Audition Date: Thursday 8 January, 7:30pm, Lewes Little Theatre Foyer
What are The 39 Steps? We could tell you. But then we’d have to kill you (or you could just come to the show - your choice). We can tell you this much: it’s a comedy. A spine tingling, belly aching, laugh a minute, uproarious, secret agent and dastardly-villain-type comedy. Patrick Barlow (funny chap, actor, playwright, CEO of the 2-man National Theatre of Brent) adapted this wacky drama from the much beloved 1915 novel by the late, great John Buchan - peer of the realm, politician, author and all-round jolly good Scot.
The 39 Steps has a cast of four, three of whom play several parts. The play includes a lot of physical comedy so physical resilience and fitness are required. As is an ability to switch accents and change costume at lightning speed. This is a riotous slapstick comedy, so some experience and understanding of comedy - or comedic timing - would be helpful. We are likely to break the fourth wall if there’s a laugh to be had. We shall be relentless in our pursuit of silly gags. It will be exhausting and terrifying yet thrilling and life affirming to experience (and that’s just for the stage crew). We hope. The show will require a larger than usual stage crew therefore we welcome any interest in this area too, particularly for those with a good memory, attention to detail and a love of teamwork. Again, it is likely to be fast, frenzied and very exciting. (Forget about your step count - come and do this instead!)
One Male:
Richard Hannay – 20s-40s – Dashing Englishman, ex-public school and military man. Good egg caught in the wrong basket. He embarks on a thrilling adventure to clear his name and save the nation.
One Female, three parts:
Annabella Schmidt – Exotic femme fatale & spy (German accent), Margaret – Forlorn and romantic Scottish lassie, doomed to an unhappy marriage with an old crofter (Scottish accent) and Pamela – Plucky English gal, suspicious of Hannay and resistant to his charms… initially.
Two Males, Clowns:
The ‘clowns’ (who at no stage resemble actual clowns) play a multitude of characters including heavies in overcoats, milkmen, salesmen, policemen, Sheriff, Inspector, politicians, porter, paperboy, innkeeper, innkeeper’s wife, crofter, professor, professor’s wife etc. Much of the slapstick and mayhem involves the clowns and their ability to change quickly from one character into another - sometimes simply by changing hats/position.
Characters
For a script or more information, please contact the Director Jacqui Freeman at tandjfreeman@gmail.com.
