changed my life,” she enthuses.
“Something like that makes or breaks you. It woke up this hunger in me, where I thought, ‘This is possible.’”
Now she lives and works full-time in Australia. While she’s excited by the credits she’s racking up, Kristin says the most special part of it all is that her parents can see just how far her talent will take her.
“They’re so proud,” she smiles.
“I was three years into my law degree when my dad was like, ‘If this is something you want to pursue, don’t worry about us, you belong on stage.’ I thought, ‘Thanks, but I already have the debt!’ But I appreciated it – it was really cool validation from them.”
Returning home to New Zealand
This month, she returns to the New Zealand stage for the first time in five years to play the lead in jukebox musical & Juliet, which imagines the famous character’s future if she hadn’t died
with her beloved Romeo.
Although Kristin is no stranger to performing for large crowds overseas, she says it will be emotional knowing that, for the first time, in the audience will be the people she loves most.
“I could never have imagined I’d actually be doing this,” she smiles.
“I don’t know how I’m going to prepare myself to have so many people I know and love in the audience. I’m always performing to strangers.”
& Juliet tours in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch from April 9 to June 13. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit gntproductions.co.nz/and-juliet.
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