Samoan-Australian fa’afafine actor, writer, and performer, Tommy Misa, is drawing on traditional Samoan storytelling and humour as he builds a career across theatre, screen, and performance art in Australia and internationally.

Misa, who is from Toamua in Samoa and now lives in Gadigal country in Sydney, works across live performance, theatre and screen. He has trained at the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA) in Sydney and the Atlantic Theatre Company in New York.

His work often explores the intersection of Pacific identity, queer identity, and performance, using humour and clowning as central tools for storytelling.

A key influence in his practice is the Samoan tradition of “Fale Aitu”, or “house of spirits”, a traditional Samoan performance form that uses humour and role-play to speak to authority and reflect village life.

Misa has said this tradition informs how he approaches theatre today, especially in using comedy and performance to address serious themes such as grief, identity, and working-class life.

His work, “Working Class Clown”, performed at the Biennale of Sydney, draws on this tradition and his own family history. The piece was staged at the White Bay Power Station and explores a fictional clown character, Pepe Toa, who moves through grief and urban isolation while reconnecting with the community.

Misa’s earlier solo work, “They Took Me to a Queer Bar”, also explored identity and belonging in Sydney’s queer spaces. The show, which received multiple seasons, follows his personal journey of self-discovery through performance and queer nightlife culture.

He has described his approach to theatre as centred on connection with audiences, often breaking traditional performance boundaries. His work frequently blends humour, physical performance, and audience participation.

“I think the most important thing is the audience and the connection to the audience,” he said.

Misa has also spoken about growing up in Samoa and Australia, where humour played an important role in family and community life. He has credited his late father as a major influence on his comedic sensibility and storytelling approach.

Through his work, Misa continues to explore how traditional Pacific storytelling methods can remain relevant in contemporary theatre, particularly through humour, satire, and shared experience.