Who is Madison Thew-Keyworth?
I’m Madison Thew-Keyworth, 29 year old Director / Choreographer and Producer. Founded Mad About Theatre in 2015, and am currently Directing / Choreographing the Australian premiere of Disenchanted.
What would you do differently to what you do now?
To be totally honest I don’t think I’d change a thing! I consider myself incredibly lucky to do what I love doing. I live in a beautiful part of the world, and I’m surrounded by people who inspire and challenge me to be brave and dream big… what more could someone ask for? Except for maybe an extra 12 hours in each day!
Who inspires you and why?
It’s really tricky to narrow this down – I think every person that I’ve ever worked with has taught me something, which inspires me to work harder and to try and grow both professionally and as a personally. My mum and my partner are probably my biggest inspirations personally – I think they believe in me more than I believe in myself, so trusting in their belief gives me courage I didn’t know I had.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
One of the things I love about theatre is the ability to not only make people laugh and cry, but I love its power to make people think. And if through the work I do (and a show like Disenchanted is a perfect vehicle for this!) I can make people think and question and assess and reassess their own views and prejudices, and all with a smile along the way, then I think that’s a pretty great contribution to making a difference in the world.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
I think my favourite holiday so far has been Myanmar. It is such a diverse destination – great food, beautiful people, stunning scenery. There wasn’t a lot of Western tourism at the time I was there, and I loved it! It made for some great adventures!
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
I live in Noosa, which is a pretty incredible part of the world. The number one place I would take people if they come to visit is up the Mount Tinbeerwah lookout. It’s a stunning vista, away from the hustle and bustle of downtown – nothing better than a bottle of red wine at sunset up there!
What are you currently reading?
Aside from scripts…. I’ve just finished Claire North’s The Sudden Appearance of Hope.
What are you currently listening to?
I love listening to Podcasts – TedX, Wilosophy with Wil Anderson, Stuff You Should Know. Music wise I’ve been playing the soundtrack to STC’s production of Muriel’s Wedding – so great to see Australia producing wonderful homegrown musicals!
Happiness is?
Standing on a stage in an empty theatre – the promise of what will be, the laughs that will be had, the joy that will be shared… I find that electrifying.
What does the future hold for you?
Who knows?! If you’d asked me 5 years ago if I’d be where I am now, I never could have predicted it. And I love that! So whatever the future holds, I’ll be excited for the journey! I hope it includes more of what I’m doing now – if it does, I’ll consider myself truly lucky!
Madison is directing the Australian premiere of the musical, Disenchanted at Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre: 6 – 8 September 2018. For more information, visit: www.madabout.com.au for details.
Image: Madison Thew-Keyworth (supplied)