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UID:464@stockportamateurtheatres.co.uk
DTSTART:20230517T193000Z
DTEND:20230517T210000Z
DTSTAMP:20230406T125404Z
URL:http://www.stockportamateurtheatres.co.uk/events/auditions-for-the-act
 ress/
SUMMARY:AUDITIONS for The Actress
DESCRIPTION:\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAuditions for The Actress w
 ill be Wednesday 17th May at Woodford Church Annexe 7.30pm.  map\nThe Act
 ress by Peter Quilter\, playing dates 24th – 27th April 2024\n\n\n\n\n\n
 \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nVal Middleton-Egan is in the Director’s chair 
 for this lovely comedy play and a brief synopsis and the character breakdo
 wn are below.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\
 n\n\n\nThe Actress by Peter Quilter Synopsis\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
 \n\n\n“The last show is always a very strange affair. It’s like a part
 y\, a great buzz of excitement. But then each actor will leave\, with laug
 hter still ringing in the air and a cheery wave. Then it stops. And as you
  watch each of them walk down the street\, they look terribly lonely. That
 ’s the thing about it\, you see. After all the applause and elation\, we
  walk home alone. And that’s who actors are—the happiest\, saddest peo
 ple you’ll ever meet.”\n\nThe Actress dramatizes the events backstage 
 as a colourful\, complicated actress makes her emotional farewell performa
 nce.\nVarious people from Lydia’s life invade her dressing room to say t
 heir goodbyes\, declare their love\, roar with laughter\, spit insults\, g
 rab a final embrace and renew old battles.\nWe meet the Company Manager\, 
 Lydia’s agent\, her daughter\, her ex-husband\, her Dresser and her Elde
 rly Fiance/sugar daddy!! And\, of course Lydia herself.\nThe action takes 
 place on the night of Lydia’s farewell performance of “The Cherry Orch
 ard”. She is now preparing for a quiet life in Switzerland with Charles.
  It is a Comedy but there are some beautiful poignant scenes as we meet ea
 ch of Lydia’s contacts across the years of a very successful Theatrical 
 career.\nWill she really retire?\n\nCharacter Breakdown\n\nLYDIA\nMid to l
 ate 50s.Used to getting her own way. She believes that she is better than 
 anyone and treats others as mere underlings\, especially Katherine\, Marga
 ret and Harriet. She treats Charles appallingly using him because of his m
 oney and status. She treats her daughter Nicole well\, but in her own way 
 and in her own time. Paul\, her ex and Nicole’s father she appears to ha
 te\, but he has her mettle and can and does easily seduce her. She loves h
 im but she loves money more. The last few lines of the play lay open her t
 rue feelings.\nKATHERINE\nAny age but she has been a dresser a long time!!
  Lydia’s dresser. Extremely efficient and unruffled. Calm and almost bor
 ed throughout—- but she adores Lydia.\nShe knows where everything is. A 
 place for everything and everything in its place.\n\nNICOLE\nLydia’s dau
 ghter. Mid 20s. Grown up and sensible despite having a mother like Lydia. 
 She adores her father and doesn’t like to see her mother as the centre o
 f attention\, so rarely sees her performances. However\, she feels duty bo
 und to attend her mother’s farewell performance. Although sensible we ge
 t the impression that she almost brought herself up and is a little lost
 —{“Mother you have never been there to look after me.”}\n\nHARRIET\n
 Lydia’s Agent. Any age. Her sole existence relies heavily on Lydia\, so 
 she really doesn’t want Lydia to retire. She speaks quickly but clearly 
 to try to hide any embarrassment. Her speech on pages 28/29 reveals her tr
 ue character. Getting drunker as we go through the scene with her. She mak
 es a sycophantic entrance on pages 54/55. She loses her composure when she
  fumbles her final speech.\n\nMARGARET\nThe Company Manager. Panicky\, ner
 vous type\, especially tonight for the farewell performance. Usually seen 
 with either a clipboard or pieces of paper {Think Celia Imrie in Dinner La
 dies} She is in love with Roger\, the Director of the play and she defends
  him to Lydia. She can suck all the energy out of a room\, but can be quit
 e efficient.\n\nCHARLES\nLydia’s fiancé. Elderly and has difficulty cli
 mbing the stairs to the Dressing Room. He is a bore and his great passions
  {apart from Lydia} are reading and shopping and talking. He adores Lydia 
 but doesn’t “Get the Theatre” or Actors.\nThe actor playing Charles 
 must be able to make a passable attempt at a Russian accent.\n\nPAUL\nLydi
 a’s very handsome ex. Probably the same age as Lydia but looks quite you
 ng. He is reckless\, charming and exciting and still in love with Lydia. Q
 uite a “romp” with Lydia on the floor of the dressing room amid an abu
 ndance of bouquets of flowers. The actor playing Paul must be agile and li
 ke Charles must have an attempt at a Russian accent\n{Both Paul and Charle
 s play the 2 male characters in the short “bits” of the Chekhov Play}\
 n\nWe look forward to seeing you on the 17th May. If you would like to see
  the audition pieces or have any queries please do not hesitate to contact
  us. thank you\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nThis play is an amateur production and i
 s presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samue
 l French Ltd www.concordtheatricals.co.uk\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n- http://www.
 woodfordplayers.co.uk
CATEGORIES:AUDITION
LOCATION:Woodford Church Annexe\, Chester Road\, Woodford\, Stockport\, Che
 shire\, SK7 1PR\, North West\, United Kingdom
GEO:53.33727178891614;-2.1738745731689733
X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Chester Road\, Woodford\, S
 tockport\, Cheshire\, SK7 1PR\, North West\, United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS
 =100;X-TITLE=Woodford Church Annexe:geo:53.33727178891614,-2.1738745731689
 733
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