Assistant Director - Jamie Cordes

Auditions

Tuesday 1st September - 7.30pm

Thursday 3rd September - 8.00pm

Performances

Tuesday 17th- Saturday 21st November

Rehearsals

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 28th September

(starting from the 21st pending room availability-TBD)

Sunday 8th November

Tuesday 10th November

Thursday 12th November

Sunday 15th November

Please note: We are working to get an extra week of rehearsal and we may be looking to schedule more than the standard two weekend rehearsals in the lead-up to the show. Please also make us aware of any weekend dates you won’t be available so this can be accounted for when scheduling.

If you are interested in auditioning for Noises Off, you are invited to please fill out the below Google Form:

https://forms.gle/gdo4mbyMVWeb7saU8

Please note: The People’s Theatre is an amateur company, so no cast or crew are paid to be

involved, and you will need to be a member of the People’s Theatre in order to audition and be cast in this production.

Audition pieces will be available upon request. If you have questions about anything with regards to this production please feel free to get in contact with Kaila or Jamie:

Kaila: kaila.moyers@peoplestheatre.co.uk

Jamie: Cordes.jamie@gmail.com

The director of this production wishes to draw the attention of those auditioning to the fact that Noises Off contains/involves adult humour, sexual references, infrequent moments of intimacy, depictions of characters in various states of undress, depictions of alcohol consumption, mild injury and combat, and moments of heightened emotional expression. If you feel any of these elements may affect your ability to participate, please contact the director prior to auditions. In a similar spirit, we ask auditionees to be open and honest, and to inform the directing team of anything on their part which may impact upon rehearsals and/or subsequent performances.

Winner of both the Olivier and Evening Standard Awards for Best Comedy, Noises Off careens at a breakneck speed following a touring theatre company rehearsing and performing the play-within-a-play Nothing On, beginning with a disastrous dress rehearsal in Weston-super-Mare, a fraught and antagonistic matinee in Ashton-under-Lyme, before our players put the final nail in the coffin in Stockton-on-Tees, epitomising the idea that whatever can go wrong, will go wrong.

The play greets us through the lens of the cynical and consistently disgruntled director Lloyd Dallas, determined to make a show work that appears to agree with him the same way a lasagne agrees with a lactose intolerant. Lloyd’s creative vision is repeatedly halted by technical difficulties, set nightmares, off-stage romantic mishaps and cast infighting, and not to mention a veteran actor from whom the entire company must stop from wandering off at any opportunity.

Blending incredible comedic timing with precise dramatic skill, Noises Off presents an intense and exhilarating challenge for all aspects of production to create one of the greatest farces ever put to stage.

The Roles:

Lloyd Dallas Male: 30s-60s

Description: The philandering director of the play-within-a-play Nothing On. At all times, Lloyd is preoccupied by the fact that he would rather be anywhere else than directing this play, which only informs his dread further as the play delves into chaos.

Dotty Otley (Mrs Clackett in Nothing On) Female, 40s-60s

Description: A formerly acclaimed actress who is funding the production in order to get her one last hurrah. Easily confused, especially with stage directions and props, and prone to jealousy.

Belinda Blair (Flavia Brent in Nothing On) Female, 30s-40s

Description: Former child actress and frequent peacemaker. Belinda keeps the positive air within the company, always trying to make a nicer spin out of the calamitous situation in which they find themselves.

Garry Lejeune (Roger Tramplemain in Nothing On) Male, 20s-40s

Description: A brash and jealous actor who always has a word to say to anyone who dares listen to him, but never seems to be able to finish a sentence or a thought, or anything. Clashes heads consistently with Lloyd and Frederick.

Brooke Ashton (Vicki in Nothing On) Female, 20s-30s

Description: A clueless former model who has no interest in the good standing of the play or the thoughts and feelings of her fellow company members. Forms part of the Brooke-Lloyd-Poppy love triangle.

Note: The role of Brooke requires extended periods of partial nudity where the actor will be on stage in their underwear. If you are interested in the role and have any questions or concerns about this please reach out to the director in advance of the auditions.

Frederick Fellows (Philip Brent and the Sheikh in Nothing On) Male, 30s-40s

Description: A kind and well-meaning actor but rather dim-witted, always looking for the reason why and dragging the play along at a crawl with constant questions, driving Lloyd and the company round the bend. Prone to nosebleeds at the sight or involvement of any form of violence.

