Tommy Misa
About
Tommy Misa is a Samoan (Toamua) Australian Fa’afafine artist who lives on Gadigal country. Tommy works across screen, theatre, live performance and arts consultancy and has trained with NIDA, The Atlantic Theatre Company (NYC) and The Hub Studio. Tommy is an important voice within the Pasifika and Queer communities and his work often looks at these intersections through comedy, clowning and community building.
Tommy has performed at venues including The Old Fitz (for Red Line Productions), Belvoir, National Theatre of Parramatta, Brand X, Kings Cross Theatre, MCA, The Powerhouse Museum and the Art Gallery of New South Wales in the world premiere of Kalaga Atu. Tommy has appeared on shows for SBS, Amazon Prime and Tik Tok and was a regular sketch writer and performer for Buzzfeed Australia. He has collaborated on performance works for the Havana Biennale, Cuba (2019) and the Biennale of Sydney (2020) and The Art Gallery of NSW (Angela Tiatia) and will create an original solo performance work for the 2024 Sydney Biennale. Tommy has also created solo works for Performance Space and First Draft Gallery.
As a writer Tommy’s solo production They Took Me To A Queer Bar received overwhelming support and sold out 3 seasons, originally with Brand X and later with two seasons at Red Line Productions. He is currently adapting the play for screen. He has also completed writing residences with Belvoir Theatre, Co-Curi¬ous, Performance Space and PACT. Tommy won ‘Best Emerging Performer’ at the 2022 Mardi Gras Film festival awards and has projects in development in collaboration with artists and companies across screen, theatre and live performance. He has also written for SBS Voices and Archer magazine.
As a writer for screen, Tommy has worked as a note taker for Matchbox Pictures, SBS and as a writer for Arts and Cultural Exchange Par¬ramatta and was a Screen Australia/AWG/AFTRS 2019 Talent Camp participant, as well as a writer for upcoming SBS/Screen Australia’s Digital Originals. Tommy has facilitated workshops for young Queer people for Wear it Purple organisation as well as being a volunteer assessor of Wear it Purples annual creative grants for Young Queer People. He has also worked as community engagement lead on the Australian premiere of Overflow for Darlinghurst Theatre. Tommy has spoken on various panels and was the 2022 opening keynote speaker for the AUPAC (Australian Universities Pacific Conference).
Queer Nu Werk Development Program 2019
Queer Nu Werk: Werk Harder 2021
Working Class Clown 2024
Past Programs