We Talk to Thalia Burt

Dream without fear, live without limits.

By Louw Mulder

Much is spoken about Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and the sexy male cast making up Jacob’s sons. But what about the fairer sex, especially the sultry Tango Girl in act two? The female cast of this production, currently led by Nadine, consists of Raquel Munn, Venolia Manale and Luise Duhain. But let’s focus on the seductive Mrs Potiphar, played by the beautiful Thalia Burt.

The life-motto of 22-year old Thalia Burt is to dream without fear and live without limits. She strives to be the best of the best, and acknowledges the fact that she has to make herself indispensable, so that any job cannot be done without her.

With this philosophy, our interview ended, but not after I had learned so much from this up and coming actress. Or is she a dancer, singer? Thalia started her career with dancing, in which she invested all her energy. As she progressed and got introduced to all the other performing aspects of theatre, her love for acting started to burn a fire in which she is pretty excited to dive into.

During her younger years, Thalia first started her dream at JazzArt. On recommendations of her teachers there, she enrolled at the Waterfront Theatre School at the age of 15. Realizing that this was something she wanted to pursue professionally, she applied and the school accepted her, and moulded her into the performer she is now. “The biggest lesson they taught me is discipline and professionalism, and to be able to withstand and deal with any situation. There is no greater gift really” says Thalia.

In her final year of training, Thalia qualified as a teacher at the Imperial Society Teachers of Dance in the United Kingdom. After completing the highest levels of exams in many dance genres, the Waterfront Theatre School recommended she pursue teaching, which she grabbed with open arms. Thalia explains: “It gave me the opportunity to work with kids, broaden my opportunities with work and really gave me a much better understanding of dance, the body, nutrition, anatomy and music.” Teaching is not something she would pursue right now, but going to London to teach at a later stage, is definitely an option.

So the day broke where the stage became her playground. Already, Thalia Burt brags with impressive credits on her resume; Footloose, A Chorus Line, The Little Mermaid, Guys and Dolls, are only a few to mention, together with the likes of I’m Singin’ in the Rain, Joseph and Cats.

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats was the first musical she had ever seen, and knew that this was what she wanted to do someday. Not only did the dream of performing in a musical come true, she even landed a role as a cat herself in the production that toured Korea and Singapore. Thalia was cast as Tantomile, which also understudies several other characters, like Cassandra, Rumpleteaser, Bombalurina and Sillabub. Says Thalia: “My favourite would have to be Cassandra. She was so different to my original role, super slinky, sexy, her costume was beautiful and I loved the challenge.”

Super slinky and sexy, is one of the characteristics Thalia does best. In the current production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, she dances the Tango in act two, which is a scene in the show for the guys. Her true talent for dance and her techniques are clearly evident in this dance, not to mention the love for what she does which is visible throughout her performance.

“Being in Joseph is nothing short of amazing. It’s a quick show, it’s energetic, light hearted, the choreography is such fun and the music is catchy – not to mention there are about 12 drop dead gorgeous brothers who do some routines in sequined speedos” Thalia explains timidly, as she reiterate the fact that they are in sequined speedo’s. “To be honest I don’t have a favourite part of the show other than the response we get from the audience at the end, once we take our final bow. It’s so rewarding.”

I could sense the sincerity and appreciation Thalia speaks about when she refers to her audiences. “I can honestly say there is nothing like a South African audience. Touring with shows makes me realize how wonderful the people are here. I miss it. I miss the response. I miss the love and I miss the energy when performing overseas” she says proudly.

Proud indeed, as she continued with her thoughts on the theatre industry in South Africa. “People are becoming more exposed to theatre and more aware of the beauty of it, which really excites me for the years to come and the future of theatre here. There are so many talented artists and performers in South Africa and some of the hardest workers I’ve ever came across. It would be a shame for their talent and passion to go unnoticed. “

The theatre industry is an incredibly challenging industry for Thalia to be in, but she admits that if the passion is there and you reach your goals through hard work, it can be one of the most rewarding things. For Thalia, it is important to find your thing, your X-factor. “This is something I find extremely important” she adds. “It saddens me to see so many young and upcoming performers trying to change themselves to fit the mould, trying to be somebody else, rather than using their own tool to create something completely unique and spectacular.”

Off the stage, Thalia‘s hobbies are always changing, depending on her mood. Past times sometimes includes enjoying being social and trying new things. Other times she just enjoys being alone with a book and having time out. “The only constant is my exercise” she adds with a straight face. Thalia is a personal trainer at Switch Playground. There’s one in Cape Town and one in Johannesburg so when she is in South Africa, there’s not a day that goes by where she doesn’t pop into the studio. “I really do encourage everybody, all ages, to give it a go. It’s the best work out of your life!” she said with a smile, adding that the website address for more information is www.switchplayground.com.

Thalia has decided to give the screen a try. She decided this not for any other reason than changing things up. “I love the challenge. My love for acting is starting to build so I’m stepping right out of my comfort zone and tapping into that drive.” Thalia said: “I’m a firm believer of always pushing yourself to the absolute limit.”

I had such a fun time getting to know Thalia Burt, so much so, that this interview does not even capture the half of it. After each interview I conduct, there is something about that person that stands out long after I have had the conversation with them. With Thalia, it is the passion and intimate love-affair she has for performing, and giving nothing less than her best. This, she pursues daily, with an innocent, yet bold attitude.

“To succeed takes a lot of hard work, but it’s by no means impossible. Nobody can be a better you than YOU – so do you… More recently I’ve become more work orientated and determined to succeed in everthing I do. To the young ones out there, make yourself so good, that nobody else can do it like you. Make people want to hire you without a second thought. Keep pushing, keep dreaming, and never ever give up.”

This interview was edited by Bronwen Kerry from B Sharp Entertainment.  Photos supplied by Miss Burt.