Draft:Rupert Noffs
Australian cabaret performer and restaurateur
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rupert Noffs is an Australian cabaret performer and restaurateur. He is known for co-founding the restaurant The Lucky Bee in New York City and Australia. The restaurant received coverage in international publications including The New York Times and The New Yorker. Noffs has also appeared in cabaret, and theatre productions in Australia.
Early life and education
Noffs is the grandson of the Reverend Ted Noffs, founder of the Wayside Chapel in Sydney’s Kings Cross and co-founder of Lifeline. Rupert studied at The Scots College in Sydney on a scholarship, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA).[1]
Career
Profile coverage
Noffs was the subject of a profile by writer Lee Tulloch in The Sydney Morning Herald titled "Almost Famous".[2]
Youth and community work
Noffs has been involved with the Ted Noffs Foundation, a youth organisation supporting young people experiencing drug and alcohol issues.[3]
In 2010 he hosted a visit by Prince William and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to the foundation’s PALM youth program in Sydney.[4]
Fashion and social enterprise
Noffs co-founded the sneaker label Gideon Shoes, which aimed to produce ethically manufactured footwear in Australia.[5]
Hospitality
Noffs and chef Matty Bennett co-founded The Lucky Bee, a restaurant which opened on the Lower East Side of New York City before later operating in Australia.
The restaurant was covered in international publications including The New York Times and The New Yorker.[6][7]
The restaurant was later reviewed in The Sydney Morning Herald by food critic Terry Durack.[8]
Noffs and Bennett were also recognised in the Village Voice "Best of New York" awards, which named them "Best Restaurant Couple".[9]
The restaurateurs and their restaurant were profiled by Out magazine.[10]
Performance and media
Noffs later returned to performing, appearing in cabaret and theatre productions in Australia. His solo cabaret show Broadway, Baby! received a review in theatre publication Stage Whispers. [11] He also appeared as a judge on the Australian television music competition series All Together Now broadcast on the Seven Network.
A review of Choose Bob! 40 Ridiculous Years in Australian Arts Review described his performance as Bob Downe’s nephew Philip McKrevis as "pitch-perfect".[12]
Documentary
Noffs and his family were featured in the ABC documentary Compass: The New Noffs, which explored the legacy of the Noffs family and the work of the Ted Noffs Foundation.[13]