Wicked star Shewit Belay’s double life off-stage as a doctor revealed

If you know Shewit Belay then it’s likely you know her as a witch from hit musical Wicked. Like her alter ego on the stage, Belay is also leading a double life.

Actress Shewit Belay has juggled her showbiz careers with her medical career. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

Most people are content with pursuing one profession in their lifetime, or maybe having a change or two throughout their life.

But Shewit Belay, a Tasmanian actor, has proved that it’s possible to do it all, being a thespian and a doctor.

While the professions might seem worlds apart, Ms Belay said that the two are actually quite similar.

“They both have theatres, and people in both fields are probably as dramatic as each other,” Ms Belay joked.

She admitted that while theatre and medicine are two different things, they share a lot of similarities, adding that throughout medical school she met a lot of fellow students who also shared a passion for muisc and theatre.

Shewit Belay as Nessarose in Wicked.

“There are lots of people working as health professionals that are also professional musicians, essentially,” she said, adding that she’s been performing a balancing act between the two fields for years.

Ms Belay has been juggling the two by becoming a locum doctor, which has a more flexible schedule allowing her to take on work between seasons.

Her latest theatre endeavour has brought her to Wicked. where she plays the Wicked Witch of the East Nessarose.