Laila Thaker
🎭 Super
🗓️  18 June to 6 July
📍 Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre
🎟️  redstitch.net

Laila Thaker’s story is one of reclamation, evolution and purpose. In the latest episode of Showtime, host Andrew G sits down with the actor to explore her journey into the world of performance. What begins as a conversation about her current role in Super at Red Stitch soon expands into a thoughtful reflection on culture, identity, representation and the lived realities of working in the arts as a First Nations woman and mother.

Laila identifies as a proud Torres Strait Islander (Meriam/Wagadagam) and Indian (Ratlamwali) performer. She speaks warmly of her early years surrounded by family, culture and community, where storytelling took many forms including dancing, music, ceremony and gathering. These were the first sparks of her connection to performance. But as she entered high school, she began navigating the pressures of assimilation. Her passion for drama grew alongside a quiet sense that expressing her cultural identity in these spaces was neither welcomed nor understood. The cultural dances that once defined her world gave way to school musicals and Western theatre traditions. For a while, the two worlds stayed separate.

It was not until later through life experience, mentorship and the broader social shift towards First Nations visibility in Australian arts that Laila began to reconnect her cultural identity with her artistic one. She shares that this reconnection was not a sudden decision but a slow unfolding. It was nurtured by community, inspired by trailblazers before her and driven by a growing understanding that her voice held space for others.

In recent years, Laila has come to see her presence in the arts as not only personal but political. As a Black female performer, she knows she stands on the shoulders of many who paved the way and sees her work as part of a continuum. The responsibility, she says, is twofold. To honour her heritage and to help younger artists see themselves represented. It is not about being perfect or always having the answers, but about showing up and speaking truthfully.

This spirit of honest storytelling shines through in Super, the play currently running at Red Stitch. Written by Emily Collier and directed by Ella Caldwell, the production delves into the dehumanising effects of late capitalism, particularly the way society assesses the worth of feminised bodies. Laila plays one of the key characters navigating this reality. She describes the show as “devastatingly funny” with moments that hit uncomfortably close to home. It is a sharp, satirical take on a very real emotional and economic struggle, one that many audience members, especially women, will recognise.

What drew Laila to the play was its balance. It does not try to deliver a moral lesson. Instead, it invites audiences to consider what it means to care for others and ourselves when the world demands endless output. “There’s something profound about watching a show where the stakes are survival but the tone is gentle,” she reflects. The characters in Super are not heroes. They are messy, tender and quietly brave. It is this humanity that makes the work feel urgent and timeless.

Laila’s reflections move between the professional and the personal with fluidity. She speaks candidly about motherhood and how it has reshaped her approach to time, work and rest. The old pattern of running on adrenaline and saying yes to everything is no longer sustainable. Parenthood introduced a new rhythm and a deeper need to honour her own energy. There is less guilt now about needing space. “It’s not about being selfish,” she explains. “It’s about being present, fully, in whatever I choose to give my time to.”

There is also a quiet critique woven through her words about how success is often measured in the entertainment industry. “People think if you’re not on TV, you’re not working,” she laughs. “But the truth is, some of the most demanding, fulfilling and collaborative work happens on stage.” Theatre, she explains, offers a rare intimacy. It requires deep listening, rigorous rehearsal and a collective trust between cast, crew and audience. It is also where she feels most alive as a storyteller.

Despite the challenges of balancing multiple roles including artist, parent and advocate, Laila remains committed to this path. Her resilience is grounded in community and her belief in the power of stories to shift perspective. The conversation closes with a reflection on what she hopes audiences take away from both her work and her presence in the industry. “I hope they see possibility,” she says. “Not perfection. Not answers. Just the idea that your story matters. That you don’t have to erase yourself to belong.”

Laila’s story is one of return to self, to culture and to the core of why we tell stories in the first place. Through her artistry, she creates space for others to do the same. In a world that often demands conformity, she stands as a reminder that there is strength in softness, power in patience and beauty in truth.

Whether you are a theatre lover, a creative navigating your own path or someone curious about how culture shapes the stories we tell, this episode of Showtime is a gentle and generous listen. Laila Thaker does not offer easy answers, but she offers something far more valuable—honesty, perspective and the quiet confidence of someone walking in alignment with who they are.