Luxe catches up with actress Maureen Nolan to discuss her latest role as Ruth in Calendar Girls the Musical…
Getting to know you
Name
My real name is Marie Antionette Nolan, Aka Maureen or Mo.
Where is home?
Blackpool
Three reasons you love where you live?
The beach, the park and my friends.
The day job
What do you do for a living?
I’m an actress and a singer currently playing Ruth in Calendar Girls the Musical on tour across the UK.
A day in the life of you?
Currently, a day in my life is getting up, having breakfast in my digs, which I might be sharing with somebody, or going out for breakfast.
We have quite a lot of matinee shows for Calendar Girls so I go straight into the theatre for vocal warm-up, then maybe have a cuppa. I fit tea in wherever I can!
Then we get ready to go on stage and into the matinee performance. I usually eat in between shows and then get ready for the evening show, maybe have a quick drink afterwards and then back ‘home’ to my digs! Very exciting!
Any recent, ongoing or upcoming projects or achievements we should know about?
At the moment I am in Calendar Girls the musical and I have a panto in Cannock for a week in December coming up too which I’m very excited about.
Lessons in life
What did you want to be when you were growing up?
I wanted to be a PE teacher because I love sports.
What is the most important lesson life has taught you?
To live for the moment. With what has happened recently in my family with cancer, I think it’s really important to live for the moment and enjoy the small things in life.
What is your greatest fear?
Something happening to my son or grandkids, I fear that all the time.
Which living person do you most admire and why?
I admire my sisters a lot. They are very strong women, especially Anne and Linda who have just gone through cancer again.
I also really admire Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, I think he is amazing.
Living luxe
What is top of your bucket list?
I think it would have to be to travel more. I would love to go on the Orient Express, to visit Venice and also Santorini. I’ve never been to the Greek Islands, and I’d love to go – so more travel really! Maybe a cruise with the whole family would be lovely.
What is your most treasured possession?
I don’t suppose my grandkids are my possessions, but they are the most treasured things in my life along with my son.
I also have a key ring which we got when we did the Sinatra tour in 1975 it says ‘love and peace – Frank Sinatra’ which is pretty treasured, I’m a massive fan of his.
What does the weekend mean to you?
At the moment two shows on a Saturday, but on Sunday I come home and I do nothing and it’s fabulous. I see my grandkids, my son and my sisters if I can, we go out for lunch, go for a walk in the park, watch some TV… I love it. The simple things.
A memorable holiday?
Oh wow, I’ve had so many over the years. Massive family holidays to Disney are up there, but last year in 2022 my son got married in Sorrento in Italy and about 100 of us went over for the week so that will always be really memorable.
Who would be your top three dinner guests?
How do you narrow this down? There are so many people I would love to have as my dinner guests.
I love Emma Thompson, she is a great actress and always seems like a lovely person, very funny.
Willy Russell who wrote Blood Brothers. I never met him and I am a massive fan of his as I was in the show on and off for about 10 years. He writes such fantastic stuff for women and I’d quite like to meet him.
And finally, George Clooney, for obvious reasons! But we all love him – he seems again like a man with a lovely sense of humour and a great person with his head screwed on.
The last place you ate?
I had Sunday lunch at a place called Winstons in Blackpool.
The last book you read?
I’m just finishing ‘The Giver of Stars ‘by JoJo Moyes, I love her books and this one is particularly good.
The last thing you listened to?
Probably Calendar Girls! The music is great and genuinely is probably the last thing I was listening to.
The last thing you watched?
I watch Friends on a loop. It saddens me to think about the recent news on Matthew Perry.
Your three luxe things in life?
Your three luxe things in life?
I would say my TV and car and my family and friends – they are what make my life good!
Calendar Girls runs at Darlington Hippodrome from Tuesday 21 to Saturday 25 November. To book call the Box office on 01325 405405 or visit darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk
