AUDITIONS 15-FEB-12

Plenty of auditions coming up in the next couple of weeks for those that want to get really stuck into a good acting role, plus school holiday show season is almost upon us (already!).

Auditions: Riccarton Players' Murder by Membership Only

On the 17th February (this coming Sunday), the Riccarton Players are holding auditions for their Autumn season of Murder by Membership Only. Written by Thomas Hischak, the play takes place in the Orczy Club, an exclusive sanctum for women mystery writers in London.  A humorous, suspenseful, and sometimes frightening "Whodunnit" play with a strong cast and many excellent roles for women.

"How would it look if a roomful of mystery writers had to go to the police to solve a murder that took place under their very noses?"

Roles available:
HESTER TANDY: writer; intelligent, frank, likeable (30-50)
LYDIA BEATON: secretary; cold, efficient, nervous 
MRS PLIMPTON: club member; quiet, aloof, dominating speaker (30-50)
MADAME LECOQ: club proprietor; French, motherly, warm (50s-60s)
CLARICE FERGUSSON: club member; harsh, impatient, not liked (40-50)
MRS BALSER: the cook; quiet, but complaining (40-50)
EVE HAWKINS: writer; American, fresh, vibrant, talkative (20s-40s)
OCTAVIA STURGES: famous writer/celebrity; loud, demanding, snobbish (50s-60s)
MAY COBBS: journalist; awkward, uncomfortable (20s)

Auditions will be taking place in the Upper Riccarton Library, for a complete script or audition time - or with any query - please contact the director at christina_stachurski@hotmail.com or phone 960 9624 evenings.  To find out more about the show and the club, see the Riccarton Players' website.


Reminder: Auditions for Elmwood Players' Cosi

As previously announced, Elmwood Players are holding auditions next weekend for Cosi, a semi-autobiographical drama by Louis Nowra set in a mental institution.

Roles Available
LEWIS: 21, just left university, a first time director.
LUCY: Early 20’s, doing an MA thesis and lives with Lewis
NICK: Early 20’s, also doing a thesis and directs student productions.
JUSTIN: A social worker in his late 30’s/early 40’s; neat and precise
ROY: 40 – 50, a mental patient who has spent much of his life in institutions
HENRY: 40 – 50, a former lawyer who is now a patient; like Roy he has spent much of his adult life in institutions.
DOUG: 20 – 30, has a liking for fires; has not been in institutions for very long
CHERRY: 25 – 35, has also been in institutions for some time.
JULIE: Early 20’s, is in a mental institution for the first time due to a drug dependency.
RUTH: 30 – 40, an obsessive personality, who is in and out of mental institutions.
ZAC: 25 – 30, the musician of the group who has also been in and out of mental institutions
Note:

Justin, Nick and Zac can be played by the same person if desired, likewise Lucy and Julie.

For more information about the play and roles available, or to book an audition time, see the Elmwood Players' website or contact Gaz on 021 453 138.


Auditions: Canterbury Children's Theatre

On 9 March, Cantebury Children's Theatre is holding auditions for their upcoming April school holiday production of Slow Runnings: A Tortoise and Hare Story.  

Since winning The Big Race, Hare has been enjoying the fame and fortune that come with being the Fastest Animal Around: TV interviews, fancy parties, and lucrative sponsorship deals. But what happens when Tortoise, a total newcomer to the sport, challenges her to a race?

Roles Available:

HARE: Having trained furiously as a leveret, it's now been years since Hare's had to work for anything. Vain and self-absorbed, Hare is the apotheosis of sports celebrity.

TORTOISE: Humble and deliberate, Tortoise is nonetheless incensed that Hare should get the prestige of a title like Fastest Animal Around without racing all the other animals.
PIG: Hare's former trainer and now proprietor of Pig's Sports Shoes, Pig is a champion of the underdog.
FOX: A cameo role as a sportscaster. Could be entirely prerecorded audio.
CROW: Another sportscaster. Could be entirely prerecorded audio.
They are also looking for three non-speaking crew roles - although there are no lines or specific characters these roles are on-stage and are vital to bringing the world of the play to life.

To book an audition time or to find out more about how to get involved, email Matt Powell at fauxparse@gmail.com

X Factor NZ: Pre-audition Rundown

The audition process for NZ's 2013 version of The X Factor sounds more complex than merely turning up and belting out a tune - although at the end of the day, as with all auditions, that was the crux of it.  Before the big day I filled out an astonishingly lengthy registration form. The form was all up around nine pages and asked questions from the simple "Name:" to the more leading "What is something no one knows about you?".  I was asked to prepare up to four songs to sing, and it was recommended I "dress to impress".  While I had no expectations about how it would all run, I was prepared for a big day.

Manic to Madness - Seeking Director

Karl Hitchcock and Nic Farra have recently been working together to write a play best described as a "window into the unwell mind".  The play, Manic to Madness, is a semi-autobiographical comedy set in Hilmorton Hospital and told from the perspective of a patient with bipolar disorder. The story weaves in and out of time, from the present day to Nero's recent past and right back to a time of Knight's and noble women as Nero describes his periods of mania.

Karl and Nic are currently looking for someone to direct the play.  If you're interested in directing (or otherwise getting involved) and would like to have a read of the play, please contact Karl at christl@slingshot.co.nz

Welcome Back to 2013!

