Category: Auditions

KDC Theatre presents Plays In A Day

A showcase of four of the best new writing by our members, performing 29 March and 5 April

KDC Theatre has always encouraged writers to pick up their pens and send us their scribblings. In return we give them the chance to see their work turned into fully staged plays. The first step on this journey is our Plays In A Day productions – and that’s where you get to be involved. We’ll cast the shows on a Monday and give you 12 hours of rehearsal in total to bring the piece to life for a script in hand production. These productions will fill the matinee slots of the last two weeks of our Spring season.

You can audition for as many of the plays as you would like to and there’s no need to register for auditions. You’ll be needed on the Saturday morning for rehearsal, and the directors will squeeze in as many evening rehearsals in the week before as they can! Here are all the dates and details you need.

Tickets: Available from the Lion & Unicorn Theatre

Auditions: Monday 24 March at 7pm (Blackfriars Room, St Bride Foundation)
Performance: Saturday 29 March at 2.30pm at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town

The Dinner Party by Doc Watson, directed by Caitlin Homes
Dinner with the husband and the ex – lingering emotions escalate with each course.

Wellington Cat O’Shea, directed by Lorenzo Mason
On their graduation night, five Dublin friends look back at their student life.

Auditions: Monday 31 March at 7pm (Foundry Room, St Bride Foundation)
Performance: Saturday 5 April at 2.30pm at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre, Kentish Town

Rumble Young Lady Rumble by Yasir Senna, directed by Matthew Partridge
Allison faces being dismissed from her job at a construction company. Can her favourite boxer inspire her to hit back?

Room Temperature by Jim Tanner, directed by Carl Fletcher
As a couple return home from a drunken night out, their bickering reaches boiling point.

Contact: Matthew Partridge is ready to take your questions on newwriting@kdctheatre.com

Spring 2014 Newcomers

Each season we hold a Newcomers Meeting where the directors will tell you more about their plays and the audition process. It’s a great way to find out more about the season and of course you can quiz the directors and committee too. Drinks at 7pm for a 7.30pm start at The Blacksmith and the Toffeemaker, 292-294 St John Street, EC1V 4PA. Nearest tube is Angel.

Spring Season Shows

Next Spring we’re back at The Lion and Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town from 18th March to 5th April with three very exciting shows which you can read all about at https://www.kdctheatre.com/category/auditions/

18th – 22nd March: Wilde’s ‘An Ideal Husband’ – directed by Richard Jaques

25th – 29th March: Devised Piece ‘Keeping In Touch With Temptation’ – directed by Richard Williams

1st – 5th April: Lorca’s ‘Blood Wedding’ – directed by Kate Moore

An Ideal Husband – Audition Notice

Ideal Husbandby Oscar Wilde
Directed by Richard Jaques
Tuesday 18 – Saturday 22 March
The Lion & Unicorn Theatre

1. Auditions

Date: 14th, 15th & 16th January. Please come on whichever day suits you Time: 6.30pm (we will start promptly!)
Venue: Clean Break Studios, 2 Patshull Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2LB. The nearest tube is Kentish Town
Recalls will be on Saturday 18th January from 10.30am to 2.30pm. You will be called on Friday 17th if we’d like to see you again.

2. Show Dates

We’ll be performing from Tuesday 18th to Saturday 22nd March at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. The shows will start at 7.30pm and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand. The dress rehearsal will be on Monday 17th March. You will need to be free from midday onwards, possibly all day.

3. Rehearsals

Rehearsals will be on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons/ evenings. All rehearsals will be in central London.
You will not be required to prepare anything for the audition at all. There will be some script work and readings, so the best thing to do is just be yourselves on top form.

4. Synopsis

The basic premise of ‘An Ideal Husband’ is this: Lord Goring is a London wastrel, whose closest friend is a young and well-regarded politician. Not only that, but he is considered to be an ideal husband and humanitarian as well.
When an outside and unwelcome character comes into his life however, Robert Chiltern, the politician in question, finds some dark secrets of his earlier days at risk of being exposed.
As the events unfold around Goring, he finds himself called to help, as well as to consider what makes a person truly ideal.
This production will be a modernisation of ‘An Ideal Husband’, resetting it in contemporary Russian high society – long coats and fur hats as well as pushing the subtext of autobiographic account of Oscar Wilde though Lord Goring.
This dazzling blend of farce and morality revolves around the lives of two men: a successful political figure and his philandering friend. One has a secret scandal in his past.
Although ‘An Ideal Husband’ is full of all the witticisms you’d hope for from Oscar Wilde, the subject matter is more serious than you might expect.
Penned at a time when Oscar Wilde was having an illegal relationship makes it poignant that, acceptance and forgiveness, are at the heart of the play.

