Are you a potential Oliver, an Artful Dodger, or could you just 'pick a pocket or two'?

Walsall Operatic Society is looking for boys aged between 8 and 16 for their next main production, Oliver! which will be performed at the Lichfield Garrick Theatre from 8 to 12 March 2016.  We require two teams, each one consisting of Oliver, Artful Dodger and 13 boys.

Auditions will be held on Sunday 14 June 2015 at Darwin Hall, Lichfield (see map below).

If you would like to register your child for an audition, please fill in your contact details at the form here, along with a brief explanation of any musical or performing experience they have. A pack of audition materials is also available for download from here.

For further information visit Walsall Operatic Society's website.

Find Walsall Operatic Society on Facebook here.
Find Walsall Operatic Society on Twitter here.

From 9 – 13 June 2015, Wolverhampton Grand Theatre is to play host to the world premiere tour of The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, which opened at the Chichester Festival Theatre earlier this year.

The deeply moving and thought-provoking production is based on the best-selling novel by John Boyne. Set during World War II, the story is seen through the innocent eyes of Bruno, the eight year old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and devastating consequences.

Various scenes in this production require the creation of the sense of a crowd – whether this be in Berlin, in the home of the Commandant and his wife or in the camp. Adult supernumerary actors are required to work alongside the show’s ensemble cast in order to help the production achieve such crowd scenes. The production also requires two child supernumeraries to work alongside the child actors in the show to help convey a poignant moment at the beginning of the play.

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre will be holding open auditions for these roles on Friday 22 May at the theatre. Audition times are 3.45pm for children and 4.30pm for adults.

The requirements for adult actors are:
3 men, white (Section 5(2)(a) of the Race Relations Act 1976 applies), very short hair (shaved for preference), thin/slim, 5'7"-6'3", 30-55. Must be confident movers. The men will appear as people of Berlin (opening sequence and two scene changes), completing the suggestion of street life - party guests - applauding Grandmother and greeting Father - servants (costume budget permitting) - "line of thin servants" in The New House - camp inhabitants - rounded up and marched. Please note: this is the most that will be asked of the adult supernumeraries. One of these scenes may not take place.

The requirements for child actors are:
2 boys, white (Section 5(2)(a) of the Race Relations Act 1976 applies) 9-12 years, approx. 4’4”/4’5” in height. Playful, confident, good physicality. They are Bruno's best friends; to play a choreographed game in the opening sequence and will be featured in the first 15 minutes of the show only. Local Chaperones will be appointed to accompany the children at all times.

Please note: These roles are open to non-professional actors only and are voluntary positions within the show for members of the local community. These are non-speaking roles but are a fantastic opportunity for aspiring performers to appear in a professional production.

Adult supernumeraries will be required on stage at various points throughout the whole performance. Child supernumeraries are only required for the first scene and therefore must be collected from the Stage Door from a parent or guardian once their appearance is over, 15 minutes after the beginning of the show. 

None of the supernumeraries are required to stay for the curtain call.

All performers will be required from 2pm on Tue 9 June. They will have rehearsals, costume fittings and a dinner break before the first show at 7.15pm. 

The performance schedule is as follows:
Tue 9 at 7.15pm, Wed 10 at 1.45pm, Thu 11 at 10am & 1.45pm, Fri 12 at 7.15pm, Sat 13 at 2.30pm & 7.15pm.

Children are required from 1 hour before each show but are free to leave 15 minutes after curtain up. They are required to be collected from stage door at this time. Or, at the latest, they can be collected at the interval. The adults are required from the half hour call (35 mins before curtain up) and are required for the duration of the show which is 2 hours, including an interval.

Each successful supernumerary performer in the show will be provided with a pair of complimentary tickets for a performance of their choice for friends or family members to see the production.

Please submit a brief letter of application via email (noting any stage experience where applicable) along with a recent photograph. Please submit all applications to Claudia Gilmour (Creative Learning Manager – Maternity Cover) to the following address claudiag@grandtheatre.co.uk.

For the child applications, we will need the following information: 
Full name, date of birth, height, full names of Parents/Guardians, address, school name and address, contact phone number, contact email, local council.

Adults need only provide full name, address, contact phone number, contact email.

Closing date for applications: Monday 18 May at 5pm.

Stafford Gatehouse Youth Theatre (SGYT) have an exciting opportunity for 14-16 year olds to participate in theatrical workshops lead by a professional West End actress. There will be a total of four workshops on Monday evenings at 5.30 – 7.30pm throughout June as taster sessions for new members to try SGYT ahead of the new Autumn term. Each two hour workshop will feature songs, scenes and dance routines from four different West End musicals:

1 June: Wicked
8 June: We Will Rock You
15 June: Legally Blonde
22 June: Sweeney Todd

The workshops will be lead by Katie Kerr, whose professional debut was as Chiffon in the award winning production of Little Shop Of Horrors at the Menier Chocolate Factory alongside Sheridan Smith, later transferring to the West End. She then went on to star in Fat Pig, as Helen, directed by Neil La Bute also in the West End and has subsequently gone on to perform in several other plays and musicals such as A Chorus of Disapproval (UK Tour), Stepping Out (UK Tour), TABOO (Brixton 
Clubhouse) and Wicked (UK Tour).

Katie most recently has been seen performing alongside Emma Thompson and Bryn Terfel in the English National Opera's production of Sweeney Todd at London's Coliseum. She also appeared in BBC 1 drama What Remains.