Welcome back to Christchurch Theatre for 2013, let's look forward to another fantastic year for theatre in Christchurch - already there are plenty of shows and opportunities coming up...

Upcoming Auditions: Elmwood Players' Cosi

On the 23 and 24 February, Elmwood Players are holding auditions for their upcoming drama Cosi. Cosi is Lousie Nowra' semi-autobiographical play set in a Melbourne mental institution in 1971:

 The venue is a theatre that smells of "burnt wood and mould", the cast are patients with very diverse needs, and the play is Mozart’s “Cosi fan tutte”. Through working with the patients, [director] Lewis eventually discovers a new side of himself which allows him to become emotionally involved and to value love, while anti-Vietnam war protests erupt in the streets outside.

The play will be directed by Garry Thomas and will be on stage in April of this year.  For more information about the play and roles available, or to book an audition time, see the Elmwood Players' website or contact Gaz on 021 453 138.


Upcoming Show: The Near-Sighted Knight and the Far-Sighted Dragon

A fun, action-filled fairy tale for the whole family, Eleanor and Ray Harder's story of kings, princesses, knights and dragons comes to the stage this summer just in time to stave off the post-Christmas blues.

“This is a wonderful tale suitable for the whole family, and ideal holiday entertainment”, say the directors. "With a talented and creative cast plus live music, singing and dancing, this is bound to be a fun time for all involved’"

Performances are Thurs - Sun from 17 - 27 January: 6.30 pm Thurs/Fri and 11.00/2.00 Sat/Sun at Elmwood Auditorium.  .
Tickets $7 for all. Tickets can be booked online via the Elmwood Players' website or by calling (03) 355 8874. 
Directed by Susan Cameron and Garry Thomas.

DRAMA SERIES CASTING

An interesting opportunity has come up for actors in Christchurch who are interested in auditioning for a television production.  Hope and Wire is a six-part drama series being produced for TV3 (with funding from NZ On Air), based on inspirational true stories that occurred as a result of the February earthquake.  Auditions will begin next Wednesday 5th December. Filming will commence in late February 2013.


At present they are casting lead roles and in particular require men and women in their mid 40s to early 50s and teenage girls aged 16 – 19 years plus student age male actors aged 18 years – early 20s. Further roles/extras will also be required at a later date but these are the key roles at present.

Potential auditionees are asked to contact their agents - if you do not have an agent you can email the casting production office on wirecasting@gmail.com.
They require a current photograph, close up head & shoulders, your contact details, age and a CV with your recent performance work.

Auditions and Shows 13-NOV-12

Upcoming Auditions: The Christchurch Pops Choir
Christchurch Pops Choir is holding auditions next month, giving singers across Christchurch a rare chance to join one of the South Island's top musical ensembles.  The Choir has performed at events across Canterbury, from corporate functions to community events like The Concert and is quickly becoming renowned not only for their sweet sounds and vocal prowess, but for being a tight-knit community of down-to-earth musicians.
In order to audition, you will need to fill out this webform, and prepare 16 bars each from two contrasting songs of your choice.  Auditions will be held at NASDA at CPIT on Saturday the 8th December.
To learn more about Christchurch Pops Choir, see their Page on Facebook.

Tickets on Sale: Riccarton Players present Footrot Flats

Based on Murray Ball's much loved comic strip, Footrot Flats is a real Kiwi comedy.

 

Performances are Tues 20th - Sat 24th November at Rudolf Steiner School.  Shows start at 7.30pm with a 2pm matinee on the Saturday.
Tickets $27.50/$22.50 Children - $15. Tickets can be booked online via the Riccarton Players' website. Directed by Doug Clarke, with Musical Direction by Cheryllynn Callander, Choreography by Annette Searle.

Coming Soon: TheVisitor 

This dark, psychological thriller, which has played at Wellington and Dunedin Fringe Festivals is coming to Christchurch soon. To find out more about the play, see this Page on Facebook.
The Visitor is on at the darkroom from Nov 25 - 27 and at theWunderbar from Dec 2-3.  Information on the Christchurch production is available here.

 

Auditions Galore

A very quick update on what's going on; a big couple of weeks ahead for auditions, especially if you're a singer!

Showbiz: Avenue Q
Showbiz is holding auditions this weekend for Avenue Q. They are looking for some hard-working performers who can multi-task: you'll need to be able to sing, act and puppeteer!  For more information, see the Showbiz auditions page.

The New Zealand Opera
Southern Opera has recently merged with the relatively young NZ Opera, who are holding auditions for its Christchurch chorus for 2013.  The auditions are this Sunday and Monday (4/5 November), no previous opera experience is necessary.  Contact Glen Meade glenn@nzopera.co.nz for more information or to book an audition time.

Elmwood Players: The Near-Sighted Knight and the Far-Sighted Dragon
A reminder that these auditions are THIS weekend - it's set to be a very fun show, and there's still time to book: contact Susan on 021 339 193 or sj-cameron@clear.net.nz .

NCMS: Oliver!
The North Canterbury Musical Society will be producing Oliver! in Autumn 2013. Auditions for all roles and chorus are from the 9th to the 11th November.  They are seeking children and adults (lower age limit is 7 years).  For more information and to book a time, email auditions@ncms.co.nz.