meet multi-talented superstar, vidya makan
A chat with the triple-threat about art, music and authentic representation.
Tell us about yourself. I’m a nerdy brown kid from Queensland who is obsessed with musical theatre. I have yellow hair and a deep-seated passion to uplift minority voices in everything I create as a performer, composer and lyricist. I’m probably most known for playing Eliza in the recent Australian production of Hamilton – still can’t get over that! My debut original musical The Lucky Country toured Australia last year and was nominated for an ARIA Award – also can’t get over that! I’m currently writing a musical about the everyday lives of South Asian Australians.
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What do you draw from when crafting stories and characters? Honestly, myself, my family and my friends! I’m so sick of seeing versions of ‘Australia’ where people who look like me don’t get to be normal people. Or, more often than not, we end up as the butt of some lame racist joke. I want to write stories where we get to be three-dimensional, flawed, brilliant, everyday people – and get to be in on the humour. We’re seeing this kind of representation a little more in shows like Heartbreak High, but my dream is to bring that specificity, humour and diversity to the musical theatre stage.
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How has writing a musical changed the way you approach creativity? It’s changed my life. I’m the proud daughter of immigrant parents and I wanted to write a show about what it means to be Australian. To write this work, I had to collaborate with a huge team of First Nations voices – because you can’t talk about what it is to be from this place without talking and listening to First Nations voices. There is no generosity like that of Blackfullas, and I will forever be grateful for the relationships and wisdom I’ve gained from them throughout the process.
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If all your vocations had to battle to the death, which would win? I find it hard to answer this because when I’m writing, I’m using my performance skills, and when I’m performing, I’m using my writing skills. If I couldn’t have all of it, I reckon I’d just become a historian or archaeologist because I’m a nerd and love ancient mythology and history.
This rad chat comes straight from the pages of issue 132. To get your mitts on a copy, swing past the frankie shop, subscribe or visit one of our lovely stockists.
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