Jen Armstrong
Leave it to PSmith by P.G Woodhouse
Directed by Shari Newton
The Auditions for our production playing
19/20/26/27 October
will take place as follows:
Read through at EVH
26 April – 7.45pm AND 6 May – 5pm
Audition at EVH
29 April – 5pm AND 8 May – 8.00pm
This offers you the chance to attend a read through before auditioning
Whats the play about?
Leave it to Psmith is a comic novel by English author P.G. Wodehouse, first published in the United Kingdom in 1923, and adapted into a play by Wodehouse and Ian Hay in 1930. It was the fourth and final novel featuring Psmith, also the second novel set at Blandings Castle.
The plot revolves around Freddie Bosham, son of the short-sighted Earl of Middlewick, owner of Blandings Castle, who is anxious to marry Phyllis Jackson, whose family manufacture jam. To win Phyllis he must either work in the jam factory or put £5,000 into the business and he prefers the latter. To this end he conspires with Psmith, an obliging advertiser ready to do anything— crime included, to get his hands on his lion-hunting stepmother’s diamond necklace. But he’s not the only one after the necklace .
Earl of Middlewick
Male – 50s-60s+
Proper toff, Bluff, stiff, anything ending in ff. Grumpy when without his glasses or near his son. Freddie’s father
Bellows
Male/Female – Any age.
Butler to Middlewick . Knows his place, long suffering.
Freddie Bosham
Male – 20s to 30s
Young, carefree, privileged. NOT a half wit. Wants to marry the beautiful Phyllis. Rather spoilt.
Phyllis Jackson
Female – 20s to 30s
Spritely, plucky, attractive partner to Freddie. Heiress to lots of Jam.
Rupert Baxter
Male/Female – Any age
The Earl’s secretary. Cunning, inquisitive, quick. Won’t believe you are who you say you are.
Lady Middlewick
Female – 40s to 60s,
Haughty, posh, a dragon. Fears no one, will go to battle for diamonds.
Lift Man
Male/Female – Any age
Commoner, straightforward, earnest,plain, salt of the earth.
Eve Halliday
Female – 20s-40s,
Love interest of Psmith. Clever, but from a poor background. Journalist.
Psmith
Male – 20s-40s,
Sleuth cum fixer. Well Educated and well dressed. Hates fish. Believable with Eve
Eddie Cootes
Male – 20s-40s,
Trickster, cockney, believable with Aileen Peevey. American failed gangster, willfully subservient to Peevey.
Aileen Peevey
Female – 20s-40s,
Conspirator with Cootes, pretending to be a fairy and airy American poet.
Cynthia McTodd
Female –
20s-40s,
Believable with Eve Halliday – school friends. Bright and normal. Wife to Ralston, who keeps running away to find himself.
Ralston McTodd
Male – 20s-40s,
Minor part. American poet, his newest work is MUD. Really wants a steak and cigar.
Christopher Walderwick
Male – 20s to 30s,
School friend to Freddie. Just as haughty and really loves his umbrella.
Gladys Rumblelow
Female – any age.
Club Hostess. She looks after coats and is definitely NOT a pageboy. Resents everyone, really.
Agatha Crofton
Female – 20s to 30s,
School friend to Freddie. Loves a dance with Walderwick.
Ethelberta Witzwiggin
Female – 40s to 60s
Minor part. Cousin to Mrs. Middlewick who desperately hates that she didn’t get the diamonds.
Viscount Chipstead
Male – 60 plus
Minor part. Very deaf and dapper.
We may double up some of the minor parts depending on the make-up of the final ensemble.
Rehearsals are as usual, Tues/Thurs (8-10pm) and Sunday (4-7pm) and the running time will be suitably trimmed to under 2 hours.
Further information will be available at the read-throughs and auditions……but
if you’re not sure whether to come, call Phil on 07841871681.
