Noreen Young

Noreen Young was a puppeteer, puppet builder, and producer who performed Dodi on the Canadian co-production of Sesame Street, Sesame Park (replacing Robert Mills). It's a pity she never did any other characters on the show (at least I don't think she has). Noreen could have done other Canadian Henson projects, like Fraggle Rock which featured her performing partner Bob Stutt. Young should have been with the Muppets when she had the chance. Despite her limited Muppet work, she did more well-known work outside of Sesame Park. Perhaps her best-known work was performing and building the puppets for Readalong and Under the Umbrella Tree (as Gloria Gopher and others). Noreen Young also built puppets for The Noddy Shop (which she also performed on), The Adventures of Dudley the Dragon, and Today's Special, to name a few. In fact, she had her own company where she built and performed the puppets for those shows called Noreen Young Productions, under her own name. Puppeteering was not the only thing she did in Canada for she was a member of the Order of Canada. It's amazing how one puppeteer from one country can be a part of an important area. Noreen worked with many people (apart from Stutt), most notably her brother Stephen Brathwaite. Young should have one of her friends invite a Muppet performer up to Canada to see her puppets. From 2005-2016, she was also an artistic director of the Puppets Up! International Puppet Festival in her home. Sadly, her life came to an end for in April 2025, she died, while most of her puppets are now on display in museums. Noreen Young, you did wonderful on Under the Umbrella Tree as well as those other projects over the years. You even did an international co-production of Sesame Street. You should be proud of yourself to make a difference in Canada and maybe even the world. You may be gone, but you and your puppets will always be in our hearts Noreen. The whole world will miss you, Young!