Auditions – The Shakespeare Conspiracy
SBADS are delighted to announce auditions on 8th February for our June production, “The Shakespeare Conspiracy” by Andrew Shepherd, to be directed by Tim McGill.
About the play
The Shakespeare Conspiracy is an epic and passionate adventure in a world where Shakespeare’s heroes and villains are written as large as any Superhero with an origin story to match.
Join us as we dive into a most epic, comic, romantic tragic comedy in a world where Shakespeare’s heroes and villains have been waging a secret war, after being inexplicably being brought to life over 400 years ago. In a time both in and outside of time, and on the border of reality and fiction, conflict rages between the greatest heroes and most terrible villains ever written, fighting for control of Shakespeare’s legacy and existence itself.
Only one man can restore the balance and save the world from chaos and destruction.
And he doesn’t even know who he is.
About the auditions
Initial auditions will be held on Sunday 8th February between 2pm and 6pm at South Brent Village Hall. Anyone aged over 15 is welcome to audition.
If you are interested in auditioning for this production please let us know by e-mailing shakespeare@sbads.show, and if a particular character appeals to you please specify in your response. You do not need to be a member of SBADS to audition, but membership will be required to perform in the play.
We will then schedule auditions accordingly between 2pm and 6pm on Sunday 8th February. Auditions will involve reading extracts from scenes with other people who are auditioning. Feel free to just turn up on the day also.
The following week there will be the first full read through and confirmation of rehearsal schedule.
Once cast, rehearsals will be on Sunday evenings between 6 and 10pm starting in March. Not everyone will be called to every rehearsal all the time, we may have additional rehearsals in the week as required. There are a few action sequences that need to be tightly choreographed which will require specific attention.
The author of this play notes: “This is not a play to be underplayed, understated or taken at all seriously… as long as you play it completely seriously and believe that the world is about to end. You need to lean into the theatricality, silliness and the epic.”
It will be a lot of fun.
The characters
Martin Shakespeare
15 scenes / 502 lines (including 70 in one epic speech)
Our hero. A travel agent. Bit of a loser with no idea of the powerful legacy he carries until one night everything changes.
Valentine
2 scenes / 41 line
Martin’s best friend. Bit of a lad, fancies himself a somewhat ‘alpha’, just out for a good time.
Jules
8 scenes / 156 lines
An RSC agent. Like all RSC agents she has an identity within a Shakespeare play, in her case Rome & Juliet. Queries her impulses to fall in love all the time, it’s the way she’s written – but also intelligent and pragmantic.
Tybalt
5 scenes / 0 lines
A hitman. A mute hitman. Essential ninja-esque presence. No lines but a lot to do.
Garfield Oberon
9 scenes / 315 lines
Artistic director of the RSC. On a mission to protect Shakespeare’s legacy at all costs – sometimes he makes back choices.
Puck
9 scenes / 123 lines
An RSC agent. The most powerful of all. Are they a double agent? Triple? Agent or just an agent.
Iago (Aloysius Archibald)
8 scenes / 294 lines
An evil genius. Special skills: undermining others confidence and sanity. Particularly good at promoting jealousy. On a mission to control Shakespeare’s legacy at all costs.
Edmund, bastard son of Gloucester
5 scenes / 118 lines
A bastard – he can’t help it, it’s the way he’s written. Runs a therapy group for villains – susceptible to Iago’s influence but also with his own thoughts.
Lady (Antonia) Macbeth
5 scenes / 112 lines
Iago’s sister. Evil Matriarch. Prone to becoming unhinged, definitely a power obsessed Queen.
Richard III
4 scenes / 38 lines
Lady Macbeth’s son – a somewhat nervous youth struggling with his identity and purpose
Three sisters
Sister 1 – 5 scenes / 19 lines
Sister 2 – 6 scenes / 12 lines
Sister 3 – 5 scenes / 10 lines
From Macbeth – also play Partygoers/agents/prison guards/trainees in other scenes they have lots to do – they are mad and weird agents of darkness – or are they?
Benedick
4 scenes / 143 lines
An RSC agent. Lots of banter with Beatrice – his partner. Witty, loving and lovable, full of life and good in a scrap.
Beatrice
4 scenes / 122 lines
An RSC agent. Lots of banter with her partner Benedick. Witty, loving and lovable, full of life and good in a scrap.
This amateur production of “The Shakespeare Conspiracy” is is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk.