Nor'West News: June 14, 2016

NOR’WEST NEWS Tuesday June 14 2016 9
Our People
When the world is your stage
Ailis Oliver-Kerby, 21, is fast on track to
becoming a professional performer after
being accepted into performing arts schools
in London, New York and Australia. She spoke
to Georgia O’Connor-Harding about living all
around the world while growing up, her love
of the arts and being related to broadcaster
Bernadine Oliver-Kerby.
Great speaking to you. How
are you finding performing in
Showbiz Christchurch’s Hairspray
so far?
I have been absolutely loving
it. It has just been such a positive
experience and to have audiences
at last is so different. Having the
laughs is more fun. I’m playing
Penny Pingleton. She is such
a lovable character with great
one-liners. Hairspray is one of
my favourite shows and Penny
is one of my ultimate roles. I
did Hairspray in the
United Kingdom but I
always wanted to play
Penny. When I came
to Dunedin I got that,
which is cool, and
now I have it again,
which is special.
You’ve been all
around the world.
Tell me about the
places you’ve lived
in?
It’s always a hard
question when
someone asks where I am from
because it is quite a long story. I
was born in Auckland and then
lived in Christchurch as a primary
school kid. My family moved
to England for a couple of years
before my teenage years. It was
back and forth from England to
here. Then, when I was about 12,
we moved to Hong Kong because
my Dad worked as a pilot with
a Hong Kong airline – Cathay
Pacific. It was getting really hard
for the family to be so split up all
the time. Dad was always flying
so we all moved there together.
What was growing up in
Hong Kong like?
CENTRE STAGE: Ailis Oliver-Kerby playing the role of Liesl in
the Sound of Music with Taieri Musical Society last year.
It was such an amazing adventure.
We were there for seven
years and there was a great theatre
scene in Hong Kong as well.
The dance is competitive there.
I worked hard with my singing
and dancing at the international
Island School. I met lots of British,
American and Australian
teachers. It is really different in
the middle of the city. So cultural.
I feel home there now but I
can see why people would have a
cultural shock.
And then you went
to the United Kingdom
to study?
I was 16 and I
heard about a musical
theatre course in the
United Kingdom. It
was a pre-tertiary
musical theatre
course at Tring Park
School for Performing
Arts. I just
wanted to be somewhere
I could do this
full-time.
What drew you back to New
Zealand?
It felt like I needed to get back
to my roots. I liked the look of
Otago University – I had lots
of old friends going there. The
main building is kind of like
Hogwarts.
What’s the most valuable
thing you’ve picked up from
studying the performing arts?
I think the hardest thing about
this industry is all the set backs.
And you have to believe in yourself.
If you don’t believe in yourself
no one else will. I recently
did the Christchurch International
Musical Theatre Summer
School and Andrea Burns,
who is on Broadway in On Your
Feet! at the moment, said to us:
“If you’re ready, you never have
to get ready”. It is all about being
prepared. And you have to
be prepared for every audition.
Preparation is the one thing that
can help you. You have got to appreciate
the good moments and
not let the bad moments suck it
out of you.
And is it your dream to be on
West End with all your achievements?
After getting accepted into the
Royal Central School of Speech
and Drama in London, Stella
Adler Studio of Acting in New
York and Making it On Broadway
in Sydney, it is my dream to
work in West End productions.
I most recently came second in
the International Monologue
Competition where I was lucky
enough to receive more than
2000 votes.
What an incredible variety
of places to choose from.
Have you thought about
what option you will take
up?
I do think London is where I
want to be. I have worked there
before and have contacts. I also
just found out I got into Legally
Blonde at the Court Theatre. I
haven’t confirmed anything yet.
I am trying to defer my place
in London so I can do the show
here and go the following year.
Everything is still in limbo at the
moment.
Tell me a bit more about your
family. Your dad is a pilot, what
do the others do?
My Mum studied psychology
and she is a career coach. She
is also a business owner. She
does psychology assessments.
She helps me with my CV. My
brother Lachie is very talented.
He has just released his album
on SoundCloud called The
Reach. His music is alternative
rap and he creates his own beats.
My brother is also a massive
rugby player at school. When he
was at Christ’s College he was in
the first XV for rugby. He is very
talented.
What’s it like being related to
Bernadine Oliver-Kerby?
She is an amazing aunty. She
is always there for me. I’ve been
to Auckland quite a lot with my
auditions and agency, Auckland
Actors Ltd. She always drives me
around and would do anything
for us. She enjoys watching
shows. She came and watched
my brother in his school production
of Cats and she came to see
me in the Sound of Music with
the Taieri Musical Society last
year. She has an amazing voice
as well. Not sure if she sings a lot
anymore. It is her little secret.
She was in musicals at school.
You are so busy with your
performing. What do you
always make time for and value
the most?
I value my time with my family.
I take my studies seriously. I
loved doing my degree, reading
and performing. I am lucky to
have friends all over the world
now which I value greatly.