Novelette Is Trying: A Q&A with Ivy Charles and Thabi Ngwenya

What’s the show all about?

Ivy Charles: The series starts with Novelette going through a breakup and figuring out who she is post-relationship. She takes on a new roommate, Audre, who she meets through a neighbor. The series explores Novelette trying to exist, rebuild, and navigate her relationships while figuring herself out.

What drew you to this project, and why was it important for you to be part of a series like this?

Thabi Ngwenya: For me, it was an opportunity to work with Giselle Miller again—she’s an incredible writer, director, and actor who I’ve collaborated with before in Vancouver. It was also a chance to tell queer stories that are unique to Vancouver and not just stand-ins for some generic city.

How does your identity as a queer Black woman shape your approach to storytelling and acting?

Ivy Charles: I always start with, “How are we similar, and how are we different?” When approaching Novelette, I found both similarities and differences between us. It’s about finding those intricacies and adjusting parts of myself to fit the character’s truth.

Thabi Ngwenya: I totally agree. It’s about bringing parts of yourself to a role, amplifying or toning them down depending on what the character and the story need.

You both have extensive theatre backgrounds. What’s the biggest difference between working on stage and in a television series?

Thabi Ngwenya: One big difference is that in theatre, you follow the story chronologically, which helps with character development. In TV, you shoot out of order, so you need to keep track of where your character is emotionally in each scene. But we did get some rehearsal time before shooting, which is rare in film and TV and made the process feel a bit like theatre.

Why do you think it’s important to center narratives like this one in today’s media landscape?

Ivy Charles: It’s crucial because so many stories still don’t center marginalized voices—especially Black queer voices—in meaningful ways. When they do, those identities often become the character’s downfall or fatal flaw. Novelette Is Trying portrays complex characters who experience the full range of human emotions—loss, joy, love, annoyance—without their queerness or Blackness being the source of their struggle. That representation is so important, and we need more of it.

Were there any scenes or moments that were improvised during filming?

Ivy Charles: Definitely! A lot of the endings of our scenes were improvised. Without giving too much away, there’s a scene where Audre receives something in the mail that shocks Novelette, and most of that dialogue wasn’t scripted. We just rolled with it, and it ended up working beautifully.

How has being part of this series impacted your personal or professional life?

Thabi Ngwenya: It’s been an amazing way to connect with other artists in the queer Black community. The networking and sense of belonging were incredible.

Ivy Charles: This was the first time I worked in a predominantly queer space, and I loved it. It made me realize how important that is for me moving forward. I’ll definitely seek that out in future projects.