DIVA sat down with the stars of Vancouver’s first Black and queer web series
BY YASMIN VINCE, IMAGES BY OUTTV
If there’s one thing you need to know about Novelette, the protagonist of Vancouver’s first Black queer web series, it’s that she’s trying. Played by Ivy Charles, the cynical, anti-social bisexual is doing her best after finding herself newly single at 30. She takes on a roommate, the outspoken Audre (Thabi Ngwenya), to help pay the rent and she’s putting herself back into the dating pool for a start.
The web series, called Novelette Is Trying, is now showing on Outflix. DIVA sat down with the stars, Ivy and Thabi, ahead of its release.
How did you both come to work on the show?
Ivy: My friend actually got an audition for the series and immediately forwarded it to me and said, “I think this is something you should be working on.” I read the breakdown and about the characters and agreed so I texted my agent.
She was like, “I’m already on it, your audition is headed to your inbox.” And here we are!
Thabi: I kind of came across it through my agent, but I’d actually worked with Giselle [Miller, the creator] before. So when it came across my feed, I thought, “Oh, awesome! Giselle’s on it again, and she’s working on something cool.”
One of the things that stuck out for me was that it is a black and queer show. Why was it important for you to be on a show that looks at both?
Ivy: For me, it’s just something I so rarely see and it’s a reality for so many. It’s a reality for me. The question is: Why isn’t it in my mainstream media? Why am I not seeing it? When we don’t see certain things represented in the media, there’s an implication that we don’t exist and that we’re not here.
Thabi: Yeah, just to pick up on that, I would say it was also important because Vancouver is often a stand-in for other places in the world. So it was nice to have a story that was specifically unique to our community here in this city, and the struggles that we deal with day to day. We’re so close to the United States, that’s probably a reason why we’re so often a substitute.
Ivy: For me, it’s an act of defiance, an act of resistance. But I also feel like my life is an act of resistance against those kinds of thinking. So while I’m used to that kind of oppression, it doesn’t get easier. Something like Novelette Is Trying, where we see Black queer struggle and Black queer joy is so important. And unfortunately, it is a political act to be myself and be seen.
What you’ve said about Black queer joy is so important, because the show is so funny and lighthearted. Why was the humour important to you?
Thabi: I think, exactly speaking to that point, that our experiences are quite rich and diverse. And it’s not all doom and gloom. There’s a lot of joy and levity. And I appreciate the opportunity to express that, not just the heaviness that goes with it.
What do you hope audiences take away from it?
Ivy: My hope is that audiences will gain empathy and compassion for these very complex characters that ultimately want the best, but may not go about reaching their goals in the best way, because they are trying.
Thabi: Absolutely. I would second that. And just that it makes them laugh too and come out having enjoyed the characters and the story.
Novelette Is Trying is on Outflix now
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