5. Cast Breakdown

Sir Robert Chiltern (M 30s)

Best friends with Viscount Goring, less wealthy, but educated with Viscount Goring and knows that Viscount Goring is gay. Sir Robert is the play’s “tragic” hero, a government official who owes his success and fortune to secret scandal. Love has driven him to hide his past in the desperate hope of remaining the ideal husband to his wife. Conscious of what his success has cost him; Sir Robert suffers from a decidedly nervous and harried temperament.
Lady Gertrude Chiltern (F 20s)
Naive but dominate over her husband. Lady Chiltern embodies the Victorian new woman: upright, virtuous, educated, politically engaged, and active in her husband’s career. She is the play’s sentimental heroine, a sort of moral absolutist who worships her ideal husband and cannot brook the revelation of his secret past.
Mrs. Cheveley (F 20s – 30s)
One of the play’s wittiest and most well dressed characters, Mrs Cheveley is the vicious and opportunistic villainess, who values wealth and power above all. Mrs Cheveley is the “unnatural” union of daytime genius and night-time beauty.
Lord Goring (M 30s)
Based on Oscar Wilde, the Earl’s son, oppressed by the Earl. Of impeccable dress and inimitable wit, Lord Goring is the play’s thirty-something dandified philosopher, an idle aristocrat who serves as a thinly veiled double for Wilde himself. Irreverent, wry, and dangerously clever, Goring “plays with the world” and in doing so rejects ideals of duty, respectability, and responsibility. Lord Goring is the central character around whom all the action happens.
Mabel Chiltern (F 18s – 25s)
An exemplar of English prettiness, Mabel, Sir Robert’s younger sister, embodies what Wilde describes as the “fascinating tyranny of youth” and “astonishing courage of innocence.” Pert and clever, Mabel flirtatiously matches Lord Goring’s wit throughout the play.
Lord Caversham (M 50s – 60s)
Based on Vladimir Putin for this production, a large fella. A symbol of oppression. Father to Lord Goring, Lord Caversham, is a stuffy, serious, and respectable gentleman who is firmly opposed to the excesses of his dandified son. Continually he urges his son to marry and adopt a career, posing Sir Robert as model.
Lady Markby (F 40 – 60)
A pleasant and popular woman with “gray hair à la marquise and good lace,” Lady Markby is emblematic of an older generation of Society women, bemoaning the effect of politics and the higher education of women on married life.
Lady Basildon and Mrs. Marchmont (F 30s-40s)
They smaller roles who frivolously banter on a number of topics throughout Act I; notable ones include the dreariness of politics, being serious, education, and so on. They are perhaps more decorative than anything else, though—as the insightfulness of their conversations suggests—one can never underestimate the decorative on Wilde’s stage.
Phipps (M any age)

A “mask with a manner” who serves Lord Goring. Phipps is the ideal butler. Absolutely impassive, he reveals nothing of his intellect or emotions and “represents the dominance of form.” Phipps will also step in for other “servant” moments.

Blood Wedding – Audition Notice

Blood weddingby Federico García Lorca, translated by John Edmunds
Directed by Kate Moore
Tuesday 1 – Saturday 5 April
The Lion & Unicorn Theatre

1. Auditions

You do not need to prepare anything in advance. Auditions will take the form of improvisations and reading scenes from the script, handed to you on the night. I am looking for actors who can express a narrative using more than just the words they say, who are committed to creating believable, sympathetic, fully rounded characters.
Some characters (five of the nine female parts) need to be able to hold a tune. For those actors up for contention for those particular roles at the recalls, there will be a basic singing audition on the Saturday; again, you do not need to prepare anything and will be briefed in advance. Please be assured I am looking first and foremost for actors for the roles, and that acting talent more than singing ability will influence casting decisions.
Because there will be some singing and dancing for some characters in the play, it would be really helpful if actors can list on their preference forms if they have any prior experience in these areas and feel comfortable doing basic singing/dancing on stage.
Date: 14th, 15th & 16th January. Please come on whichever day suits you Time: 6.30pm (we will start promptly!)
Venue: Clean Break Studios, 2 Patshull Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2LB. The nearest tube is Kentish Town
Recalls will be on Saturday 18th January from 10.30am to 2.30pm. You will be called on Friday 17th if we’d like to see you again.

2. Show Dates

We’ll be performing from Tuesday 1st to Saturday 5th April at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. The shows will start at 7.30pm and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand. The dress rehearsal will be on Monday 31st March. You will need to be free from midday onwards, possibly all day.

3. Rehearsals

Rehearsals will be on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons/ evenings. All rehearsals will be in central London.

