| Directed by | Ewen Coleman |
| Production Mgr | Oliver Mander |
| Performance Dates | March 19th – 29th 2025 |
| Rehearsals | Tue/Thu 7:30pm, Sun 4:00pm Dates: Dec 1st-15th 2024, restart from Jan 12th 2025 Venue tbd |
I will have poetry in my life. And adventure. And love. Love above all.
Promising young playwright Will Shakespeare is tormented by writer’s block until he finds his muse in the form of passionate noblewoman, Viola De Lesseps. This crafty young woman is Will’s greatest admirer and will stop at nothing (including breaking the law) to appear in his next play. Against a bustling background of mistaken identity, ruthless scheming and backstage theatrics, Will’s love for Viola quickly blossoms and inspires him to write his greatest masterpiece.
Their forbidden love draws many others, including Queen Elizabeth, into the drama and inspires Will to write the greatest love story of all time, Romeo and Juliet.
Who we are looking for
We are seeking a cast of 28 roles, with some characters ‘doubled’ as shown below. Both dance and fight choreography will form a part of the show. The show is set in Elizabethan England, around 1593.
- Note that all actors will be on stage for the majority of the time, in the context of specific characters or as crowd ensemble roles. The ensemble acts either as local citizenry, actors in Shakespeare’s plays, as part of the acting troupe the Chamberlain’s men or the rival Admirable’s men.
- Age ranges shown below are a guide only – we encourage anyone interested in this production to make a submission!
- Singing experience is helpful, but not essential for members of the Ensemble.
- Some comfort with intimacy will be required for actors playing Will Shakespeare and Viola de Lesseps.
- Please note that the production requires a dog on stage; cast members need to be comfortable with this.
If you are cast in the show, you are required to join Wellington Repertory Theatre (WRT), with an annual fee of between $25 and $35. This also entitles you to discounts on other WRT shows.
Musicians
We are looking for musicians also, with ability to play period instruments, including violin, viola, flute, harpsichord and lute. Music forms a significant part of the show, either as part of the musical score or through providing other musical background.
Note that musicians are likely to be onstage as part of the ensemble (as non-speaking roles).
Audition details and preparation
You must book an audition time by completing the online audition form. The Production Mgr (Oliver) will then be in touch to confirm your booking, give you an audition time, and send you script extracts so you can prepare for your audition. Note that for Ensemble roles (see below), no script extract will be provided – it is just a case of turning up!
Auditions will be held in groups, using extracts from the script. You don’t need to learn lines, but do be familiar with the audition pieces.
Please complete the audition form below to register your interest
Audition Details and Venue
| Audition Dates | Sun Nov 24th, 10am – 3pm |
| Venue | Newtown Community Centre Theatre |
| Call Backs | Call-backs will be held from 7.00pm, Monday/Tuesday (Nov 11th-12th) at Toi Poneke |
Character Descriptions
Please note that the age ranges shown below are a guide only. As always, eventual casting is likely to be determined in the context of the wider group of cast members.
