Emma Kew

Emma Kew is a Sydney based actor and experimental performance artist making subversive and comedic queer-centric work. She most recently presented the sold-out return season of the cine-theatre parody, Notes On A Scandal: Folie A Deux at Qtopia Pride Festival. With her collaborator, Cheryn Frost, she was a part of the inaugural Experimental Commissioning Consortium (ECC), and in 2025 was the recipient of the Steven Cummins Residency for Performance Space’s Queer Development Program. With credits across drag, directing, writing, curating and producing she has presented original work for Dark Mofo (Night Mass), Biennale of Sydney (Here Here), Bundanon (Not So Blue Light Disco), Bondi Festival (Heavy Lifting), MCA and The Bearded Tit.

Emma collaborates regularly with film collective, Studio Antics as an actor, producer and 1st Assistant Director on music videos for artists including Orville Peck, Thelma Plum and Chela, and on award-winning shorts including Buff (2026), Venus Baby (2025), Dykes on Bikes: An Origin Story (2023), Single (2021) & Winona (2020). She also regularly collaborates with stage collective Stage Mum on productions including Dough!, Truly Madly Britney & I Still Haven't Found What I'm Cooking For.

As an actor her screen credits include Home & Away, Doctor Doctor and award-winning short, Set Menu (Lindsay McDonald). On stage - Straight Panic (ATYP), The Smeds and the Smoos & The Midnight Gang (CDP). Graduating from NIDA with a BFA (Acting) she was recognized with the Hazel Treweek Award for excellence in Classical Theatre.

Other TV and commercial crew credits include Australian Idol, The Voice, Last King of the Cross, Maccas, JD Sports, and The University of Sydney.

She has a passion for making new Australian work and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Acting) from NIDA, a Diploma of Live Performance and Technical Services (Stage Management) from the Adelaide College of the Arts and a Bachelor of Psychological Science from the University of Adelaide.

As a queer person, she is an outspoken advocate for the LGBTQI+ community and is a proud MEAA member. Emma was born and raised in Adelaide, the land of the Kaurna People and now lives and works in Sydney on the land of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation. She would like to pay her respects to the Elders past, present and future. Always was, always will be Aboriginal Land.

Stephen Cummins Residency (2025)
Experimental Commissioning Consortium