4. Synopsis

NB: The only character in the play with a given name is Leonardo.
Bride and Bridegroom are to be married – despite the reservations of Bridegroom’s Mother, who is still grieving for her murdered husband and son.
But the Bride has a secret. Her first love, Leonardo, is still desperately in love with her, and she with him. As the play opens, both have tried to deny their passion for each other, with Leonardo now married and with a son.
Yet the shaky peace will not hold. When the news of the Bride’s forthcoming wedding reaches Leonardo, he takes to riding out across the fields at night to see her. Theirs is a love that will not die. Bride has a decision to make – one that will prove to have unimaginable consequences…
My vision for the play is predicated on casting actors who will find and embody their characters completely, fully embracing the complexity and simmering passions of their roles, and creatively and emotionally building relationships and histories. Rehearsals will take the script as a starting point and source to create back stories, which we’ll build on through improvisation and detailed character work. I want every character to know where they’ve come from and what they’ve done and felt in their life right up to the moment the play opens, when the audience joins us to see this small section of a much bigger life picture.
Our setting is a hot summer in the Spanish countryside. An indeterminate era, but the people are peasant country folk from a simpler time than our own, from a rural farming community. The set will be framed by imposing tree shapes to create an ethereal and creepy atmosphere, evoking classic fairy tales and papercut silhouettes; an encroaching forest that, eventually, swallows us whole.

5. Cast Breakdown

14 actors (9 women, 5 men)

There will be no doubling up of parts, enabling each actor to take their sole character on their own emotional journey through the play each night. This is very much an ensemble piece of theatre, with every actor having a decent amount to do in the play, and a unique back story to bring to life.
Bride (F, 20s – her age is given as 21-turning-22 in the script)

Strong, passionate, desperate, dutiful at times, cannot help but feel the burden of her heavy secret. Full of conflicting desires. Will she follow her heart?
Leonardo (M, 20s)

Classic brooding hero. Alpha male. Passionate, capable, strong, wilful, sexy – and charismatic as hell.
Mother (F, over 30)

Mother to the Bridegroom. Her beloved husband and other son were murdered and she is still absolutely beholden to her grief. She eats, breathes, drinks, sleeps and dreams their deaths. She’s lonely. Her rage at her loss is ever-present beneath the surface, an incendiary touch paper just waiting to be lit.
Bridegroom (M, 20s)

A fun, funny, likeable man full of joie de vivre and infectious enthusiasm, with a ready smile and an open heart.
Neighbour (F, over 30)

Neighbour to the Mother and apparent friends – but there is no love lost between these two. Neighbour is a terrible gossip, proud and supercilious, always sniffing around for the next juicy titbit of news. There’s opportunity for this to be a comedic role in places.
Wife (F, 20s)

Wife to Leonardo. She is a cousin of the Bride. She has a baby with her husband and another child on the way. She cares deeply for her spouse and cannot understand why he is increasingly distant. She can be somewhat scared and timid, but has reserves of courage. The Wife sings a lullaby to her baby (a duet with her mother) in the play, so the actress will need to be able to hold a tune on stage.
Mother-in-Law (F, over 30)

Mother to Wife; Mother-in-Law to Leonardo. She is your classic ‘mother-in-law’ character on paper – interfering, nosy, fussy, sharp, disapproving, strong-willed. But there is always another side to the story: her husband left her and she fears the same fate awaits her daughter… She sings the duet lullaby with the Wife and will need to be able to hold a tune.
Father (M, over 30)
Father to the Bride. Hardworking, kindly family man, cares deeply for his daughter and for his family and farm, wanting them to thrive into the future. A peacekeeper. Yet his wife never loved him, and he brought their daughter up alone.
Servant (F, over 30)

Servant to the Bride and her Father. She is a mother figure to the Bride and has worked in the family for years. She runs the family home like clockwork and takes responsibility for everything – whether organising the wedding feast or doing the Bride’s hair on the morning of her wedding. She can be excitable, stern, romantic, bawdy, cutting, clever, protective. While she and the Bride have their ups and downs, the Bride trusts her implicitly. The Servant sings in the play so will need to be able to hold a tune.
First Youth (M, 20s-30s)

Essentially the Best Man to the Bridegroom. Full of energy and bon viveur, he makes the stage come alive whenever he’s in a scene. He’s the first to get the party started. He’s also incredibly loyal. I’m ideally looking for an actor who can also dance a bit – or has rhythm and is willing to learn.
First Girl (F, 20s)

A ball of energy, First Girl is flirtatious and sexy, opinionated and fun. She is loud and carefree. I’m looking for an actress who can also dance and sing.
Second Girl (F, 20s)

