On the Couch with Rupert Noffs

Who is Rupert Noffs?
Rupert Noffs is someone who took the scenic route back to the stage. I’ve lived a few lives – hospitality, family caregiving, storytelling – and all of it has shaped the performer I am now. I grew up surrounded by big personalities and big ideas thanks to my family legacy, but what drives me is connection.

Singing, humour, and sharing stories that make people feel seen sit at the centre of what I do. Coming back to performing later in life taught me something simple but powerful: dreams don’t have deadlines.

What would you do differently from what you do now?
I wouldn’t call it waiting for permission so much as taking a meaningful detour. I spent years working with the Noffs Foundation because I wanted the work and legacy of my family to be seen and understood. Then I left for New York and opened a restaurant with my husband, Matty – an adventure that taught me discipline, creativity, and how to build something from nothing. All the while, I was circling performance. I was lucky to perform in New York whilst I was there, but never really pursued it full time.

People around me kept nudging me back toward the stage – and not casually. Friends who live and breathe performance, like Mark Trevorrow and New York cabaret legend Amber Martin, kept lifting me into that space, collaborating, and reminding me where my heart really lived. Looking back, I see it less as time away and more as time gathering experience. I’ve lived the other chapters. This is the one that feels like home.

Who inspires you and why?
I’m inspired by people who keep creating through uncertainty. My grandfather, Rev. Ted Noffs (founder of Wayside Chapel), built spaces for those who felt overlooked, and that spirit of compassion and boldness stays with me. Watching my mum navigate Alzheimer’s has deepened my understanding of resilience and grace. Artistically, I admire performers who balance humour with vulnerability – they remind us that laughter and truth can coexist.

What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Create spaces – on stage or off – where people feel welcome, seen, and lifted. Theatre has this quiet power to reconnect people with themselves. I’m often reminded of that when someone comes up after a show with tears in their eyes, telling me how much they needed the experience.

Even touring the Bob Downe 40th Anniversary shows, last year – where I played Bob’s wide-eyed, utterly ridiculous nepo nephew, Philip McKrevis – people would say how good it was to get off social media for a night, and feel human again. They’d talk about how happy it made them feel, how alive.

It might seem like a small thing, but those moments are everything. Hearing someone say, “I wish my partner had come tonight – you’ve made me feel alive again,” is a reminder of what live performance can do. That shared energy, laughter, and connection — that’s theatre. And if I can help create even a little of that for someone, I feel like I’ve done something meaningful.

Favourite holiday destination and why?
Thailand, without hesitation. Matty and I have travelled throughout Southeast Asia many times and we’re endlessly drawn back by the culture, the FOOD, and the warmth of the people – it’s energising in the best way. Italy is a close second, and some of our best memories are there.

About twenty years ago we rented a tiny Fiat 500 and drove around Sardinia before it became a hotspot, wandering into rural restaurants run by couples serving food straight from their land. The Italians really know how to live – it doesn’t get much better than that.

When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
Sydney Harbour is always the starting point – catching a ferry into the city never loses its magic. From there it’s yum cha in Chinatown, a walk through the Botanic Gardens and around the Rocks – we love the Rocks. If the weather’s right, an afternoon swim in the ocean. And then dinner at Sean’s in Bondi Beach – in my opinion, the best restaurant in Australia.

What are you currently reading?
Oscar Wilde’s Italian Dream 1875–1900 by Renato Miracco – a gift from Margaret Fink, who insists I expand my reading habits. Before that, I devoured Barbra Streisand’s autobiography, which managed to inspire me creatively while also making me incredibly hungry. She writes so lovingly about Jewish comfort food and coffee ice cream that

I’m about to start the audio version just to hear her describe those dishes in her own voice. Reading it transported me straight back to when Matty and I lived on the Lower East Side in Manhattan – living steps away from places like Russ & Daughters and Katz’s Delicatessen.

We were lucky enough to cook for Barbra. Twice! Matty made his signature Twice-cooked Pork Hock Bao Buns. I got an email from Barbra to say they were “scrumptious”. I’ll never forget that. I should frame it!

What are you currently listening to?
Whatever I’m rehearsing for Broadway, Baby! – it’s a pretty theatrical soundtrack at the moment. Dorothy Loudon’s Broadway Baby album is on heavy rotation, along with live cabaret recordings like Alan Cumming Sings Sappy Songs and Elaine Stritch at the Liberty, which is a masterclass in storytelling through song. John Farnham is always in the mix too. I can’t wait to see Whispering Jack at Sydney Theatre Company later this year.

Happiness is?
Happiness lives in the simple rituals – taking our Parson Russell Terrier, Shero, to the beach and watching her tear through the sand with other dogs; sitting back while Matty fishes; and, of course, eating whatever Matty’s cooked that day. Singing to a room that’s leaning in or seeing my mum respond to music carries that same feeling of connection. It’s those small, grounding experiences that remind me I’m right where I should be.

What does the future hold for you?
I’m incredibly excited to present my solo cabaret Broadway, Baby! upstairs at Ginger’s at The Oxford Hotel in Sydney on Sunday 22 February. I’ll be joined by Bev Kennedy, who is truly a one-woman orchestra.

I’m also thrilled to share the stage with powerhouse performer Marney McQueen – fresh from starring as Celine Dion in Titanique and someone I first met at NIDA – as well as Isabelle Venice, a recent Sydney Conservatorium graduate bringing beautiful new energy to the show. And of course, there’ll be a little “interference” from Mark Trevorrow, including a song or two.

Then on Sunday 8 March, we return to Ginger’s every Sunday with Old Friends! New Show – a new season packed with special guests and surprises. The first night features the extraordinary Queenie van de Zandt, and the rest of the line-up is just as exciting.

Looking ahead, I want to keep creating theatre that feels alive – work that connects, entertains, and gives audiences a chance to feel something real. I’m exploring agency representation and looking toward more scripted TV and theatre projects, but music will always be my compass. Singing is how I tell stories – and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon.