Open auditions for the 2024/2025 season have now ended. If you were unable to make the auditions, but would be interested in any of the roles below, please contact us as we may be able to make arrangements for you to audition separately for any unfilled roles.
The Father 22-29 March 2025
Director: Victor Hassan
The Play:
‘The Father’ is a darkly humorous and deeply poignant portrait of an elderly man with dementia (Andre), gradually losing his memory, and the efforts of his daughter (Anne) to balance her love for her father and the need to care for him with the demands of her own life and relationship with her partner (Pierre). The play sees things as if through the confused eyes of Andre, as he struggles to make sense of a progressively befuddling world. The audience can never be sure whether Andre lives in his own flat or not, nor what his relationships are with those around him. It is very powerful!
Characters:
Andre: The elderly ‘father’ – a strong and successful character, gradually losing his command as he sinks into dementia.
Anne: Andre’s daughter, trying to look after her father and his increasingly erratic behaviour, whist balancing the needs of her own personal life.
Pierre: Anne’s partner, resenting the amount of attention Andre needs, whilst supporting Anne herself.
Laura: A nurse employed to look after Andre, charming him through his moods and uncertainty.
Man and Woman: they appear at various times during the play and seen through Andre’s eyes, it is impossible to know if they are actually his daughter and her partner or, as it appears at the end of the play, nurses looking after him.
Audition Pieces:
Andre and Anne: Page 1 to Page 5 (middle – Anne: ”you found it”)
Pierre and Andre: Page 33 (Andre: “Am I disturbing you”) to Page 36 (end of scene)
Laura and Andre: Page 49 (bottom – “Here I brought you the sugar”) to Page 53 (bottom)
Man and Andre: Page 9 (start of scene) to Page 11 (bottom)
Woman and Andre: Page 75 (after the Man exits) to Page 78 (end of play)
Sense and Sensibility 17-24 May 2025
Director: Nigel Westbrook
Play:
Jane Austen’s classic romantic comedy dates from the Regency period (early 19th century) and centres on Elinor, Marianne and Margaret, daughters of Mrs Dashwood, who are forced after the death of their father to leave their comfortable Sussex home because it is to pass to their only male relative, John Dashwood, and his snobbish wife Fanny. They move to a cottage in Devon owned by their wealthy cousin Sir John, who lives nearby with his good-natured, talkative mother-in-law, Mrs Jennings. Marianne falls in love with the dashing Willoughby, ignoring the attentions of Sir John’s more modest friend, Colonel Brandon. Elinor hoped she was winning the affections of Edward Ferrars, Fanny’s brother, whilst she was in Sussex, but finds her future happiness under threat from Fanny’s determination he should marry into a rich family. Poor Elinor suffers further heartbreak when she later learns that he is apparently already secretly engaged to Mrs Jennings’s niece, Lucy Steele.
Characters:
There are at least 19 characters who appear in the play (plus servants and gossips) but the intention is to use 9 actors, some playing several parts each, though if we have more than that number suitable and keen to take part it may be possible to include more in the company.
Four actors will play just one role each:
Elinor Dashwood (in the novel aged 19, so playing age 20s)
Marianne Dashwood (17, so playing age 20s)
Willoughby (25, so playing age 20s-30s)
Colonel Brandon (35, so playing age 30s-40s)
The other roles are distributed as follows, so it will be obvious that a good deal of performance flexibility and audience imagination will be required!
Three Actresses:
1) Margaret Dashwood (13)/ Lucy Steele (20s) so playing age 20s
2) Fanny Dashwood (30s-40s)/ Mrs Jennings (40s-50s) so playing age 40-50s
3) Mrs Dashwood (40s-50s)/ Mrs Charlotte Palmer, Mrs Jennings’s daughter (20s-30s)/ Miss Grey, Willoughby’s fiancée (20s-30s) so playing age 30s-40s but flexible!