A quiet and thoughtful girl with stories and emotions swimming in her eyes, Second Girl is a friend to the Bride. She is also secretly in love with the Bridegroom – but doesn’t have many lines to convey this, so I’m looking for an exceptionally expressive actress for this role. Second Girl will also need to be able to hold a tune.
Guest (M, 20s-30s)

A bit of a bumbling wedding guest on the Father’s side, keen to get involved but somehow always slightly behind the times. There’s an opportunity here for an actor to craft a gem of a character study, with chances to find humour and off-script narratives for the role.
Beggar Woman (F, any age)
This character is on stage throughout the play. She is the personification of Death. She needs to intrigue and frighten the audience. She has a chilling, luxurious, lengthy monologue where she comes to the fore, as well as some other spoken scenes, and is key to the climax of the play. I’m looking for an actress who can emote strongly and be absolutely charismatic in this icy, ethereal role. She is weak and vulnerable at the beginning but strong and powerful by the end. The Beggar Woman is comparable to the evil witch in Sleeping Beauty – an uninvited malevolent presence always on the sidelines, who eventually takes centre stage.

Keeping In Touch With Temptation – Audition Notice

Keeping In Touch With Temptation(a full length devised play)
Directed by Richard Williams
Tuesday 25 – Saturday 29 March
The Lion & Unicorn Theatre

1. Auditions

No advance preparation is required. Auditions for the devised piece will take the form of improvisations and workshopping. This will also be an introduction to some of the processes we will be following in the creation of this show. ‘Keeping in Touch with Temptation’ is a show that needs actors who are keen to explore new techniques and develop fully rounded characters over the rehearsal period.
Date: 14th, 15th & 16th January. Please come on whichever day suits you
Time: 6.30pm (we will start promptly!)
Venue: Clean Break Studios, 2 Patshull Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2LB. The nearest tube is Kentish Town
Recalls will be on Saturday 18th January from 9.30am to 10.30pm. You will be called on Friday 17th if we’d like to see you again.

2. Show Dates

We’ll be performing from Tuesday 25th to Saturday 29th March at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. The shows will start at 7.30pm and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand. The dress rehearsal will be on Monday 24th March. You will need to be free from midday onwards, possibly all day.

3. Rehearsals

Rehearsals will be on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons/ evenings. All rehearsals will be in central London.

4. Synopsis and Cast Breakdown

There is none.
‘Keeping in Touch with Temptation’ is such a new play that at the moment, it exists as a name and an image.
It needs to be created by you, our actors.
This is a fantastic opportunity to continue the six year streak of KDC’s Devised Plays, and the first one to be given the run of a whole week alongside our other shows. The Devised Process has gone from strength to strength, from the purgatorial ‘Ups and Downs’ which even made an extra trip to Edinburgh, to ‘The Last Order’, and 2013’s fantastically haunting ‘Visited’.
From only an image and a title, the director and the cast will create a unique and original production, an entire play from devising techniques and improvisation, that requires keen imaginations, actors who can create and embody a character, and a cast that create something new and fantastic.
The KDC Theatre Devised Play remains one of the most challenging, and at the same time one of the most satisfying actor-as-creator experiences in the London Amateur Dramatics scene.

Winter 2013 – Tiger at the Gates auditions

Tiger at the Gates by Jean Giraudoux, translated by Christopher Fry

Directed by Nick Mouton

Tuesday 19 – Saturday 23 November

The Lion & Unicorn Theatre

1. Newcomers Meeting

Each season we hold a Newcomers Meeting where the directors will tell you more about their plays and the audition process. Its a great way to find out more about the season and of course you can quiz the directors and committee too.

Date: Thursday 12th September
Time: Join us from 7pm for a drink. The meeting will start at 7.30pm
Venue: The White Swan, 20 Farringdon Street, Farringdon, EC4A 4AB

2. Auditions

You do not need to register for auditions or prepare anything in advance.

Date: 17th, 18th & 19th September. Please come on whichever day suits you
Time: 6.30pm for a 7pm start
Venue: Clean Break Studios, 2 Patshull Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2LB

Recalls will be on Saturday 21st September from 10am to 2pm. You will be called on Friday 20th if we’d like to see you again.

3. Show Dates

We’ll be performing from Tuesday 19th to Saturday 23rd November at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. The shows will start at 7.30pm and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand. The dress rehearsal will be on Monday 18th November. You will need to be free from midday onwards, possibly all day.

4. Rehearsals

Rehearsals will be on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons/evenings. All rehearsals will be in central London.

