Audition Notice

A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by William Shakespeare

Sunday 6th June, 4pm

As part of our Covid-19 Secure measures, please note that audition slots must be booked in advance. You will not be allowed to audition if you just turn up on the day. You need to email the Production Manager, Steven Adams, on stevenadams1969@gmail.com to book a slot.

Director: Mimi Goddard

Production Dates

BLT: Friday 20th and Saturday 21st August (2 nights)
Royal Spa Nursery, Queens Park: Thursday 26th – Saturday 28th August at 7pm plus a matinee Saturday 28th August at 2pm
Enclosed Garden, St Ann’s Well Garden: Thursday 2nd – Saturday 4th September at 7pm plus a matinee Saturday 4th September at 2pm                  

Rehearsals

11th July – 19th August (days and times to be confirmed).

For more information, please contact the Production Manager, Steven Adams on stevenadams1969@gmail.com.

About the Play

Join Puck, Titania, Oberon and the lovers as they wander deep into the magical forests of Athens. Throw in Bottom and his rude mechanicals and you’re sure to have a recipe of misguided love, magical potions, fairies galore and the odd donkey for good measure! Shakespeare’s classic comedy brought to life in magical outside venues across Brighton and Hove this summer.

All roles will be cast completely gender, race, and age blind. Ideally, everyone auditioning should choose two roles to go for, one of their own gender and one of a different gender.

Below is shown the proposed doubling, though this is subject to change.

Characters

Theseus / Oberon
Theseus, the Duke of Athens, has recently won a war against the Amazons, and to reward himself for his victory is going to marry their queen Hippolyta, whether she likes it or not.
Oberon King of Fairies. Proud, angry, and vengeful, he quarrels with Titania for the sake of a changeling boy, and on being refused decides to humiliate her into obedience.

Hippolyta / Titania
Hippolyta Queen of the Amazons. Having been defeated in battle by Theseus, she is now betrothed to him.
Titania Queen of the fairies and Oberon’s lover. She is strong, fierce, classy, and capable. She has stolen a human boy and refuses to give him up to Oberon.

Egeus / Quince
Egeus father of Hermia who insists she marry the man he has chosen, or be put to death. He brings his quarrel to Theseus for resolution.
Quince a carpenter with literary pretensions who organizes some fellow workers into preparing a play they have written to present to Theseus and Hippolyta on their wedding day.

Lysander in love with Hermia, and she with him. However, her father insists that she must marry another. Lysander hatches a plan to escape into the forest and marry Hermia in secret.

Hermia the daughter of Egeus who is in love with Lysander. Her father insists she marry Demetrius. To escape this cruel fate, she and Lysander plan to run off together and be married in secret.

Demetrius the former love interest of Helena, but is now in love with Hermia. He has her father’s blessing to be with her, but Hermia does not love him and openly professes her love to Lysander.

Helena the broken hearted and determined former love interest of Demetrius. She still carries a torch for him (a really big one). But, to her dismay, Demetrius is in love with Hermia.

Puck a wickedly playful goblin, Puck is Oberon’s jester and ‘right hand woman/man’. Fabulously sassy, Puck enjoys making mischief and meddling… especially in affairs of the heart.

Bottom a quite self-involved and far-from-modest actor prone to overconfidence, malapropisms, and mispronunciations. A take-charge sort of person and a great stage ham who wishes to play all the parts in Quince’s play.

Flute / Peaseblossom
Flute a bellows-mender, a young man whose facial hair is only just beginning to grow.
Peaseblossom a fairy of Titania’s court.

Snout / Cobweb
Snout a tinker cast as Pyramus’s father and the Wall in Quince’s play.
Cobweb a fairy of Titania’s court.

Snug / Moth
Snug a joiner who is not the most quick-witted of fellows, and is therefore cast as the lion to avoid his having to learn lines.
Moth a fairy of Titania’s court.

Starveling / Mustardseed
Starveling the tailor portrays Moonshine in Quince’s play.
Mustardseed a fairy of Titania’s court.

BLT actively encourages auditionees from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities and any of the above parts could be played by any race.