Kristin Paulse Brings Mimi’s Fire in Rent to the Sydney Opera House

It’s the night before opening, and Sydney is buzzing for the premiere of Opera Australia’s Rent. Amid the media whirlwind, I grabbed 10 minutes with Kristin Paulse to talk about stepping into the iconic role of Mimi. Kristin is vibrant, soaring, and full of the kind of energy that comes from pushing herself to be exactly where she’s meant to be. 

From her journey through Hairspray and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical to now embodying Mimi’s fierce yet fragile spirit, she shares how she’s bringing every layer of herself to the stage at the Sydney Opera House. Like Rent – our conversation was electric!  

So, without further ado, here’s Faith’s Top 5 with actor Kristin Paulse.  Let’s get singing! 

Q1. You’ve played roles from Dynamite in Hairspray to understudying Tina Turner in Tina. What unique challenges and rewards have you experienced in these roles, and how have they shaped you as a performer?

Physically, the roles really built my stamina. Starting with Hairspray, there was a lot of jumping and movement, which got my cardio up and prepared me for covering Tina and all the roles I worked on later. Tina was the first musical I dealt with heavier subject matter, so I really had to dive deeper into my acting. 

That experience helped me in Rent, allowing me to explore a character fully, do the research, and make Mimi feel authentic. Each role has allowed me to grow, taking what I’ve learned from one show into the next, and it’s been a beautiful, cumulative journey.

Q2: You’ve named Mimi as your dream role – fearless on the outside, yet longing to be seen and loved. How do you balance her vibrant energy with the deep emotional struggles she carries?

It’s been a lot of learning. Now that I’m a bit older, I understand Mimi more- the way she experiences everything so intensely at  the age of 19, her passion, her vulnerability, and how heightened her emotions are. Experiencing love and loss myself has given me a deeper insight into her struggles, allowing me to bring those layers to the role. I aim to balance her fearless, vibrant energy with the quiet moments of longing and fragility, so she feels real and fully human on stage.

Q3  As a singer-songwriter under the name KRISTN, how does your own music and personal experiences inform the way you bring Mimi to life on stage?

KRISTN is a bit of a persona. With her, I try to make her a little more sexy, a bit more confident as well. So I think that really ties in with Mimi with her sexual confidence. It’s really funny. I’m actually quite reserved. I’m shy, but it’s really fun to explore that. It’s like intrusive thoughts or my own fantasy about myself.

Q4 Rent has been captivating audiences worldwide since 1996, with themes of love, loss, and societal challenges. Why does the story still resonate so deeply today, and how do you think it connects with contemporary audiences here in Sydney?

At the core of the show is community and love. As time goes on and evolves – community is always going to be there. Especially with the issues that RENT touches on. Particularly about the injustices that happen to minority groups. Times change, but we still go through the same prejudices and conflicts. That’s why Rent holds the impact that it does.

Even as a work of art, it’s quite rare in its form. It’s one of the only pieces of musical theatre that is in its original form because the writer Jonathan Larson passed before he could make any changes or show it to an audience to see what worked and what didn’t, what he should change, or add. Even his music scores are handwritten. So I think there’s a beauty in that as well. It’s the original product.

With the AIDS epidemic as well, there’s a whole generation, including myself, that isn’t aware of the impact of that. So we get to learn about that time in Rent. Coming off the back of COVID, we’ve also experienced what that panic can look like.

Q5 Rent is all about connection. What’s your favourite moment with your fellow cast that brings that ensemble energy to life on stage, and how does it feel to soon be sharing those moments in such an iconic show at one of the world’s most legendary landmarks?

The cast, crew, and team make it a stunning experience because this story forces you to be vulnerable and authentic. We’ve all connected emotionally, cried, laughed, and truly seen each other, building massive respect. I especially love “Seasons of Love.” Before Act 2, we take a breath, standing in a circle and sing the song, feeling that sense of community. Even at the start of the show, chatting on stage helps us lock in, catch up, and be ready as a team. 

And in the Opera House on stage of the Joan Sutherland Theatre – can you get any better than that? Coming from New Zealand, performing here feels incredibly surreal. I keep thinking, how did I end up here? It just feels beautiful.

Bonus question : What question were you secretly hoping I’d ask and what’s your answer? 

• What’s your Mimi pre-show ritual? 

I’ve got a playlist on Spotify for Mimi. Jessie K, who plays Angel in the show, suggested I make one. So all my pre-show songs are ready – really sexy tracks, some ‘90s R&B, a lot of duff music – I love duff stuff. Whitney Houston is a must. I also have a show fragrance: Kylie Minogue’s Disco Darling. That’s the ritual that really gets me into character.

Rent opens 30 September and runs to 1 November at Sydney Opera House, Joan Sutherland Theatre. For further details, see: https://rentmusical.au/
Follow Faith in Theatres on Instagram and Facebook for exclusive behind-the-scenes stories and interviews. Because theatre needs Faith.