5. Synopsis

‘Tiger at the Gates’ is a brilliant and bitter comedy set within Troy, a city doomed to betrayal and destruction. The story is of Hector, a military man who knows the horror and degradation of war, struggling to preserve peace in the face of jingoistic sentiment and mob hysteria. Along with his worldly-wise mother Hecuba, Hector leads the anti-war argument and tries to persuade his brother Paris to return Helen to Greece. Hector sees Helen as the definition of war and destruction, but for the other Trojan men, through her beauty, believe that she represents an opportunity for glory, and they are eager to have others fight a war in her name. This is the re-telling of a classic story looking at the brutality of war and the futility of trying to avoid it while others around you are so hell-bent on it. The script was written as a criticism against the lack of diplomacy and irresponsible behaviour of the national leaders and intellectuals who brought about the First World War and the lead up to World War II. It’s not all doom and gloom though, as there are a number of comical moments went the Trojan pomp and ceremony prone diplomats are mocked for their blinkered points of view.

I want to look at the clashes of cultures, ideologies and sexes, portraying the Trojans as those who live the simple life, while in contrast there are the more cocksure Greeks who are used to getting their own way at the expense of others.

The play will last for up to 2 hours and will be set on Hector and Andromache’s sunny terrace that looks over Troy.

6. Cast Breakdown

This is a nice big cast with everyone getting a decent amount to say. There will be some doubling up so I’ve listed all of the main characters that the cast will play. The ages are recommended, but they’re not set in stone. I’m open to all sorts of accents and might ask people to try some out – like Irish, American, Northern English & Scottish. Don’t worry as it’s just me experimenting with ideas.

The Trojans

Hector (M, 27 – 40)

Charismatic, but battle fatigued. A leader of men through battles, but not seen as such of a diplomat by the senate. He’s just back from a long string of battles and is looking forward to spending the rest of his life relaxing with his wife. He’s a family man so will support his relatives to the bitter end. He has a lot to say in the play.

Andromache (F, 25 – 40)

Naturally beautiful woman. Passionate about her family and Troy. Like Hector, she prefers to stay out of politics and spend the rest of her life having her own family with Hector.

Cassandra (F, 23 -40)

Hector’s sister – can be older or younger. She believes that she’s a clairvoyant and can tell what will happen to Troy. No one pays much attention to her so she’s treated as the black sheep of the family.

Paris (M, 20 – 25)

Hector’s younger brother. He’s good looking, suave and charismatic. He thinks he has Hector’s strong presence, but he doesn’t. He’s selfish with his actions and refuses to back down, but still seeks for Hector and father’s approval.

Priam (M, 45+)

King of Troy and Hector’s father. He’s a proud man who stands by his beliefs. He’s head strong and wishes to support his sons but waivers when they have opposing opinions so he goes with the senate’s thoughts.

Hecuba (F, 40+)

Queen of Troy and Hector’s mother. She dislikes war and wants to have a peaceful existence. Hector gets his softer and more reasonable traits from Hecuba. She has a rebellious streak which annoys the senate but Priam likes her fighting spirit.

Polyxene (F, 17 – 20)

Hector’s younger sister. She’s very naïve & easily led.

Troilus (M or F, 14 – 17 or to be played by a girl)

Hector’s youngest brother. Young and naïve but stands by his belief. He has Priam’s strength in character.

Demokos (M, 30+)

He’s a celebrated poet and Priam’s main advisor. He sees himself as the ultimate intellectual but others see him as the fool that he is. He has never experienced warfare but he’s more than happy to send people to their death and then write about it, using feelings as if he was there. He’s the comedy relief and subject of ridicule in the play.

Abenos (M, 30+)

He’s another protected intellectual of Troy who is more interested in the pomp and ceremony than the deadly consequences of their actions. He’s a strong supporter of Demokos.

Busiris (F, 30+)

She is a traveller who has convinced the senate that she knows exactly what the Greeks want to do, which is to destroy Troy. Her thoughts conveniently support what the senate want to believe until her views are challenged by Hector.

Olpides (F, 20 – 25)

She is a young member of Paris’s crew who witnesses his apprehension of Helen. She is the shortest member of his crew so is always the one to go up to the crow’s nest.

Mathematician (M, 27+) 

He’s another wise man of Troy who claims to talk true facts most, either scaremongering or praising Helen. He’s another Demokos supporter who is against Hector’s ideas.

The Greeks

Helen (F, 22 – 30)

She is a strikingly beautiful woman and she knows it! She’s very intelligent and can manipulate people to her advantage and make them believe that it’s through their own free will. She knows that the women aren’t fond of her but she doesn’t really care as she has all of the men wrapped around her finger, until she meets Hector. As AC/DC once sang, ‘Lady’s got balls’!