Two Actors playing:
1) Edward Ferrars (30s)/ Robert Ferrars, his younger brother (20s-30s)/ Mr Palmer (30s-40s) so playing age 30s-40s
2) Sir John Middleton (40s-50s)/Mr John Dashwood (30s-40s)/ Thomas, the Dashwoods’ servant (40s-50s)/ Mr Perks, servant at Mrs Jennings’s house in London (40s-50s)/ Doctor Harris, who attends to Marianne in her sickness (40s-50s) so playing age 40s-50s
Audition Pieces:
Elinor and Marianne: p27-28; p110-111 (middle)
Elinor and Edward: p 19 (top)- p21(bottom); p 30 ‘Miss Dashwood’- p31 ‘what I mean to say…’
Elinor and Willoughby: p118-122
Marianne and Willoughby: p47-48
Colonel Brandon and Elinor: p97 (bottom)- p99 (exit)
Lucy and Elinor: p77 ‘I cannot tell’- p79 (bottom)
Fanny and John: p101-103 (bottom)
Fanny and Lucy: p108-109
Mrs Jennings: p96
Sir John and Mrs Jennings: p32-34
Mrs Dashwood: p29-30
Margaret: p99-100
Mr and Mrs Palmer: p75-77
Miss Grey: p93
Doctor Harris: p116-117
The Haunting of Hill House 19-26 October 2024
Director: Josh Holden
Play:
Hill House – old, bleak and isolated, it has a very dark and troubled past. The only person who goes there now is the housekeeper, the taciturn Mrs. Dudley. Enter Dr. Montague, who is keen to investigate any supernatural manifestations that he can find in Hill House. He invites three guests, Theodora, Eleanor and Luke. The three do not know each other but each has their own reasons for accepting the Doctor’s invitation and it isn’t long before the house starts to reveal its eerie secrets. Dr Montague’s wife and a friend Arthur, then arrive. They also want to investigate the supernatural but is it wise to stir up the past and will Hill House claim another victim?
Characters and Audition Pieces:
Eleanor Vance – Page 23 (Act 1 Sc 2) to page 27 “Good night, sleep tight.”
Eleanor (Nell, Nellie) is an unhappy young woman with no friends. She was her mother’s carer for many years but her mother died and Eleanor now lives with her sister and brother-in-law, a situation which brings her no joy. Eleanor uses her imagination to escape her miserable life but she can find it difficult to distinguish fantasy and reality. Playing age late 20’s early 30’s.
Theodora – Page 8 “Charming soul” to page 11 “Not when it’s dark.”
Theodora (Theo) is a contrast to Eleanor, she is strong-minded, intelligent and independent. She has been invited to stay because of her psychic powers. She and Eleanor rapidly become friends but Theodora has a harsh streak and can be spiteful if she doesn’t get her own way. Playing age late 20’s early 30’s.
Dr. John Montague PhD – Page 18 “Suppose you heard the story of hill house” to page 23 “A clear-headed and objective team.”
Dr Montague is a scientist. He enjoys the study of the supernatural but is too self-absorbed and arrogant to keep all of his guests safe. He is intent on writing a book to further his reputation. Playing age late 40’s early 50’s.
Luke Sanderson – Page 12 “I think you mean it” to page 15 “Hill house has surely never seen our like.”
Luke is the heir to Hill House and as such has been invited to oversee Dr Montague’s studies on behalf of his aunt who owns the house. Luke is charming and intelligent, smart, and suave when he wants to be but he is also lazy and self-centred and can lie and cheat to get what he wants. Playing age early 30’s.
Mrs. Montague – Page 50 (Act 2 Sc 2) to page 53 “word from distant relatives and so on.”
Dr. Montague’s wife has a big personality, she is loud and over-bearing. She thinks her methods are the best and contradicts her husband to go her own way, even to the point of being sympathetic to the spirits that she seeks! Playing age late 40’s early 50’s.
Arthur Parker – Page 53 “She’s not seriously ill” to page 55 “I’m an excellent shot.”
Arthur is headmaster at a boys’ school and is Mrs. Montague’s friend almost to the point of being her servant. He is very supportive of her but annoys her husband by his presence. As a teacher he is ‘old school’, harsh and out-dated in his views. He tends to speak in a rather clipped way and is happier in male company. He considers himself to be down to earth and not at all fanciful. Playing age late 40’s early 50’s.
Mrs, Dudley – Page 6 “I didn’t say” to page 7 “I’ll go now.”
She is the housekeeper but is crystal clear about what her duties are and what they are not. She will not stay in the house overnight under any circumstances. Gloomy and taciturn she is less than welcoming. Playing age late 50’s early 60’s.
Blackbird by David Harrower 12-16 November 2024 in the Studio
Director: Mike Rogerson
The Play: A difficult and challenging play about Ray, a man in his 50s, and Una a young woman who tracks him down. Fifteen years earlier they had a sexual relationship when Una was only 12 years old. Ray went to prison but has tried to start his life again with a new name and new job. Una wants – what? Perhaps not revenge, perhaps she seeks an understanding but is that possible and at what further cost?
