Thursday 6 November 2014

Auditions soon!

We very much hope to welcome a wide range of performers to our auditions. As you'll see here, we are pretty flexible about who we cast, but we'd love to have plenty of choice to make this the fine show it deserves to be.

Please: don't make any presuppositions about this show (in other words, for pity's sake don't think "x will definitely be cast, I definitely won't" - you're likely to be jumping to the wrong conclusions). Let us have the choice.

Our casting depends as much on the combinations of people as on their individual talents, and on the flexibility of those talents. If we end up with several young, beautiful sopranos but no experienced character actresses, or several fabulous 'old codgers' but no young men, we'd finish up with a pretty unbalanced cast.

We need not only singing voices (by which I mean: can carry a tune in a bucket, as well as a few who can do great ballads) but plenty of chutzpah and pazzazz, the ability to convey a story in a three-minute song or poem, people who can equally stand alone and support other performers. We don't need Broadway-style hoofers (though that would be nice), but the ability to lead with the same foot as everybody else would be kind of useful; and elegance is the style we're aiming for.

We also would love a variety of ages, appearances and vocal styles. Our absolute ideal would be four of each sex, and those pairs to be fairly evenly spread between ages in their 20s and 60s - but we can work with whatever you bring us!

We don't expect you to come to us with these skills fully developed - that's what we're here to help you to achieve. As long as you have the basic materials with which we can work, that's all we ask.

Interested? Click here for details of what we want! 

Then come back to this page for ...

AUDITION DETAILS

Monday 15th December 2014, 7.30pm at the Sewell Barn.

You will be required to:
  • Prepare and perform two contrasting songs: one straight and one comic. Ideally one should be by Noel Coward (although not necessarily from the show) and one in similar revue format (e.g. music hall, Flanders & Swann, Victoria Wood, a song from any book musical). We need to know (a) what your singing style and range is, and (b) how well you portray character and comedy. 
    • NB: Bring the music with you. It can be played in a different key (the keyboard has a magic transposing button!). 
    • Important: If you are unfamiliar with the genre, need sheet music, inspiration, or any other help, ASK US: we have a vast library and plenty of experience!
  • Read a section of monologue or dialogue from the script which you’ll be given at the audition.
Let us know you're coming - and we hope to see you there.