Ulysses (M, 35 – 50)

He is the Greek ambassador and is seen as the wisest of the Greeks. He doesn’t want war with Troy and understands Hector’s point of view and predicament. Though he’s reasonable he still has a penchant of reminding people about the power of the Greek army. He has some great big speeches but only appears for the final third of the play.

Ajax (M, 24 – 35)

This guy is a brute! He’s the really battering ram of Greece and is totally opposite to Ulysses. He strikes then talks later and is hungry for blood and battle. With his fondness for war he also strongly admires people who he sees as his equals and shows them a lot of respect, but shows total disdain to weaklings.

Other parts to be covered by actors playing some of the above characters: Top Man, Sailor, Servant & Messenger. Even though like the Mathematician they haven’t been given names, they all have quite a lot to say and do during the play.

7. Crew

I want to recreate a sunny terrace with some extra-level decking. It will be a sunny day throughout so it will be a really basic lighting design. So the crew I need:

– Set designer

– Set builder

– Lighting designer

– Lighting & sound operator

– Stage Manager

– Assistant Stage Manager

If you’re interested in being in the crew please e-mail tech@kdctheare.com

Winter 2013 – Hamlet Auditions

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Directed by Kat Wootton

Tuesday 26 – Saturday 30 November at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre

1. Newcomers Meeting

Each season we hold a Newcomers Meeting where the directors will tell you more about their plays and the audition process. Its a great way to find out more about the season and of course you can quiz the directors and committee too.

Date: Thursday 12th September
Time: Join us from 7pm for a drink. The meeting will start at 7.30pm
Venue: The White Swan, 20 Farringdon Street, Farringdon, EC4A 4AB

2. Auditions

You do not need to register for auditions. Please prepare a Shakespearean monologue. From Hamlet is fine. Any age/gender is fine (if a 23 year old female wants to do a Lear monologue, please do!) 1-2min length please. Recalls will be reading monologues and scenes.

Date: 17th, 18th & 19th September. Please come on whichever day suits you
Time: 6.30pm for a 7pm start
Venue: Clean Break Studios, 2 Patshull Road, Kentish Town, NW5 2LB

Recalls will be on Saturday 21st September from 10am to 2pm. You will be called on Friday 20th if we’d like to see you again.3. Show Dates

We’ll be performing from Tuesday 26th to Saturday 30th November at The Lion & Unicorn Theatre in Kentish Town. The shows will start at 7.30pm and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand. The dress rehearsal will be on Monday 25th November. You will need to be free from midday onwards, possibly all day.

4. Rehearsals

Rehearsals will be on Monday and Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons/evenings. All rehearsals will be in central London.

5. Synopsis

It’s ‘Hamlet’. You know the story! This production is a modernisation where Hamlet will be played as a teenaged girl. Hamlet’s father dies, and her mother Gertrude marries her uncle Claudius very shortly afterwards. Her father appears to her as a ghost and tells her to avenge his death – her uncle is her father’s murderer. Hamlet, already grief-stricken and full of existential angst, tries to determine what’s right, and do her duty. Claudius meanwhile schemes to keep her under control, or to get rid of her, getting two of her school friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to spy on her. She pretends to go crazy to hide her planning, only her best friend Horatio knows the truth. Her affair with her childhood friend Ophelia (disapproved of by Ophelia’s family – her father and close advisor to Claudius, Polonius, and her older brother Laertes) provides both an excuse for her insanity, and an additional source of anguish. Hamlet arranges to have a play performed before Claudius, his reaction to it convinces her of his guilt. Gertrude, shocked by Hamlet’s behaviour, arranges to speak with her privately, but spied on by Polonius. Hamlet turns the conversation and berates Gertude then, hearing Polonius and thinking it’s Claudius, stabs and kills him. Polonius’ death at her lover’s hand drives Ophelia mad. Claudius sends Hamlet away to be killed. In his absence, Ophelia dies, and Laertes, hearing of his losses, is furious and wants to challenge Hamlet himself. Hamlet escapes Cladius’ attempt to kill him and returns home to find his lover dead. She agrees to fight Laertes, and Cladius plots a way to have her be killed during their ‘friendly’ bout. Poisoned blades and drinks switch hands, and Gertrude, Laertes, Claudius, and Hamlet are killed in the fight. Horatio alone is left to explain.

The original text (with cuts for time), will be played as current day. The focus will be on the interpersonal relationships and power dynamics, with the international politics as a muted threat in the background.

6. Cast Breakdown

I am very open in casting – gender/race/age and so on all very loose so the ages listed below are only a guide. I’m looking for people with a passion for the roles and a strong understanding of Shakespearean language (and the latter can be taught, I promise)

Hamlet (F, 15)

Intelligent, grieving, anxious, in the midst of an existential crisis.

