Country superstar Dolly Parton has made a surprise appearance as a shipwrecked singing superstar chicken called Noleen on an episode of Irish animated series Lily’s Driftwood Bay.
Dolly made her debut as Noleen - not Jolene - on the show, which is made by Belfast studio Sixteen South TV, last Friday night on Nick Jr and immediately captured the heart of her Number One fan - Lord Stag, who is played by none other than Stephen Fry.
The show, which is also broadcast on 'RTÉjr on Saturday mornings and Sunday afternoons, is about a little girl named Lily, played by 11-year-old Belfast girl Orlagh O’Keeke, who creates an imaginary world from treasures she finds washed up on the beach.
Sixteen South TV scored the major coop, sorry, coup after months of asking Dolly to take part on the award-winning series, which also stars Irish actor and comedian Ardal O’Hanlon, Peter Mullan of the Harry Potter movies, Jane Horrocks, and Annette Crosbie.
Speaking on The Ray D’Arcy Show on RTÉ Radio 1, Colin Williams, the Creative Director of Sixteen South TV, said: "I probably chased her for about a year before I got a `yes'. I got a `no', I got a `probably no', and then got a `maybe', and then we pushed forward and hassled her until we got a yes."
Dolly has made numerous TV and movie appearances over the years. She has also appeared as herself on The Simpsons and on animated series The Magic School Bus. Dolly also voiced a Dolly Gnome in the animated movie Gnomeo and Juliet.
"I think charm and personality swayed her to do our show it in the end," joked Colin. "She said that she loved the character of Lily, who is a little girl who really doesn’t take no for an answer. She’s determined and she’s driven. She’s not a pink princess; she’s a real girl. Dolly said she saw an awful lot of herself in the character."
In Lily's Driftwood Bay, Noleen makes new friends and dines on sardine sponge and winkle waffles in the local Cockle Café and then has a music session with Fiddlin’ Flatfish, Bonzo and the Hedge.
DOLLY PARTON guest stars in our special #LilysDriftwoodBay episode @ 9am Monday on @SproutChannel #dollyparton pic.twitter.com/Vn5avGCZIS
— Lily's Driftwood Bay (@DriftwoodBay) March 11, 2017
"We were looking for the biggest name we could possibly find," added Colin. "Someone who would be known by kids and parents and grandparents and someone who was fairly clean as well. We thought who has all of those features who is known worldwide and when you think of it, it’s Dolly."
"I’ve been told she loved it. She was an absolute dream to work with, a real thrill, and she’s an absolute lady as well. It was a thrill." said Colin.
"I’ve never played a chicken before but I have been known to lay a few eggs!" said Dolly herself when her new role was announced.
"Noleen is a very famous chicken, probably one of the most famous chickens ever there was. She washes up on Driftwood Bay and she’s trying to get Salty to go with her on tour. Now whether he does or whether he doesn’t, you’ll just have to watch and see!"
