According to her teachers in school “Noelle is completely switched off when it comes to maths” Ever creative, Noelle Brown, one of our 2017 #24HrDub writers has found a solution to this terrible problem. “Thankfully I now own a state of the art calculator, have some very maths savvy friends and have never needed algebra as an actor or writer…….so far!” Acting since 1987, Noelle took to writing and directing for theatre in 2002. In 2012 she was shortlised for the PJ O’Connor Radio Drama Awards. In 2013 her play, Postscript, co-written with Michèle Forbes, was nominated for the Fishamble New Writing Award and Bewleys Little Gem Award.
Discussing The 24 HOur Plays in aid of Dublin Youth Theatre supported by BNP Paribas REal Estate we asked Noelle has she been involved before, “I haven’t participated before,” she replied and went on to reveal, “I am terrified and looking forward to the whole experience in equal measure. Looking forward to being part of such a bunch of top class creatives and crew on such a special night. I have heard some worrying reports of bad behaviour around 5am. It involved sleep deprived creatives and crew quaffing alcoholic beverages and licking knives. I am terrified I will fall into that kind of bad company… you know who you are. No names no pack drill!”
On the Saturday evening when The 24 Hour Plays: Dublin kick off all of the actors are asked us to tell the creative team and crew (and our VIPs!) about one thing they have never done on stage but have always wanted to. We asked Noelle was there an element that she would love to include in a future play but had yet to shoehorn in. “My favourite stage direction has already been used in a production of Jane Eyre. It read ‘Jane’s tears fall to the floor’. No pressure for the actor playing Jane obviously! Do peoples’ tears ever actually hit the floor? From a standing position? Or maybe if you lie on the floor with your head tilted to the side? Or press your face into the floor? You see I have really thought about this in great depth! Answers on a postcard please.”
Speaking of seeking answers and getting them we asked Noelle, in honour of Dublin Youth Theatre’s 40th Birthday this year, what is the most important life lesson she has learnt along the way past 40 and on. She says, “I’m 51 so a long way from 40. All I know is life certainly gets more exciting the older you get. You feel more empowered and give less of a shit about what people think of you. The most important life lesson I have learned is no matter how crap you feel, get up, dress up and show up!” Never a wiser word spoke!
Finally we wondered whether Noelle, like Jay profiled yesterday, had managed to avoid working with children or animals? She had not and her experiences were memorable: “I worked with a dog called Olga and due to a badly printed cast list, it read, Noelle Brown and Olga the Dog. We sounded like a vaudeville act. There was a famine scene in the show and she managed to eat one of the prop potatoes which was filled with green industrial cleaner. She vomited all over the stage during the scene and then came back on later to try and eat it all back up. I have worked with a lot of children, the stand outs were, one who wet himself just before we walked on stage and one who kept badgering me about whether Santa existed or not! Children and animals are challenging on so many levels but hey human adults are tricky as well.” How I read this is that #24HrDub is going to be a walk in the park for Noelle! Roll on January 28th/ 29th!