Ophelia (F, 15 – will consider M)

Dutiful yet quietly rebellious, clever, sympathetic.

Horatio (M, 17 – will consider F)

Dedicated, studious, loyal.

Gertrude (F, 30+)

Experienced, pragmatic, guarded.

Claudius (M, 30+)

Powerful, hedonistic, manipulative.

Polonius (M, late 30s – will consider F)

Pedantic, bumper-sticker wise, adheres to structure.

Laertes (M, 20s – will consider F)

Brash, proud, passionate.

Ghost/ Player King aka First Player (M, 30+)

Marcellus/ Player Queen/ Gentleman/ Messenger (open)

Bernardo/ Rosencrantz/ Gravedigger 1 (open)

Francisco/ Guildenstern/ Gravedigger 2 (open)

Lucianus (player)/ Prologue/ Priest/ attendant/ Osric (open)

7. Crew

I’m looking for the following crew members;

– Set designer
– Costume designer
– Lighting designer
– Lighting & sound operator
– Stage Manager

If you’re interested in being in the crew please e-mail tech@kdctheare.com

 

Halloween 2013 Audition Notice

What the Dickens?What the Dickens?
Lion & Unicorn Theatre
29 October – 9 November 2013
(excluding 3 and 4 November)

By Amy Bird, Andy Marchant, Carl Fletcher, Frances Bushe, Jimi Odell, Julia Collier, Kathy Petrakis and Mary Groom

Directed by Andy Marchant, Jacqui Adams and Kim Morrison

KDC Theatre returns to our friends Giant Olive at The Lion and Unicorn in Kentish Town this Halloween. Following last year’s sell out run of Dracula, we are returning with 8 chilling tales from Charles Dickens.

Last Halloween we set a challenge to our membership to adapt some of Dickens’ ghost stories that he loved so much into scripts. The results were so fun, that we decided to stage 8 of them in another Halloween season!

In this document you will find out all about the plays And what we are looking for cast-wise.

What is the show?

Well actually, it’s two shows, under one production name. The first collects a series of Victorian Ghost Stories, and the second is a series of modernised ones.

Rather than running a week of one set of plays, then a week of another, we have decided to alternate the nights, to really push them together as an “event” (so instead of “WEEK ONE – Victorian, WEEK TWO – Modern”, it’s “TUESDAY – Victorian, WEDNESDAY – Modern, THURSDAY – Victorian”, etc)

What this means is that there will be the potential to cross over on the casting, and for any of our members who are cast and are up for it to be performing over TWO weeks (there would be a break between on the Sunday and Monday) meaning that your mates could get the chance to see you in different productions TWICE in as many weeks.

But the ultimate objective here is to give our writers some exposure, our acting members an opportunity to get into the Halloween (hoho) “spirit” and also:

To do some chilling spectral stories and have a LOT of fun doing it.

Casting

The auditions for the show will be on 2 (19:15-21:15) and 4 July (19:00-21:00).

There will be a recall on 6 July which will be invite only, and will run from 12pm – 4pm.

The venue for these auditions will be the St Brides Institute, Blackfriars Room (2nd) and The Foundry (4th). Details on our venues page.

If you do not hear from us about a recall, don’t worry, there are lots of roles to cast and we may just not need to see any more from you.

If you are cast you will hear on the Saturday, and if not, a member of the committee will be in contact on the Sunday.

As with all KDC Shows, we ask our acting members for a participation fee of £70 (£35 concessions) if you are cast. However, please note that as a special incentive, this payment will also cover you if you have been cast in the Spring or Summer 2013 Seasons, you don’t pay a thing!

PLEASE NOTE:

EVEN THOUGH THE AUDITIONS ARE IN JUNE, REHEARSALS WILL START IN AUGUST, SO IF YOU ARE INVOLVED IN THE SUMMER SEASON, YOU WILL STILL BE ABLE TO AUDITION!

DUE TO THE TIMING OF “WHAT THE DICKENS?”, ANYONE CAST WILL NOT BE ABLE TO AUDITION FOR OUR WINTER 2013 SEASON.

You do not need to register for auditions or prepare anything in advance. Please come on whichever day suits you. We will be looking for a cast of around 20 actors.

Ensemble
This is a very important role in the production. Several of the plays have a background/choral/ensemble element, so we will be auditioning for a group of around 8 actors who can help move between being extras in one play, and specific smaller roles in another, and more. It means we are looking for a tight group who work together well and can support one another to maintain the mood. Ideally ensemble performers will be free for the entirety of the production so that they can span both shows.

