WE ARE CASTING
The Green Ship - Casting Brief
Directed by Alexander Lass, and adapted collaboratively through a devising process with the designer and acting company, this exciting new piece of writing is to be the first ever stage adaptation of “The Green Ship”, a beautifully illustrated children's story by Sir Quentin Blake, the first Children's Laureate. We specialise in touring to council, community and school libraries, and have over 40 venues booked across England in May/June 2019. We are recruiting a versatile, energetic and enthusiastic team of four actors to perform in the show, which will be our fifth library touring project.
We want this production to contribute to the Creative Case for diversity; artists of all heritages, races, ethnicity, gender and backgrounds are encouraged to apply for any of the roles. Devising experience is strongly preferred; the story is ultimately about imagination and exploration and leaves lots of scope to further develop characters based on individual world experiences. We are especially keen to work with a d/Deaf performer fluent in BSL, who might be prepared to help incorporate signing into the fabric of the performance itself with the assistance of an interpreter during some rehearsals.
Touring to libraries and other non-traditional theatre spaces is an unusual and often very rewarding experience, but please be aware that it can also be hard work. This is a small-scale touring job, the team will be accompanied by a Production Stage Manager but every team member will be expected to contribute in daily get-ins, get-outs and other ASM/touring duties. There will also be a small number of school performances, which may include educational workshops facilitated by the team.
We would like to hear directly from performers who have read and understood the brief thoroughly, and are excited about the unusual nature of this production. Please ask interested artists to email us directly at info@librariantheatre.com with a headshot, spotlight CV link and short cover letter (250 words max), using the subject title 'TGS ACTOR SUBMISSION'.
Driving ability is preferred but not essential, if artists are over 25 and possess a full clean UK drivers' licence please state when applying.
All our previous projects have received funding from Arts Council England, the result of all current funding applications will be known by Wednesday 13 March, before any formal contracts are issued. We issue ITC/Equity agreement contracts, paid at Equity minimum rate.
Rehearsals will be split between Bristol and London (TBC - part dependent on funding and stated team bases) and will then tour nationally. All artists must be fully available for all production dates, and also must have a base in either London or Bristol (or both) - please state which when applying. Accommodation away from stated base, plus travel etc. will be provided throughout the project, as per ITC/Equity contracts.
Production dates - Auditions/Recalls - 10-17 February (London - see below)
R&D - 25-29 March (provisional - Bristol)
Rehearsals - 1 April - 1 May (London/Bristol venues TBC)
Tour - 1 May - 30 June (Touring nationally)
Pay - Equity/ITC contract based on £483/week for 13 weeks (total fee £6,279); travel/accommodation provided when away from artist’s stated base. Please note the project is funding dependent but this will be confirmed at the time of issuing formal offers
Auditions - Auditionees will be invited to a one-hour group workshop audition session in London between Sunday 10 - Wednesday 13 February, with recalls held between Thursday 14 - Sunday 17 February. Please state all availability and any access requirements when applying.
Roles
Mrs Tredegar (Appearance: 60+ female, any ethnicity) - Mrs Tredegar is an older lady who lives alone in “the big house” next to Alice and George’s Aunt. With the help of her gardener -- The Bosun -- she has created an incredible topiary ship in memory of her husband, a naval Captain who was lost at sea. The visit of Alice and George inspires Mrs Tredegar to train the children up as bona fide sailors before they embark on a series of adventures across the seas “as the Captain would have wished.” Much of what Mrs Tredegar says and does is educative and amusing, yet there is a possibility of her being delusional and somewhat obsessive in her insistence on maintaining and remaining within the fantasy world of The Green Ship.
Alice (Appearance: late 20s female, any ethnicity) - The characters of Alice and George are young adults, but as they tell us the story of The Green Ship, they become their younger selves aged 10 and 8 respectively. They also take it in turns to narrate the story as they go. These three personalities -- older selves, younger selves, narrator -- are somewhat fluid and in the best traditions of Clown and satire they can be subverted for comic effect. Please highlight any signing skills (especially BSL) when applying - we are especially keen to cast a d/Deaf performer as one of the siblings, willing to incorporate signed dialogue into the fabric of the show (with the assistance of an interpreter during some rehearsals).
George (Appearance: late 20s male, any ethnicity) - The characters of Alice and George are young adults, but as they tell us the story of The Green Ship, they become their younger selves aged 10 and 8 respectively. They also take it in turns to narrate the story as they go. These three personalities -- older selves, younger selves, narrator -- are somewhat fluid and in the best traditions of Clown and satire they can be subverted for comic effect. Please highlight any signing skills (especially BSL) when applying - we are especially keen to cast a d/Deaf performer as one of the siblings, willing to incorporate signed dialogue into the fabric of the show (with the assistance of an interpreter during some rehearsals).
Bosun/ASM (Appearance: 40+ any gender, any ethnicity) - Known only as 'The Bosun', Mrs Tredegar's friendly gardener is presumably responsible for the upkeep of The Green Ship and its surrounding environs, but has no trouble taking some time off gardening duties to join in with their make-believe adventures. Some ASM experience is especially desirable for this role as it will most likely include some assisting the Production Stage Manager to keep the show itself ship-shape.
Submissions - Please have artists email a CV, headshot and short cover letter to info@librariantheatre.com, using the subject title 'TGS ACTOR SUBMISSION' by noon on Monday 28th January 2019
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