A Murder is Announced

The play will now be directed by Matt Jeffery and Andy Brown. Details below.
Audition Dates – Sunday 27 May 2012 at 10.30 am and Tuesday 29 May 2012 at 7.30pm

“A Murder is Announced”

By

Agatha Christie

Adapted for the Stage by Leslie Darbon

The “announcement” is in the local paper, stating time and place of a murder to occur in Miss Blackstock’s early Victorian house. However, the victim is not one of the several occupants, temporary and permanent, but an unexpected and unknown visitor. What follows is a classic Christie puzzle of missed motives, concealed identities, a second death, a determined Inspector grimly following the twists and turns, with Miss Marple on hand to provide the final solution – at some risk to herself – in a dramatic confrontation scene just before the final curtain.

Details and Information

Director – The play will now be directed by Matt Jeffrey and Andy Brown – Matt mobile – 07971220671 – email – matthew-jeffrey@hotmail.co.uk
Andy mobile – 07854644857 – email – andrewbrown133@yahoo.co.uk

Show Dates – 5-8 September 2012

Rehearsals – Tuesday and Thursday

.Audition Dates – Sunday 27 May 2012 at 10.30 am and Tuesday 29 May 2012 at 7.30pm
– Sunday 20 May 2012 at 11.00am and Tuesday 22 May 2012 at 7.30pm

If cast you will need to be a member of the theatre or complete an application form and pay the necessary fee at the time of the first rehearsal. All members of the cast are required to pay the £15.00 show levy. This levy will be collected during the first 'get together'/rehearsal.

This show will start the Norbury’s 50^th year and I’m really looking forward to putting it on. I’m not that worried about the character descriptions and ages because, as long as it looks right to me, I’m happy to cast according to our strengths and availability.

Obviously, rehearsals will take place over the summer months and people will have holiday commitments but as long as I have details of these at the start, I’ll make every effort to work around them. Also, there will be some Sunday rehearsals towards the end of the rehearsal process but I’ll try to let you know about these with as much notice as possible. Please come along and audition – I know how nervous auditions make people so will try to keep them as relaxed as possible!

Cast of Characters

Julia Simmons – Niece to Letitia Blacklock aged 25/26

Letitia Blacklock – A woman beyond middle age but still very attractive and has looked after figure and features

Dora Bunner – A mature lady of a similar age to Letitia or could be slightly older

Patrick Simmons – Julia’s brother, a very handsome young man aged approximately 30

Mitzi – A small woman in her mid 20s from mid-Europe with an explosive temperament

Miss Marple – An elderly lady with an over inquisitive mind that gets her into a lot of trouble

Phillipa Haymes – A tall, elegant blonde aged 26 with a touch of real class about her and a serious turn of mind

Mrs Sweetenham – A woman in her late 50s and Mother to Edmund

Edmund Sweetenham – A very serious young man in his mid to late 20s who has pretentions of being a writer. Although English, looks foreign

Rudi Scherz – A young Swiss national – a very small part

Inspector Craddock – A man of authority aged about 50

Sergeant Mellors – Craddock’s subordinated, aged about 40 and a very good foil to Craddock

Norbury Theatre Pantomime 2013 - Jack and the Beanstalk

Audition Notice

Dear all,

            We are going to stage a pantomime, “Jack and the Beanstalk”, to run over 3 weeks in January 2013. The run will comprise of 14 performances including Saturday and Sunday matinees. The show dates are:

Thursday 10^th – Sunday 13^th January inclusive

Thursday 17^th – Sunday 20^th January inclusive

Thursday 24^th – Saturday 26^th January inclusive

The Cast

Dame Hilda Trot	Downtrodden Dame who keeps getting up
Jack Trot	Handsome son and heir of Hilda (Principal Boy)
Timmy Trot	Not quite so handsome & very simple brother of Jack
Squire Knackweasel	Mean and Ruthless squire of Piddlington
Jill	Beautiful niece of the squire (Principal Girl)
Daisy	Hilda’s faithful old cow
Sergeant Spit	Bumbling head of Piddlington Army
Corporal Polish	His dim but loyal assistant
Ferdinand Fleshcreep	The Giants very naughty and disliked sidekick
Fairy Meer	“Simples”
Beryl Blackheart	The Giants most unfriendly wife
Giant Blackheart	Has a penchant for making baps out of “Englishmen”
Booming Beatrice	Town crier who is never without a bell in her hand
Chorus	Villagers of Piddlington, servants, guards, etc

Auditions will take place on Sunday 29^th July from 11:00am.

Rehearsals will take place on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Dates to be confirmed once the show is cast. Please check your commitments, especially if you are in other productions, before you audition.