In addition to this there are key roles within each play that drive the stories.

Til Death (key roles, 1m, 1f)
A madman in an institution relives the circumstances of his incarceration.

The White Wreck (key roles, 1m, 1f)
A young woman lives in fear of her home as her guardian schemes against her.

The Signal Man (key roles, 2m)
A man strikes up a friendship with a Signalman haunted by visions.

The Mother’s Eyes (key roles, 2m, 1f)
A couple recount the horrific disappearance of a child in their care.

The Lawyer and the Ghost (key roles, 2m – no ensemble)
A lawyer finds his new digs haunted by an inconvenient spirit.

The Portrait and the Shade (key roles, 1m, 2f)
A painter pitches a TV executive his encounter with a mysterious lady.

Sir Simon of Soho (key roles, 1m, 1f)
A playboy millionaire finds himself being pushed into despair

The Goblins Who Stole a Sexton (key roles 1m, 1f)
A woman tells her husband about the monsters that stalk her family

Electra Audition Notice

electra-thumbTuesday 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.

Bones Audition Notice

Bones-thumbTuesday 16 to Saturday 20 July

Bones is a darkly funny play set in a run-down porn cinema in 1960’s Gateshead.

1. Auditions

Auditions will take place from 6.30 p.m. for a 7 p.m. start on 13, 14 and 15 May 2013 at the Theatre Delicatessen, Marylebone Gardens, 35 Marylebone High Street, W1U 4QA. 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 4 p.m. and you will be told the venue if you are recalled. If we’d like to see you at the recalls, we’ll call you on Thursday 16 May to let you know.

2. Show Dates

We’ll be performing from Tuesday 16 to Saturday 20 July at The Barons Court Theatre in Barons Court. The shows will start at 7.30 p.m. (2.30 p.m. matinee on Saturday 20 July) and you’ll need to be at the theatre at least an hour beforehand.

3. Synopsis

Bones is a darkly funny play set in a run-down porn cinema in 1960s Gateshead. This failing cinema is run by two Jewish brothers, Benny and Ruben. The brothers cannot afford to pay their staff, projectionist Beck and cinema dogsbody/cum-cleaner-upper Moon, and also owe a lot of money to the local gangsters. Then all their problems seem to be over when one of them kidnaps Reggie Kray…

The dark, dank and close atmosphere of The Baron’s Court Theatre, with its old flip-up cinema seats, is the perfect venue for this intense and intensely funny play.

This play is pacy, twisted and very funny. Being set in a cinema, it nods its head to many films, including Get Carter and Reservoir Dogs. As well as being a play about gangland kidnapping, it also touches on themes like identity, the desire to be someone, family ties and brotherly love and hate … as well as gorilla fancy-dress costumes.

4. Cast

Benny
Accent: Geordie
Age: 30-35
Benny is the elder of the two brothers. Both he and Ruben own the cinema but Benny is clearly the manager, he has put himself firmly in charge. He provides a lot of the humanity in the play.

Although there aren’t really any straight roles, Benny is the closest to being the straight-man of the piece. He starts the play with a freshly broken nose and then his day just keeps getting worse.

Ruben
Accent: Geordie
Age: early/mid-twenties
The younger of the two brothers; in fact they are half-brothers. Ruben was one half of a pair of twins – but his twin died in a suspicious house fire when they were young. Ruben, as well as resenting Benny, desperately wants to impress him. He is convinced he isn’t Jewish, that his dad was an Italian American GI who was over in the UK during the war. He dreams of being somebody. He has virulent self-hatred, and has hatred of his faith and how it seems to have labelled him. He fluctuates between awe and terror as the play unfolds.

Reg
Accent: Cockney
Age: mid-thirties
Reg spends a lot of the play bound and often gagged, however this does not impact on to his authority and menace. He is a ‘puppet master’.

Beck
Accent: Geordie
Age: 20-30
Beck is a fan of James Cagney. When there are no punters in the cinema, Beck happily puts on his favourite 1930s and 40s Hollywood films.

He believes he is a player and has links with the local crime scene. He talks the talk and walks the walk but when push comes to shove, what kind of guy is he really?

Moon
Accent: Geordie
Age: 20s
Moon is a fan of Humphrey Bogart.

He is the cinema’s dogsbody, doing every job from doorman to cleaning up (everything) after the porn cinema’s punters have left. He wants a quiet life, he is an expectant father (well, he hasn’t had sex with his girlfriend but they’ve been looking at prams). He always seems to draw the short straw in life – and at times that short straw may lead to big challenges.

If you have any questions prior to audition, please contact the team on bones@kdctheatre.com.