Tim Allgood Male, 20s-50s

Description: The overworked and exasperated stage manager. Tim is consistently asked to go above and beyond in his role, rendering him mostly exhausted and unable to find a spot of rest at any time, fulfilling his own duties whilst understudying for all of the male parts and running various errands for Lloyd that he could realistically do himself.

Poppy Norton-Taylor Female, 20s-40s

Description: The jittery and sensitive assistant stage manager. Forms part of the Poppy-Lloyd-Brooke love triangle. Easily led to tears and frequently terrified, she carries on in her unenviable position as best as she can but Lloyd’s frequent gallivanting drives her to constant anxiety.

Selsdon Mowbray (Burglar in Nothing On) Male, 50s+

Description: A seasoned alcoholic and permanent flight risk. Much of the play’s extravagant physical spots involve the other actors consistently hiding a bottle of whiskey from him.

About the Show

This is a studio production running from 23rd to 28th November, 2026.

Set during Christmas 1183, The Lion in Winter is a razor‑sharp historical drama in which King Henry II and his estranged queen, Eleanor of Aquitaine, reunite for a holiday that becomes a battlefield of wit, ambition, and emotional warfare. Their three sons—Richard, Geoffrey, and John—vie for the crown while alliances shift, secrets surface, and every conversation becomes a strategic duel. Blending dark humour with political intrigue, the play offers actors rich, complex roles driven by power, passion, and the brutal intimacy of a Christmas family feud.

Production Team

• Director: Sean Burnside

• Assistant Director: Sara Jo Harrison

• Stage Manager: Catherine Hope

  ---

  Available roles:

  Henry II: A charismatic, ageing king whose power masks deep insecurity. Charming, explosive, and always strategising.(50-60)

  Alais Capet: Lover of Henry, fiancée of Richard, and half-sister of Philip. Gentle, intelligent, and emotionally conflicted. Torn between duty and affection. (20s)

  Eleanor of Aquitaine: Brilliant, regal, and emotionally dangerous. Her wit is a weapon, while her vulnerability is real but rarely shown. A master of manipulation and memory. (55-65)

  Richard (the Lionheart): The warrior son: proud, intense, and entitled. His resentment towards his father masks his insecurities. (25-30)

  Geoffrey: The overlooked middle son: calculating, bitter, and fiercely intelligent. A political schemer who hides hurt behind sarcasm. (20s)

  John: The youngest: petulant, infuriating, and desperate for approval. Not stupid, but immature — a boy trying to play at kingship. (late teens)

  Philip Capet, King of France: Controlled, proud, but quietly dangerous. Generally calm, but with a natural authority. (20s)

  NB all references to age given here are to give an indication of the nature of the character, and should not necessarily deter actors from outside of the suggested range.

Auditions

• Tuesday 1st September 2026 19.30

• Thursday 3rd September 2026 20:00

Please meet in the Greenroom, from where we will move to another space for the auditions. If you wish to audition, please complete this The Lion in Winter audition sign-up form.

Theatre Membership: You are very welcome to audition if you are not already a member of the People’s Theatre, but please note that you will need to join the theatre if cast. This can be completed at your audition. You can learn more here

• Technical & Backstage Roles: We are also very keen to hear expressions of interest from anyone who may wish to be involved in the technical side of the production. If you would like to join the tech crew, please contact the director directly.

What to Expect at the Audition

The audition will consist of a range of paired and group scenes. You may be asked to perform a selection of scenes and to work with different combinations of actors throughout the session to explore ensemble dynamics.

Audition pieces will be available in advance so that you can familiarise yourself with them beforehand. You can find them at this link which will expire after the auditions:

The Lion in Winter audition pieces

There is no expectation to learn any of the pieces by heart; printed copies of all scenes will also be available on the night.

Please Note Regarding Casting: Auditions for Noises Off are taking place alongside these auditions. The directors of both productions will be working closely together to make casting decisions to ensure the best fit for each show. You are entirely welcome to audition for both productions. Final casting decisions for both shows will be announced approximately one week after auditions have concluded.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals will commence on Monday 12th October, 2026. All rehearsals will then take place on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 7:15pm, with two additional Sunday rehearsals. A full rehearsal schedule will be provided, but if you have any known scheduling conflicts or issues with potential rehearsal dates, it is vital that you communicate these clearly on your audition form.

Enquiries

For any issues, further queries, or to express an interest in a technical role, please email Sean at sean.burnside@peoplestheatre.co.uk

Audition and workshop details will be posted here.

Once an event date has passed, the post will be archived to avoid confusion with upcoming events.

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