As Laurence Mossman takes on Middle Noah in the international premiere of The Notebook The Musical, he reflects on building a character audiences already know, finding himself on stage and why this story continues to resonate across generations.

PHOTOGRAPHY Belg Belgica
STYLING Paolo Chua
ALL CLOTHING BOSS

You were born in New Zealand, worked in the Philippines early in your career and are now based in London. Did you always imagine your career would take such an international path?
Absolutely not. When you come from a small country, you don’t really know what the rest of the world looks like, so your dreams tend to stay quite small. You dream about performing on international stages, but you don’t necessarily know how to get there. I took a leap of faith and moved to London at 24 because the entertainment industry was much bigger here. I struggled at first, but eventually found my footing in musical theater. I never knew what my journey would look like, but moving to the Philippines taught me to take risks, even when I wasn’t sure where they’d lead. If you work hard and keep seeking opportunities, eventually you’ll be rewarded.
You’ve worked in television, film, music and theater. What keeps pulling you back to the stage?
It’s where I feel most at home. Someone asked me recently why I keep choosing musical theater and singing, and my answer was simple: I haven’t found anything that makes me happier. I’ve tried different things, even a corporate career, but I always come back to the stage because that’s where I feel most like myself. It’s ironic because you’re playing other people and singing about their experiences, but despite that, I still feel most myself when I’m performing. As an introvert, it’s not always easy to express myself, so getting to tell these stories, work with incredible casts and creative teams, and share that experience with an audience brings me so much joy.

What was your first reaction when The Notebook came into your life?
My first reaction was how exciting it was that the Philippines gets to stage the international premiere, and that the creative team behind The Notebook entrusted this beautiful work to Filipino artists. That felt really special. On a personal level, it also came at the right time in my career. I’ve played romantic leads before, but coming back to the Philippines to take on Noah for the international premiere feels like all the pieces of the puzzle have fallen into place. People ask if I’m nervous, but honestly, I’m just really excited. I can’t wait to tackle this material and create something we can all be proud to share with Philippine audiences.
Noah is often remembered as a romantic hero. What do you think lies beneath that image?
On the surface, Noah isn’t the most outgoing person, and I can relate to that. He’s happy-go-lucky, but he’s also someone who won’t invest his time in things he isn’t passionate about. He’s grounded by the family values his father instilled in him, and once he finds something or someone who truly matters to him, he’ll fight for it. Beneath the image of the romantic hero is a genuinely kind, determined person who knows what he cares about and isn’t afraid to pursue it. That’s something I can relate to from my own experiences.

What interested you most about playing Middle Noah specifically?
I’ve been reading the book, revisiting the film and listening to the soundtrack, and what really draws me to Middle Noah is the struggle within the character. He’s no longer the optimistic, happy-go-lucky young man who falls in love for the first time. Ten years later, he’s experienced heartbreak, gone to war, lost his father and is trying to find a reason to keep moving forward. That’s why building the house becomes so important. It’s something to hold on to, something worth fighting for. Then Allie comes back into his life, and it isn’t as simple as picking up where they left off. They’re adults now and there are real emotional complexities they have to navigate. For an actor, it’s such a rich role because there’s so much internal conflict between what Noah feels and how he chooses to act. I’m really looking forward to exploring all of that in the rehearsal room.
How have you approached building a character that audiences already feel they know?
There are two ways you can approach it. You can do a version of what people already think the character is, or you can build someone truthful from the material. I could try to do my best Ryan Gosling impression, but it would never be as honest as his performance, and that was created for a film.
For me, it’s about taking inspiration from the book and the movie, then working with my director, the creative team and my scene partners to build a version of Noah that feels truthful to us. I can bring my own experiences and relationships into it, but it has to come from the material first. So audiences shouldn’t expect an exact replica. Just as this production won’t be a copy of the Broadway version, it’ll be our own interpretation of the story.
It’s such a beautiful story and we want to do it justice. With such an incredible cast and creative team, I think we’re creating something really special for Filipino audiences.

This production marks the international premiere of The Notebook musical. What responsibility comes with helping introduce the show to new audiences?
The responsibility is to tell the story in the most truthful, honest and human way possible. I think Filipino audiences will see parts of themselves in each stage of Noah and Allie’s lives, and our job is to bring those characters to life with authenticity. Of course, there’s pressure because we’re the first international production, but that’s the least of our concerns. As long as we’re being truthful to these beautifully-written characters and bringing our own experiences and passion for theater to them, I think we’re doing the story justice. It’s going to be our own unique take on a truly wonderful piece of literature.
When audiences leave The Notebook, what do you hope they carry with them?
Well, I know they’ll be carrying tissues full of tears. But beyond that, I hope they’re genuinely moved by these characters and the journey they’ve been on throughout the show. I’m also incredibly excited about this cast. Everyone says they have the best ensemble, but I really believe this group is made up of some truly talented people who are passionate about telling this story. Whether you’re Filipino or flying in from somewhere else to see the show, I hope you leave feeling the romance, the love, the loss and all the raw human emotions at the heart of The Notebook. I hope it’s an experience that stays with you long after you leave the theater.

PHOTOGRAPHER'S ASSISTANTS Hallvard Cano and Ia Pangandian
GROOMING Don de Jesus

Laurence Mossman on Tackling a Romantic Hero—And the Emotional Core of Middle Noah

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