Whichever part you are auditioning for you will be required to perform a song of your own choice. You will not be required to learn something from the production. It does not matter whether the song is accompanied or not. If you have accompaniment please bring it along on a CD, if not, don’t worry.

We will be having a read-thru/sing/chat on Friday 29^th June at 7:30pm. This is open to all and will provide an opportunity to have any questions answered. There will be no obligation to audition. Just turn up and have some fun!

The Team

Director – Mike Matthews

Assistant Director – Mel Jeffrey

Musical Director – Ben Thompson

Choreographer – Kirsty Purvis, in association with the Kirsty Purvis School of Dance

Stage Manager – Brian Hooper

Moira Hilton – Continuity

Please note – if cast you will need to become a member of the theatre (if not already) by completing an application form and paying the necessary fee at the time of first rehearsal. All members of the cast are required to pay a £15.00 show levy, which will be collected during the first rehearsal.

Many thanks,

Mike Matthews – 07919 576321

Guys and Dolls

*AUDITION NOTICE*    Guys and Dolls

This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Josef Weinberger Ltd. on behalf of Music Theatre International of New York.

A musical fable of Broadway based on the story and characters of Damon Runyon.

Music and lyrics by Frank Loesser     Book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows

All the hot gamblers are in town, and they're all depending on Nathan Detroit to set up the week's incarnation of "The Oldest Established Permanent Floating Crap Game in New York"; the only problem is, he needs $1000 to get the place. Throw in Sarah Brown, who's short on sinners at the mission she runs; Sky Masterson, who accepts Nathan's $1000 bet that he can't get Sarah Brown to go with him to Havana; Miss Adelaide, who wants Nathan to marry her; Police Lieutenant Brannigan, who always seems to appear at the wrong time; and the music/lyrics of Frank Loesser, and you've got quite a musical.

Includes the songs: "Luck Be a Lady", "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat”, “Guy & Dolls”.

PRODUCTION DATES

October 2012, 18^th, 19^th, 20^th, 23^rd, 24^th, 25^th, 26^th, 27^th (9 performances)

AUDITIONS FOR ALL PERFORMERS (actors/singers/dancers)

Saturday, May 12th ~ 2:00PM - 5:00PM

Thursday, May 17th ~ 7.00PM - 10:00PM

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

Please come prepared to sing a song from Guys and Dolls, a song of your choice and come prepared to do a short dance sequence.  

REHEARSALS

Rehearsals will be on a Monday and Wednesday evenings commencing on Monday 6th July 2012.

Please note you must be 16 years or older to take part in this production.

If cast you will need to be a member of the theatre or complete an application form and pay the necessary fee at the time of the first rehearsal. All members cast are required to pay the £15 show levy. This levy will be collected during the first ‘get together’/rehearsal.

For further information please contact Director Maggie Bishton:

Phone: 07919505764          Email: drama50@hotmail.co.uk

Character Descriptions

Sarah Brown — Prim Salvation Army officer. Vocal: Soprano

Sky Masterson — A handsome, wealthy gambler who will bet on anything. Vocal: Baritone

Miss Adelaide — A dancer at the ‘Hot Box’ club with a perpetual psychosomatic cold. She’s been engaged to Nathan Detroit for 14 years and desperately wants to get married. Vocal: Mezzo

Nathan Detroit — Reckless and adorable gambler; Adelaide’s would-be better half. Vocal:  Baritone

Arvide Abernathy — Sarah’s grandfather, a gentle soul. Vocal: Baritone

Nicely-Nicely Johnson — A never-give-up gambler. Vocal: Tenor

Angie the Ox - A gambler and thug. Vocal: Choral

Big Jule - A big tough gangster from Chicago. Vocal: Choral

General Matilda B. Cartwright — The salvation Army matron. Vocal: Mezzo

Harry the Horse - A hoodlum out of Brooklyn. Tough guy. Vocal: Choral

Lt. Branigan - New York policeman taking charge on his beat. Vocal: Choral

Benny Southstreet — Small-time gambler with big ideas. Vocal: Baritone

Rusty Charley — Hangs out with Nicely and Benny, another small-time gambler. Vocal: Baritone

LOTS for both singing and dancing chorus in this show!

-          Gamblers and gangsters

-          Hot Box Girls - Adelaide’s dance troop.

-          City Folk - Adding colour to New York City.

-          Mission Band members

When Damon Runyon wrote his “Broadway Stories” that would later become Guys and Dolls he was able to capture perfectly the variety of characters that inhabited a fast paced, hand to mouth, rough and tumble New York City. The characters in this play are hip, wise, funny and above all individuals. These people have been there and done that. Looking for actors who really light up the stage, have great articulation and projection. We want a variety of ages. Comic timing is everything. Be bold! Stage-Age is how old you can look not how old you actually are.