Johannesburg - This week we feature award-winning actress, singer and professional ventriloquist Isabella Jane.
Jane is best known for being a runner-up in the reality TV show “South Africa’s Got Talent”, where she wowed audiences with her ventriloquism.
She has travelled the world performing in various shows for singing, musical theatre and ventriloquism.
She is also an award-winning actress and recently won a Fleur du Cap Award for her breakthrough performance on the international tour of “Evita”.
She is also a critically acclaimed children's show creator.
You are able to tour with any ventriloquist in the world on an international tour. Who do you choose to tour with?
That’s not at all a fair question because I want to tour with all of them. I suppose if I must choose, I’d go with Terry Fator because he was the first ventriloquist I watched and who inspired me to begin in the first place… and besides, who wouldn’t want to do Vegas?
The key to being a great ventriloquist is ...?
Not moving your mouth.
Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook – which is your favourite?
Listen, I love Instagram! But I have to say my favourite is Facebook, purely because my older friends, family and fans are on it. There’s nothing better than reading a “Wow, this looks fabulous, where can I get tickets?” Comment from an old tannie you met once in a foyer after a show.
The meal that most reminds you of your childhood is...?
I’d love to give you a cute ‘spag bowl’ by mom or ‘boerie roll’ by dad kind of answer… but when I think of food from my childhood I think of the traumatic evening 10-year-old Isabella put her family though one night when she insisted on cooking sausages stuffed with spaghetti.
Tell us about the worst date you've ever had?
Oh gosh, where do I begin? There was this guy I met online (don’t do it, kids) and I decided a nice first date would be to spend the afternoon with my sister, her boyfriend, and a few other friends. The guy arrived with a ‘Royal Flush’ bottle of gin – good choice. However, little did I know that that’s what this date would be. I promise you, mid one of my sentences, this man stood up and left, no explanation – just walked away and went home. He did, however, leave the gin. I drank it on New Year’s with my dad.
The song title that most accurately describes your life right now is...?
“Amazing” by Alexandra May (Ally May is my big sis!).
A wild night out of partying or Netflix and chill?
How about cook and converse?
How would you like to be remembered?
In terms of character, I’d like to be remembered as someone filled with the fruits of the spirits, a love for God and everyone around me, and a stellar sense of humour. Then in terms of my career, I’d love to be remembered as someone who never stopped pushing to make it happen and made people feel something from her art wherever she went.
What is one thing most people don’t know about you?
I rebelled, got a piercing that went horribly wrong, it broke my ear, left it deformed like an elf ear… and I should’ve listened to mom.
A book that everyone should read is...?
Well, as Julie Andrews so famously sings, let’s start at the very beginning … Genesis