Characters:
Ray – man, 40-60 playing age
Una – young woman, late 20s playing age
Girl – playing age 12
Audition Pieces:
Ray – pages1-5, 10-16
Una – pages 1-5, 10-16
Girl – pages 82-84
Pack of Lies
7-14 September 2024
Director: Simon Darlington
The Play:
Pack of Lies is based on a true story. An apparently ordinary Canadian couple, Peter and Helen Kroger, living in the suburbs of London, are exposed by MI5 as Russian spies. The plot centres on the Jackson family, Bob and Barbara, and their teenage daughter Julie, who live in a house directly opposite the Krogers. The couples have become great friends since the Krogers arrived but then out of the blue the Jacksons are visited by MI5 who use their home for the surveillance of the Krogers house. Gradually the full extent of the betrayal by the Krogers is revealed but the presence of MI5 and the realisation of the Krogers true purposes place great strain upon the Jacksons, whose lives are never the same again.
Characters:
Bob Jackson: Male 40 – 60
Barbara Jackson: Female 40 – 60
Julie Jackson: Female Teenage playing age
Helen Kroger: Female 40 – 60
Peter Kroger: Male 40 – 60
Stewart: Male 40 – 60
Thelma: Female 20 – 35
Sally: Female 20 – 35
Audition Pieces:
Bob:
Pg 1 Opening monologue
Pg18 “What’s all that about Malcolm Granger” to Pg21 “Right”
Pg51 “Don’t blame me” to Pg54 “Why? Why, what do you mean”
Barbara:
Pg34 “I wonder where he is” to Pg39 End of monologue
Pg51 “Don’t blame me”(Bob) to Pg54 “You know what I mean”
Pg82 – Pg83 Monologue
Julie:
Pg2 “Sorry” to Pg4 “and boring”
Pg14 “Too old for fireworks” (Helen) to Pg17 “I will”
Helen:
Pg10 “Hey come on lets dance” to Pg13 “well why not…”
Pg88 “Hey wasn’t that something” to Pg91 End of monologue
Peter:
Pg21 Monologue to audience
Pg87 Monologue to audience
Stewart:
Pg26 “Shocking….” to Pg31 “That’s how you can help”
Pg73 “Yes of course” to Pg75 “We must wait for it to boil”
Thelma:
Pg34 Monologue to audience
Pg59 Opening of Act 2 to Pg63 “He was wonderful…”
Sally:
Pg59 Opening of Act 2 to Pg62 Exit
Murder,
Margaret and Me 25 February – 1
March 2025 in the Studio
Director: Simon
Darlington
Play:
Margaret
Rutherford and Agatha Christie: two national treasures behind one of the British film industry’s greatest franchises. Rutherford is famed for bringing Christie’s beloved spinster, Miss Marple, to the screen. However, it almost didn’t happen because Agatha Christie did not approve of Rutherford as Marple, and Margaret Rutherford had no interest in being involved with anything so sordid as murder. Murder, Margaret and Me is the story of an unlikely friendship between “the funniest woman alive” and the world-renowned “Queen of Crime”. Christie then turns detective herself, to uncover Rutherford’s shocking and tragic secret.
Characters:
Margaret Rutherford: Female Late 60’s, Early 70’s
– (Slightly younger than Agatha)
Agatha Christie: Female 70 – 80 – (Slightly Older than Margaret)
The Spinster: Female 55 – 65 (Ideally will be able to knit)
Audition Pieces:
Margaret Rutherford:
Pg16-17 Monologue
Pg29 Opening of Scene 11 to bottom Pg32
Agatha Christie:
Pg27 Monologue
Pg29 Opening of Scene 11 to bottom Pg32
The Spinster:
Pg6 – 7 Monologue
Pg13 – 14 Scene 6
Don’t Dress for Dinner 7-14 December 2024
Director: Tracy Burns
Play:
Ooh La La! This is an hilarious French farce from the early 1990s that tells the tale of Bernard who invites his chic Parisian mistress, Suzanne (Suzy for short) to spend the weekend with him at the country house that he owns with his wife Jacqueline, because Jacqueline is going to her mother’s. As an alibi Bernard also invites his best friend, Robert, and he also arranges for a cordon bleu cook to come along to provide haute cuisine for them all. However, Bernard isn’t the only one having an affair and when Jacquline decides not to visit her mother and the catering agency send their cook Suzette (Suzy for short) the stage is set for multiple mistaken identities and confusion which Bernard and Robert must navigate with all the ingenuity they can muster.
