Zizi Strallen Went From Abercrombie & Fitch Sales to West End Star

Zizi Strallen—who played the title role in the West End production of Mary Poppins—has a full plate over the next few months.

First up are the August 19–20 concerts of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's groundbreaking Oklahoma! at Theatre Royal Drury Lane, where the work made its original London debut in 1947. Strallen will play Laurey opposite Phil Dunster's Curly, with Christina Bianco as Ado Annie, Jordan Shaw as Will Parker, Olivier winner Joanna Riding as Aunt Eller, Tosh Wanogho-Maud as Jud Fry, Irvine Iqbal as Ali Hakim, Nicole-Lily Baisden as Gertie, and Sebastien Torkia as Andrew. Bill Deamer is directing and choreographing the performances, which will feature the London Musical Theatre Orchestra playing Robert Russell Bennett's full, original 28-piece orchestrations.

Strallen will then reprise her work in the title role of Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist when it plays a limited engagement at London's The Other Palace September 13–November 10. Directed by Bronagh Lagan, based on the original staging by Drew McOnie, the cast will also feature Renée Lamb (Be More Chill; Six). With a book by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm and Tasha Taylor Johnson and music and lyrics by Jack McManus and Taylor Johnson, the musical follows Marie Antoinette as she is implicated in a crime to defraud the crown jewelers of a diamond necklace, jeopardizing not only her reputation but the monarchy and France itself.

Strallen has also been seen on stage in The Car Man, Hairspray, Chicago, A Tale of Two Cities, The Herbal Bed, Follies, The Music Man, Dirty Dancing, Rock of Ages, and Merrily We Roll Along, while her screen credits include Cats, Cinderella, Britannia High, The Prince and the Pauper, Victoria and Albert, Bramwell, and Dinotopia.

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Strallen shares why it's important to stay true to who you are, and a day job that left her burning.

Jordan Shaw, Zizi Strallen, Phil Dunster, and Christina Bianco

Where did you train/study?
Zizi Strallen: I went to Arts Education School when I was 11 years old, and I left when I was 16. I then went to London Studio Centre but just for one year because I was lucky enough to get my first professional job at 17.

Was there a teacher who was particularly impactful/helpful? What made this instructor stand out?
I had a ballet teacher at ArtsEd called Sarah Daultry. She had worked a lot with New York City Ballet, and she spoke to us like working adults and set us up for the industry. I still now think about some of the things she said.

What is the rehearsal process like for a two-night engagement like Oklahoma!? How do you prepare before rehearsals begin?
Rehearsals for Oklahoma! In Concert are going to be around 10 days. I will definitely turn up on day one being as familiar with the script and score as I can be, so that I can spend those 10 days focusing on building my onstage relationships with the rest of the cast.

Zizi Strallen and Renée Lamb in *Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist* Mark Senior

You're also going to reprise your work in the fall engagement of Cake: The Marie Antoinette Playlist. Can you describe what the production is like for those who haven't seen it?
Cake is one of the most exciting productions I’ve ever been involved in. It tells the true story of Marie Antoinette, Jeanne de Valois, and the affair of the diamond necklace, but using comedy and wonderful pop-sounding songs. The music sounds like it could be in the charts today, as if Marie Antoinette was as famous as Ariana Grande or Dua Lipa. You’ll definitely want to go out and party after you’ve seen it.

Can you share a favorite memory from playing Mary Poppins in the West End?
I think my favorite memory of playing Mary Poppins was the feeling I got on the first night back after the pandemic. I’ve never felt love for theatre like that. It was extremely emotional and joyful.

Would you like to play Broadway someday?
I would love to play Broadway someday. It’s a definite dream of mine. Fingers crossed it happens soon.

When you look back on your career so far, do you have a favorite theatrical experience? What made that show particularly special?
When I look back at my career, I think about all the incredible people I’ve been lucky enough to work with, especially when I was quite young. When I was 21, I played Meg in Maria Friedman’s production of Merrily We Roll Along, which is the production that [was recently] on Broadway. I couldn’t believe I was there with Jenna Russell and Josefina Gabrielle, who I had grown up idolizing. I always try and be a sponge on every job and keep learning, no matter how old I get.

Zizi Strallen in *Mary Poppins* Johan Persson

What do you consider your big break?
Probably my big break was when I was cast as Mary Poppins at 24 years old. That was insane. But personally, my break for me was when I played Lana in Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man. That show molded me as an actor and made me realize that I was on my own personal journey in my career and I didn’t have to put myself in any box.

Tell me about a time you almost gave up but didn’t.
To be totally honest, there are many times you think about giving up as an actor, but the love one has for it keeps you going. When I was 11 though, I got into a very academic school that produced a lot of doctors and lawyers, and my parents were overjoyed, but I lasted two terms before begging them to let me go to ArtsEd.

What is the most memorable day job you ever had?
My most memorable day job is when I was working at Abercrombie & Fitch in central London. It was the winter, but my "uniform" was tiny shorts, flip flops, a beanie hat, and a scarf. The place was so dark, and every so often I would burn my arms on the shelf lights reaching in for the jeans. It smelt like a mixture of Abercrombie Fierce and feet, ha!

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
I would tell my younger self to not try and be anyone else. To try and not look sideways and just look forward. It’s so hard these days with social media; we’re constantly told to compare ourselves to others, but it’s so important to just stay true to who you are. That’s ultimately what gets you work as a performer, your individuality.