Tamala Shelton on Ghosts Australia, Poetry, and the Power of Storytelling

I’ve known Tamala Shelton since she was nine years old, and chatting with her now, at this luminous point in her creative journey, was nothing short of a pleasure. Interviewing someone you’ve watched grow up, evolve and chase dreams is inherently joyful, and yes, slightly surreal too.

Multi-talented actor, writer, narrator and spoken-word artist, Tamala’s path has always been about embracing art in all its forms. With roles spanning film and television, audiobook narration, spoken word and her own creative writing, she is thriving in what she aptly describes as “a great little chapter” of her life.

In this conversation, we explore the sparks that are lighting her up lately, the deep connection she feels with poetry and performance, and the ways she navigates story-telling across the many mediums she inhabits.

Hi Tamala! How are you feeling about this chapter in your creative life? With acting, writing, and touring all in the mix, what’s been lighting you up lately?

Hey Freya! This is a great little chapter of my life, with lots of moving parts. I’m feeling very lucky to have been cast as Kate in Ghosts Australia. As an actor, there can be a lot of time in between roles. So it was so great to get back on set and spend 3 months of my year shooting Ghosts Aus in WA.

Since coming back to Naarm (my hometown), I’ve had the honour of recording two audiobooks. The first was a co-narration of Tony Birch’s new collection of short stories Pictures of You. The second was my first time narrating a poetry anthology, for Evelyn Araluen’s new work The Rot.

Other than that I’ve been focusing on getting my own poetry anthology written. So that’s been lighting me up for sure! As well as waiting for Ghosts Aus to come out!

You’ve been performing your own spoken-word pieces across Australia—what first drew you to poetry, and what do you love about sharing it live?

Poetry is one of my greatest tools for processing. I often write about concepts that feel bigger than me, things that concern me. I try to make sense of them by picking them apart, mining for the hope.  I’ve been writing since I was little, always an avid reader, I used to mimic the fantasy books I was reading. I discovered spoken word poetry when I was an early teen through Button Poetry’s youtube page. I used to spend hours making my way through all their videos and then trying it out myself.

When I first started acting, someone said to me ‘acting is the oldest form of communication’. Which is true, story-telling is what sets us apart from other species. It’s what makes us us. Spoken-word poetry is such a powerful format because of this, its instinctual, primal. On a personal level, it feels like a merging of my passions. Acting and writing. Lifting the words off the page and breathing life into it.

Do you find there’s a difference in vulnerability between acting in someone else’s script and performing your own words on stage?

Hmm I don’t know if I’d say a difference in vulnerability. I think both require trust. As an actor you have to place your trust so wholly in the writers and creative team. It’s such a collaborative artform. Whereas as a writer, I have to trust myself. I have to trust that I’ve got this and that audiences will pick up what I’m putting down. Both require self belief and both require a cracking open.

You’ve worked across so many mediums—film, television, theatre, poetry, audiobooks. How do you decide where a story or idea belongs?

Ooh this is a great question! I guess in truth – I don’t often decide.. As an actor you operate as one small part, of a much bigger machine. A lot of decisions aren’t up to you, nor should they be. However, where I can exercise more control over a story is in my own art. I often begin my writing pieces as stream-of-consciousness ramblings and from there they take their own form. They reveal themselves to me, whether they want to be a poem or a short story or something bigger. Once I begin a piece, it truly feels like I’m in dialogue with this intangible creature and trying to honour it as best I can.

What excited you most about taking on the role of Kate in Ghosts Australia, and how did you find her voice within such a surreal and comedic world?

Hmm I think what I noticed first – was that Kate was a young modern woman, who also happened to be First Nations. She was allowed to be both. I think so often as POC artists, we get tokenised and our ethnicity is made to be our whole identity. Being First Nations is an enormous part of who I am but it is not the sole and only part of me. And Kate is the same. We explore her heritage, especially in the context of a historical comedy. But she is also just a young woman trying to be a good housemate to a bunch of Ghosts, a partner to Sean, a new home-owner and a DIY-hotel-maker. I think we need more characters like this on our screens and getting to do that with Kate, excited me for sure.

In terms of finding her voice, I think Kate is the glue. She is the one that connects the real world to the ghost world. She’s also the straight-guy comedically. So Kate’s function is to be the anchor in every scene. The level-headed, grounded, patient anchor. Once I found that, I was set.

The cast of Ghosts includes some very… opinionated spirits. What was it like working with this ensemble of characters (and actors!)?

I am so lucky that I got to work with a genuinely incredible ensemble of actors. It’s not often that you get on so well with a cast but my god I love these people. They have now become some of my closest friends.

We spent a lot of time together, from on-set support/comedic relief, to dinner/movie nights in someone’s hotel room. They made the whole experience, not only so much easier but also an absolute joy.

Ghosts Australia is a supernatural comedy, but it’s also steeped in themes of history and connection. What do you hope audiences take away from the series?

I hope audiences are reminded of all the different cultures that make up our country. Of all the people that have been a part of its creation. That we are a deeply multicultural country, living on Indigenous land. I think our show also does a really beautiful job of humanising deeply flawed characters. Reminding us that it is possible to accept one another despite our differences. That we can attempt to understand and learn from each other, whilst still holding people to account for their wrongdoings. I hope this show reminds people that we are stronger together.

When you’re not creating or performing, what is your go to hobby or activity to unwind?

I read a lot! If I have a lot on my plate, I find myself reaching for the fantasy or sci-fi novels. Outside of that, I practice yoga, exercise, get out of the city and into nature. I also try to minimise little-screen time as much as possible and opt for a good show on the bigger-screen instead.