Characters:
All the characters are around the same age, say playing age of 35-55.
Bernard
– Paris husband
Jacqueline
– his wife
Robert
– his best friend
Suzanne
– his mistress
Suzette
– a cook
George
– her husband
The roles of Bernard and Robert need to be played by actors with good comic timing. They need to work well together. They are both successful businessmen but are hopeless at having affairs!
Jacqueline is intelligent, authoritative and confident and she is having an affair with Robert.
Suzanne is a model, chic and sophisticated.
Suzette is a great comedy role, good timing is key. Su Pollard played her in the original production. Suzette is more working class but she is sharp and quickly
realises that she can capitalise on Bernard and Robert’s indiscretions. She ends up in a tight black dress which is adapted on stage from her waitress outfit.
George is a small role, but George is a large man. He should come across as physically larger and more threatening than Bernard and Robert.
Audition Pieces:
Bernard and Jacqueline – pages 1-5
Bernard and Robert – pages 11-17
Robert and Suzette – pages 27-31
Suzanne – pages 48-50
George – pages 103-109
The Unexpected Guest 25 January – 1 February 2025
Director: Anj Wetherill
Play:
A classic whodunnit from the Queen of Crime herself. The setting is Llangelert House near the Bristol Channel on a foggy November night in the 1950s. A man crashes his car in the fog, goes to the house for help and finds that the owner, who is in a wheelchair, has been shot. His wife stands nearby holding a gun and confessing to the murder. Is she really guilty and can the ‘unexpected guest’ help her?
Characters:
Richard Warwick – 40-55, in a wheelchair, he is in fact dead, having been shot through the head and he therefore spends the whole of Act One not moving. This is his only scene.
Laura Warwick – his wife, younger than Richard, playing age 30-40.
Mrs Warwick – his mother, walks with a stick, a commanding presence and strong personality, 60-75.
Angell – his nurse/valet, physically strong, correct manner but can be shifty 45-60.
Miss Bennett (Benny) – his housekeeper/secretary, an ex-nurse, capable, intelligent, devoted to Richard, 45-55.
Jan – his half-brother, much younger than Richard, only about 19. Jan is described by Laura, in the terms used in the 1950s, as being “slow” or “retarded”. His eyes are quick, sometimes sly, he has a great sweetness about him and is very affectionate.
Michael Starkwedder – ‘the unexpected guest’, fit, intelligent, a man of action, 35-45.
Sergeant Cadwallader – local and therefore Welsh, likes poetry, 25-40.
Inspector Thomas – middle-aged, slightly jaded, can be sarcastic, 45-60.
Julian Farrar – rather dashing, having an affair with Laura and running for Parliament as a Liberal, 30-40.
Audition Pieces:
Michael and Laura – pages 8-12
Inspector Thomas and Sgt Cadwallader – pages 32-35, and the Inspector may also be asked to read with others as shown below
Angell and Julian – pages 61-65
Mrs Warwick – pages 41-44, maybe Inspector too
Miss Bennett – pages 44-47, maybe Inspector too
Jan – pages 70-72
Richard has no lines!
Notes on Sensitive Terminology – as stated in the script
Language used by the author in her stage directions and by her characters to describe mental and physical conditions and disabilities is of the period in which the play was first performed. We are confident that the author’s intention was to be neutral within stage directions – not to convey anything other than the facts of the characteristics relevant to a character’s portrayal. The dialogue, however, is the embodiment of the character speaking and must express his or her intentions at that point in the play. This means that the author will have chosen terminology to be spoken with varying degrees of precision, sensitivity and, possibly, deliberate insensitivity according to the character and the circumstances in which he or she is speaking.
In our published version, therefore, we have applied the following logic:
In stage directions, we have used terminology which is as neutral and factual as can be conceived, knowing that this will sometimes still fail.
In dialogue, we have preserved the author’s words as originally written.
We license this play on the basis that terms used in dialogue relevant to the physical and mental conditions of these characters may be changed in production to whichever best convey the author’s intention for the audience. Sometimes this will be a neutral term, sometimes it will be a term which reflects the character’s personality and/or the context in which they are speaking. Which of these applies is for directors and actors to interpret.