The Autumn Production will be Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, directed by Ian Slipper
Playing dates are 16th, 17th, 23rd and 24th of October 2015. Rehearsals will start at the end of July.
There will be a read-through on 24th May at 5pm in Eynsford Village Hall and Auditions the following Sunday 31st May at 2pm in Eynsford Village Hall.
In 1809 at Sidley Park, the orderly classicism of Lady Croom’s Capability Brown grounds is being turned into a picturesque romantic chaos, as fashion dictates, by landscape architect “Culpability Noakes”. In a Regency room overlooking the work is Lady Croom’s brilliant adolescent daughter, Thomasina Coverly, with her handsome, clever tutor Septimus Hodge. Their maths lesson is interrupted by, among others, the imperious Lady Croom and Ezra Chater, a cuckold and minor poet, determined on satisfaction. 180 years later in the same room, a corresponding group, comprising a mathematician, a biographer/historian and a vulgar academic, try to unravel the events of 1809 – with spectacularly erroneous results.
In order for Riverside Players to bring this award winning play to our public we need YOU to audition!
There are 13 characters played by 12 actors. A character list with suggested playing ages is given below. The % figures are the proportion of lines for that character to give you an idea of the relative sizes of the roles.
1809
Thomasina Coverly 10% – playing age 13 and later 16, daughter of the house, mathematical prodigy, vibrant, engaging, emerging sexuality.
Septimus Hodge 15% – playing age 22, later 25, her tutor, sharp witted, smouldering sexuality, Lady Croom’s lover, friend of Lord Byron (not seen).
Septimus Audition Piece 1
Septimus Audition Piece 2
Jellaby 2% – middle-aged butler, prim and proper.
Jellaby Audition Piece
Ezra Chater 2% – playing age 31, a minor poet with a promiscuous wife (not seen), blustery buffoon.
Ezra Audition Piece
Richard Noakes 2% – middle-aged landscape architect, earnest.
Richard Audition Piece
Lady Croom 6% – playing age middle to late thirties, lady of the manor, sweeping regal air, affairs with Septimus, Count Zelinsky (not seen) and Lord Byron.
Lady Croom Audition Piece
Captain Brice, RN 1% – playing age middle to late thirties, brother of Lady Croom, lover to Mrs Chater, stiff military bearing.
Captain Brice Audition Piece
Augustus Coverly 1% – playing age 15, energetic brother of Thomasina (Also plays Gus Coverly – see below)
Augustus Audition Piece
Present day
Hannah Jarvis 23% – playing age late thirties, a best-selling author, emotionally reserved, scientific, classical.
Hannah Audition Piece
Chloë Coverly 5% – playing age eighteen, youthful innocence, vulnerable, teenage sexuality.
Chloe Audition Piece
Bernard Nightingale 19% – playing age late thirties, a don at The University of Sussex, romantic temperament, energetic, style over substance, intuitive.
Bernard Audition Piece
Valentine Coverly 12% – playing age 25-30, post-graduate biologist and mathematician at Oxford. IT savvy. Innocent in love with Hannah – no chance. Privileged background.
Valentine Audition Piece
Gus Coverly (non-speaking) – playing age 15, a silent savant, shy and nervous, has a crush on Hannah. (Also plays Augustus)
If you have further questions, please contact me at [email protected]