| Character | Description |
| Will Shakespeare | A struggling playwright, who falls in love with Kent/Viola. The character has a ‘short fuse’, driven by frustration. Somewhat naive in outlook. Age range 20’s – 40’s |
| Christopher (Kit) Marlowe | Colleague, friend and inspiration to Will Shakespeare. A ‘grounded’ character, with more intelligence and maturity. Age range 20’s – 40’s |
| Viola de Lesseps | A budding actress disguised as a male (Thomas Kent) – falls in love with Will Shakespeare. Strong-willed, fiery, confident woman attempting to make her way in a man’s world. Age range 20’s – 40’s |
| Nurse | Viola’s nurse maid and confidante. A mature, down-to-earth grounded woman, protective in nature. Age range 30’s upwards. |
| Queen Elizabeth I | Reigning monarch of the time. Imperious, sharp-witted. Major role with a crucial impact – however on stage only for limited periods. Age range 50’s upwards. |
| Edmund Tilney | The Lord Chamberlain. An arrogant upstart. Age range 30’s – 50’s |
| Philip Henslowe | Owner and manager of the Rose Theatre. Naive; his character is taken advantage of by those around him. Major role, age range 20’s – 40’s |
| Richard Burbage | Lead actor and manager of the Chamberlain’s Men, the acting troupe of which Will Shakespeare is a part. He is arrogant and authoritarian in nature. Age range 30’s – 50’s |
| Fennyman | A ruthless moneylender. No artistic ability, only interested in $$$$. Age range 30’s – 40’s. |
| Sir Robert de Lesseps | A wealthy merchant, Viola’s father. Aristocratic, conservative in nature, simply wants to marry his daughter off. Age range 50’s – 60’s |
| Lord Wessex | Betrothed to Viola. Has no ‘backbone’, sycophantic, is at the beck and call of Sir Robert de Lesseps Age range 20’s – 40’s. |
| Frees / Ensemble | Fennyman’s henchman. Similar to Burbage’s heavies, all brawn and no brain. Any age range |
| Lambert / Ensemble | Fennyman’s henchman. Similar to Burbage’s heavies, all brawn and no brain. Any age range |
Ensemble Roles
WRT is looking for a range of onstage actors with different characteristics to support the ensemble. They will primarily act as members of local citizenry, the Chamberlain’s Men (the acting troupe of which Will Shakespeare is a part) or the Admirable’s Men, a rival theatre company.
Members of the ensemble will have some lines playing specific characters, with some characters having potential to be ‘doubled’ with others, as indicated below. Which roles are ‘doubled’ will depend on eventual casting.
| Ensemble Role | Doubling | Description |
| Burbage’s “heavies” (2 roles) | Possible | Staunch-looking bouncers. All brawn and no brain. Non-speaking, any age range |
| Catling | Possible | Guard at De Lesseps Hall. Must look staunch. Limited lines, any age range |
| Ralph (Chamberlain’s Men) |
Possible | Owner of the tavern and sometime actor, plays Nurse and Petruchio. Good-natured, jovial, gregarious. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, age range 30’s – 40’s. Fight choreography. |
| John Webster (Chamberlain’s Men) |
Possible | A street urchin who aspires to be an actor. Cheeky. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, age range late teens – early 20’s. Fight choreography. |
| Robin (Chamberlain’s Men) |
Possible | A novice actor, plays Lady Capulet. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, any age range. Fight choreography. |
| Nol (Chamberlain’s Men) |
Possible | A novice actor, plays Benvolio and Samson. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, any age range. Fight choreography. |
| Wabash (Chamberlain’s Men) |
Possible | A novice actor, Henslowe’s stammering tailor. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, any age range. Fight choreography. |
| Adam (Chamberlain’s Men) |
Possible | A novice actor, plays Gregory, Benvolio, and Servingman. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, any age range. Fight choreography. |
| Ned Alleyn (Admirable’s Men) |
Possible | A lead actor in the Admirable’s Men, plays Mercutio. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, any age range. Fight choreography. |
| Sam (Admirable’s Men) |
Possible | A young actor, plays Juliet. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, any age range. Fight choreography. |
| Peter (Admirable’s Men) |
Possible | An actor, plays Tybalt. Only some lines but on stage for long periods, any age range. Fight choreography. |
| Boatman | Possible | Is writing a play of his own. Insistent on “selling” his own work to Shakespeare. A few lines, any age range |
| Valentine | Possible | A character in Two Gentleman of Verona. A few lines, any age range |
| Proteus | Possible | A character in Two Gentleman of Verona. A few lines, any age range |
| Barman | Unlikely | Non-speaking, any age range |
| Waiter | Unlikely | Non-speaking, any age range |
| Guards (2 roles) | Possible | At de Lesseps Hall. Need to look tough. Non-speaking, any age range |
| Mistress Quickly | Unlikely | Wardrobe mistress for the Chamberlain’s Men. Limited lines, age range 20’s upwards |
| Molly | Unlikely | A prostitute. Limited lines, age range 20’s |
| Kate | Unlikely | A prostitute. Limited lines, age range 20’s |
| Ensemble | n/a | We are looking for a variety of actors for additional non-speaking onstage roles to form part of the ensemble. These do not have a defined character or any lines. |
Audition Form