Who is Nicholas Brown?
A father. A partner. An artist. A son. A brother. A seeker. Nicholas means victory. Brown means brown. I’d love to always be victoriously brown.
What would you do differently from what you do now?
The brilliant Hot Brown Honey performance artists have a wonderful tagline : decolonize and moisturise. I wish I’d moisturised more when I was younger.
Who inspires you and why?
Alok Vaid-Menon – they’re so beautifully articulate, brave and loving. The perfect balance between sage, warrior, poet and lover. Viola Davis. Her acting career and success is an inspiration to so many artists of colour. Lucy Cavendish & Stacey Demarco – my favourite Australian witches – they are incredible storytellers, Magick women, purveyors of myth and brilliant business women. Bjork – the goddess of music, nature and technology. Seeing her live when I was a teenager changed my life.
What would you do to make a difference in the world?
Continue to tell stories for POC people and for the LGBTQIA+ community by giving them space and visibility.
Favourite holiday destination and why?
Iceland. I love elf caves.
When friends come to town, what attraction would you take them to, and why?
Enmore, Newtown and The Bearded Tit in Redfern.
What are you currently reading?
I have a few I’m reading simultaneously: Mythos by Stephen Fry; Cells by Gavin McCrea; Beyond The Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-Menon; and Shikhandi: And Other Tales They Don’t Tell by Devdutt Pattanaik.
What are you currently listening to?
Asha’s Awakening by Raveena, Malayalam pop music, 70s Bollywood disco, Sophie, a pop song I’m releasing very soon called Up And Coming.
Happiness is?
Hygge (a danish term celebrating the small joys in life). Quality time with my family and children. Quality time with my partner and pooch. Sleeping on my gel infused pillow. A cup of cat’s claw/Damiana & tulsi tea.
What does the future hold for you?
Entrances. Openings. Mangos on my mango tree. Achacha’s on my achacha tree. Giant lychees on my Erdon Lee lychee tree. Sweet, sweet growth and harvest.
Nicholas is the Playwright & Co-Director of Griffin Theatre Company’s production of Sex Magick – which is currently playing at SBW Stables Theatre, as part of Sydney WorldPride 2023, until 25 March. For more information, visit: www.griffintheatre.com.au for details.
Image: Nicholas Brown (supplied)