Taking Centre Stage

Story: April Spadina | Photo: Cody Fox

Have you ever met someone who lights up the room with their positive energy, a contagious smile and a genuine love for life? You know, those unique individuals who make you feel appreciated by their welcoming nature? Well, sixteen year old Noah Byrne is that person and it's clear when you meet him why he is on his way to becoming a well known Australian identity.

In his considerably short time on Earth, Noah has a long list of achievements under his belt. You've probably seen him, but would be forgiven for not recognising him as he often takes on a different personality, morphing into a new persona, each with a new accent, hairstyle and costume. Yes, Noah is an actor and over the years he has been many various characters, ranging in musicals, plays and street performances. If it means he gets to be on stage and bring joy to an audience - he’s in!

As a member of many different theatre groups in the Fraser Coast including Z-PAC, Accent and Macabre Theatre companies, there is no shortage of roles to play. Noah's skills don't stop at just acting, he also involves himself in set design and co-directing and has a dream of one day owning his own theatre company. A natural actor, he drops effortlessly into character without hesitation and laughs as he recalls moments where his improvisation on stage helped with situations that might have been awkward and embarrassing. His community spirit is strong and he loves the response from a live audience, knowing he has contributed to sharing the joy of the performing arts with others.

Noah comes from a family of high achievers and his mum, Vanessa is his biggest fan, never missing a show and supporting him in following his dreams. An avid writer, in his spare time he creates his own short films and writes musicals and plays and just when you think there couldn’t possibly be any room left for anything else, he still manages to fit in time studying and spending quality time with his friends!

It's no surprise that in January this year Noah was the recipient of the Cultural Youth Award at the annual Fraser Coast Australia Day Awards ceremony at Maryborough's Brolga Theatre. Noah was among sixty-three nominees for the annual awards across eleven categories, and was understandably thrilled, but also shocked when they announced he had taken out the award. He celebrated with his peers and family and accepted the award with grace, vowing to take the opportunity to continue his career in the arts whilst upholding his position as an influential member of the community.

A natural achiever of wonderful things, with his drive and passion Noah will surely soar to great heights in his chosen path in performing arts and as he knows, turning his nerves into excitement is one of the greatest joys imaginable. For Noah this journey is going to be a ride of a lifetime!

This story appears in the April 2024 edition of Fraser Coast Scene, our monthly guide to What's On across our Cultural Services venues.

The creation of this story and photography was funded by Regional Arts Development Fund (RADF). RADF is a partnership between the Queensland Government and Fraser Coast Regional Council to support local arts and culture in regional Queensland.