
Caryl Illana
Upcoming:
"Shibuya Scramble: Song Covers by Caryl Illana", Japan Festival Wellington, 6 March at 5PM, TSB Arena
The Saltpranos present "Suitcase Songs", Kōwhai Fan Fest (tickets), 27 March, Tūranga
Pokémon 25 Tribute, Overload NZ Anime and Manga Convention, 24 April, the Cloud
Actor · Singer · dancer
Caryl is a musical theatre performer based in Wellington, New Zealand.
Since her surprise first performance at the age of three during a screening of Pocahontas, Caryl has performed in musicals onstage at Walt Disney World, at the TSB Bank Festival of Lights in New Plymouth, and in her home of Wellington. She has also performed in Christchurch and Napier as a student at the Christchurch International Musical Theatre Summer School and the New Zealand Singing School, where she worked with top international tutors, directors, and choreographers. Recently she has begun performing online in livestreamed plays, working with both her fellow Kiwis and international actors.
Caryl holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Film, and Second Language Education from Victoria University of Wellington. Being Filipina, she was born with a karaoke mic in her hand, and has refined her performance skills with classical training as a mezzo soprano specialising in musical theatre, pop/rock, and rap, and dance training in a number of styles.
credits
Musical theatre
Year | Show | Role | Director | Company |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | Between the Lines | Sleeping Beauty | Alexander Garside | Drama Christi |
2017 | DinoRock: A Musical for Kids at TSB Bank Festival of Lights | Snarl | Aaron Blackledge | Kapitall Kids' Theatre |
2016 | DinoRock: A Musical for Kids original production | Snarl | Aaron Blackledge | Kapitall Kids' Theatre |
2015 | The Sword in the Stone | Merlin | Aaron Blackledge | Kapitall Kids' Theatre |
2014 | The Marvellous Adventure of Jack and Daisy | Daisy | Aaron Blackledge | Kapitall Kids' Theatre |
2010 | Alpha Male the Musical | Jill understudy, waitress | Daniel Kaplan | S.T.A.G.E. |
theatre
Year | Show | Role | Director | Company |
---|---|---|---|---|
2021 | A Study of Bad Accents in New Zealand Fringe Festival | Gabriel, Sarah, Reski | Natania McLeod Roberts and Saffron Quinn | South Road Directing |
2020 | Sara in rEMOTION Online Play Festival (video) | Alex | Daniel Moore | Asian Creative Network |
2020 | After Death in rEMOTION Online Play Festival (video) | Jackie | Sharon Park | Asian Creative Network |
2020 | Cheap and Perfect Does Another One in New Zealand Fringe Festival | collaborator | Joanna Divett, Pája Neuhöferová, Susan Williams | Cheap and Perfect |
2019 | The Big Blue Planet Earth Show | Liana, Lt. Scott, Bonita | Chris Fisher | Drama Christi |
2018 | Potted Austen: Sense and Sensibility | Marianne Dashwood, Lucy Steele | Alexander Garside | Drama Christi |
2018 | Potted Austen: Pride and Prejudice | Lydia Bennet, Charlotte Lucas, Caroline Bingley | Alexander Garside | Drama Christi |
2018 | Sticky Fingers in New Zealand Fringe Festival | collaborator | Eunji Park | Palette Theatre |
staged readings
Year | Show | Role | Director | Company |
---|---|---|---|---|
2020 | Head Space in rEMOTION Online Play Festival (video) | Faith Bolton | John Primavera, Irinola Mėgrėłishviłi | Asian Creative Network |
2020 | Strawberry Milk (video) | Mel | Ryan Thornhill | Thornhill Theatre Space |
2016 | The Roaring Girl | Moll Cutpurse | Ania Upstill | The Lord Lackbeards |
2016 | The Queen, or the Excellency of Her Sex | Almada, groom | Matt Powell | The Lord Lackbeards |
Singing
Year | Event | Performance |
---|---|---|
2020 | Vegan Vault | market musician |
2020 | GGWP - Great Games With Pals | 4K Cabaret (videos) |
2019 | Cosplay Stage Festival | "Speechless" from Aladdin 2019 (video) |
2018 | Fluster Cluck; A Chaotic Curation of Cabaret and other such entertainments in New Zealand Fringe Festival | The Mezzo Mixtape EP (video) |
Dance
Year | Event | Performance | Choreographer | Company |
---|---|---|---|---|
2019 | New Zealand men's vs. Barbarians handball exhibition match | Disco jazz opening entertainment | Lorna Rosevear | Spiritus Dance Company |
training
Christchurch International Musical Theatre Summer School 2020: James Madison in Hamilton's "The Room Where it Happens" music dir. Loclan Mackenzie-Spencer and chor. Leslie Garcia Bowman. Florinda in Into the Woods' "Prologue: Into the Woods" dir. Peter Flynn and music dir. Geoffrey Castles. Ensemble in Edwin Drood's "There You Are" chor. Leslie Bell. Vocal masterclass with Geoffrey Castles. Dance classes with Leslie Bell and Michael Ralph.
New Zealand Singing School 2019 musical theatre stream: Masterclasses with Irene Bartlett, Pat Wilson, Nick Hollamby, Laine Loxlea-Danaan, and Jane Keller. Music dir. Mark Dorrell and Karen Grylls. Group and ensemble performances dir. Sara Brodie.
The VoxBox: Nine years private vocal tuition with Megan Corby.
Victoria University of Wellington: Bachelor of Arts in Theatre, Film, and Second Language Education. 300 level shows dir. David O'Donnell, Rachel Lenart, and Kerryn Palmer.
dance
Intermediate tap (ongoing): Spiritus Dance Company (formerly LL Dance)
Three years jazz (ongoing): Spiritus Dance Company, Jennifer Evans Dance Academy
Five years ballet (ongoing): Spiritus Dance Company, various
One year hiphop: Jennifer Evans Dance Academy
One year Latin and ballroom: The Studio
instruments
Trinity College Grade 3 piano
Basic guitar
Basic orchestral percussion
skills
Cartwheels
Rollerblading
Mute fur-suited mascot characters
Kapa haka
Swimming
Workshops
Make Soup from a Stone: Devising with Paula Van Beek at the Annual BATS Summit
Performing the World: Community theatre with Nicola Pauling at the Annual BATS Summit
Sandpit Workshops 2017 blocks 3 and 5 at BATS Theatre
Nil By Mouth: Physical theatre, communication, and language with Saran Goldie-Smith and Jen McArthur at Barbarian Productions
Characterization through improvisation with Jamie Irvine at Hutt Repertory Theatre
media
0:00: "Don't Wanna Be Here" - Ordinary Days (Adam Gwon)
1:37: "Angels, Punks and Raging Queens" - Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens (Bill Russell)
3:23: Helen of Troy - The Penelopiad (Margaret Atwood)
Faith Bolton - Head Space (John Primavera) staged reading in rEMOTION Online Play Festival
photoshoots
Contact
If you would like to collaborate with Caryl on a show, book her for your event, or have any other enquiries, please get in touch.