Tuesday 23 – Saturday 27 July 2013
Frank McGuinness’ Electra is a modern adaption of Sophocles’ tale of revenge, power, sacrifice, murder and ultimately family. For any female actress Electra, as the title character, being the ultimate tour de force.
1. Auditions
First round auditions on the Monday 13, Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15 May will be at Theatre Delicatessen, Marylebone Gardens, 35 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QA. Auditionees need to arrive from 6.30pm ready to start at 7pm. You do not need to register for auditions or prepare anything in advance. Please come on whichever day suits you. Recalls will be on Saturday 18 May from 12 to 4pm, by invitation only. You will be told the venue if you are recalled. If you are recalled you will be called by Thursday 16 May.
2. Show Dates
We’ll be performing from Tuesday 23 to Saturday 27 July at The Barons Court Theatre in Barons Court. The shows will start at 7.30pm (plus 2.30pm matinee on Saturday 27 July) and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand.
3. Synopsis
Electra is a story of one of the most famous families in Greek literature, and ultimately a story of revenge and family. The story begins with Orestes, Electra’s brother, who is going on a journey to avenge his father’s murder. Meanwhile, Electra is stuck lamenting the murder of her father, Agamemmon, while living in the royal palace of Mycenae with his murderers, her mother Clytemnestra the Queen and her treacherous lover, Aegisthus. Her only hope is her brother, Orestes. Electra smuggled her brother to safety when he was just a babe, and put him into the protection of a servant. His fate is to return to Mycenae and avenge his fathers’ death by killing his mother and her lover.
The story is told from Electra’s perspective, a prisoner in her own family and society. She is a woman who longs for justice, who longs to take action but is constrained by her sex and the hopelessness of her situation.
This production will be an all-female cast. I will not being changing the sexes of Orestes and Aegisthus, but will be expecting the actor to emphasis the universality and humanity of each character, regardless of their sex. I will be looking for a modern interpretation on femininity and masculinity, power, revenge and family. I am looking for dynamic actors who are keen to be part of a physical ensemble.
4. Cast
Electra (F)
She is the power house of the play. She is on stage the entire time lamenting her father’s death, inviting death by defying her mother. She is the one constant throughout the play as different types of perceptive come in and out; she never wavers in her convictions and stays strong. I need an actress that is energised, fierce, and able to play a range of emotions from anger, fury to sorrow, and vulnerability in just one speech. I also want to see a new and modern interpretation on Electra, thinking about how difficult is to be a woman, belonging to a powerful family that has been extremely patriarchal, to being motherless and alone.
Servant (F)
She is the character than protects Orestes, and ultimately delivers him to his fate. She has a speech at a pivotal moment in the play.
Pylades (F)
A non-speaking part: Pylades is Orestes childhood friend, She is always by Orestes’ side, never saying a word but taking the journey with him. (The actress playing Pylades will also play a part in the chorus)
Orestes (F)
Next to Electra, Orestes is the second most important part in the play. Orestes is Electra’s brother and appears at the beginning and end of the play. Orestes completes the circle, as the mother killed the father so must the son kill the mother. Orestes is Electra’s hope, and they have a very strong bond as she saved his life and is more like a mother to him than a sister. Even though I will not be changing the gender of Orestes, he will be played by an actress. This will be one of the most challenging aspects of the part, as a theme throughout the play is that Orestes must complete the circle because he is the son. I will be looking for an actress who can put a different spin on this and think about how to play the part genderless, but still portraying his masculine traits.
Chrysothemis (F)
Chrysothemis is Electra and Orestes’ sister, she does not lament and challenge as Electra does. Even though she mourns her father’s death, longs for her brother and knows her mother is the blame. She plays the diplomat and lives by Aegisthus and Clytemnestra’s rules. She is an important juxtaposition to Electra, often being the more reasoned and level headed argument.
Clytemnestra (F)
Clytemnestra is the queen, Electra’s mother and Agammemon’s murder. Even though she is seen as the villain of this story, she still has a heart and conscious. She murdered Agammemon because he sacrificed her first daughter, Iiphigenia to the gods. She believes killing Agammemon was not murder but justice, and struggles with how her children defy and hate her. However, she still treats Electra cruelly and longs to hear her son is dead for fear over being overthrown.
Aegisthus (F)
Aegisthus is Clytemnestra’s lover, and ultimately plotted and killed Agammemon with Clytemnestra so as to take his throne and wife. He appeals at the end of the play smug and vicious, and ultimately meets his end.
Chorus (3-4 Females)
Chorus is the constant on stage the entire time with Electra. The Chorus is a massively important role and mammoth task. They act as the story teller, the conscious, the friend and the enemy throughout the play, creating a dynamic challenge for any actress. This role is heavy on speeches and will involve elements of physical acting.
If you have any questions prior to the audition, get in touch with the team at electra@kdctheatre.com.