Each session is £6 and pre-booking is essential as places are limited. Places can be pre-booked at the box office from Tuesday 6 May, where a membership form will be given. Any members who do not return the membership form will not be able to join. Places must be booked by Friday 30 May.

Any further information can be obtained by calling the administration team on 01785 619080.

Lichfield Operatic Society have just enjoyed a sell out run at the Garrick Theatre in Lichfield with The King and I, which enjoyed fabulous reviews. Now for something a little different. In October they are performing The Full Monty and the production team are eager to welcome more chaps who are prepared to get their kit off!

The show is based on the fabulous film and tells of a group of unemployed men who, for their own personal reasons, decide to strip for “one night only”. This great piece of theatre will make you laugh and cry, taking you on a journey with these men who find personal and financial fulfilment by the end.

Rehearsals started in earnest on 30 April with audition preparation, and casting will be on 18 May.

For more information and to express an interest in auditioning contact Lichfield Operatic Official via their Facebook page here.

Find Lichfield Operatic Society on Twitter here.
Find Lichfield Operatic Society on Facebook here.

Award-winning theatre group Union Theatre, are looking for new cast members to join them in their next production - William Shakespeare’s As You Like It.

The auditions will be open to all ages and you don’t need any experience to take part. It will be very informal and will mainly consist of a read through of the play with other cast members

Auditions are taking place at 7.30pm on Tuesday 28 April 2015  in the Mayflower Room, Christ Church, Union Road, Solihull (see map below). 

For further details, please contact the director Mark Firmstone on 0121 705 1033 or 07931 218116.

South Staffs Musical Theatre Company is starting its search for talented individuals to join them for their 2015 production of the Irving Berlin classic musical, White Christmas, which will be performed at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 1 to 5 December.

An open audition for new members will be held on Tuesday 28 April in Studio 2 at The Newhampton Arts Centre (see map below), starting at 7.30pm. Please bring a song of your choice, preferably on backing track, and be prepared to do some movement and to read a piece of libretto from the show, which you will be given on the evening.

The group are particularly keen to recruit dancers with strong tap technique, gentlemen for both ensemble and principal roles and ladies suitable to take principal roles. However, please note that the ladies ensemble is complete. Trained dancers please prepare a short routine of your choice.

If you are interested in auditioning please send a message to South Staffs Musical Theatre Company via their Facebook page here. 

There is still time to be part of the Solihull premiere of Sister Act, presented by St. Augustine’s Musical Theatre Company (click here to see the original cast announcement).

The group are on the lookout for a number of men and also a woman to fill the remaining roles and auditions take place on Sunday 26 April, starting at 7pm. There are six principal male roles to be filled, all of which require strong vocal, good movement ability and good comic timing. 

Please see the character breakdown as follows:

CURTIS SHANK
A club owner, notorious gangster, and Deloris's boyfriend. Smooth and calculating.  Cocky and controlling, always on the verge of violence. Strong vocal required.
Male, 30-40 yrs old 
Range: A2 - Ab4 (Tenor/Baritone)
Audition Song: When I Find My Baby

EDDIE SOUTHER
The desk chief at the Philadelphia police station and a high school classmate of Deloris who helps get her into hiding. A sweet guy who dreams of being confident, but faces a lot of nerves when under pressure, causing him to sweat profusely. He still yearns for Deloris after all these years, and dreams of being her hero. 
Male, 25-35 yrs old 
Range: Ab2 - B4 (Tenor, with falsetto)
Audition Song: I Could Be That Guy

PABLO
One of Curtis's thugs. A natural follower, constantly speaks in Spanish.  Thinks he’s something of a ‘love-God’!  Good vocals (Soul and R’n’B) and movement required. Good comic timing.
Male, 25-40 yrs old 
Range: C4 - F5 (Tenor, with falsetto)
Audition Song: Lady in the Long Black Dress (sing all solo lines from the beginning)

TJ
Curtis’s nephew and one of his thugs. Deft and cognisant of the fact, but constantly in a state of ignorant bliss. 
Male, 16-30 yrs old 
Range: Db3 - Eb5 (Tenor/Baritone, with strong falsetto)
Audition Song: Lady in the Long Black Dress (sing all solo lines from the beginning)

JOEY
One of Curtis's thugs. Believes himself to be quite the ladies' man. Wants to please Curtis and be dangerous, but isn’t quite capable of it.  Good vocals and movement required.
Male, 25-40 yrs old 
Range: Bb2 - Eb5 (Baritone)
Audition Song: Lady in the Long Black Dress (sing all solo lines from the beginning)

MONSIGNOR O’HARA
One of the heads of the convent. A gentle, kind man who is a bored, uninspired preacher. Constantly concerned with financial matters, though soul music surprisingly puts him in a different mood. 
Male, 45-60 yrs old 
Range: E3 - G4 (Baritone)
Audition Song: Sunday Morning Fever (opening section)

St. Augustine’s Musical Theatre Company are also still to cast the fantastic role of Sister Mary Patrick, a scatty, larger-than-life nun. Her character breakdown is as follows: 

SISTER MARY PATRICK
A nun of the convent. Fun and enjoys every minute of life.  A larger-than-life character. Consistently perky, perpetually enthusiastic, easily excitable and open and willing to embrace all the changes Deloris brings to the convent. Excellent vocal and good movement required. Good comic timing.
Female, 30-50 yrs old 
Range: G3-E6 (Alto/Mezzo Soprano but with some Soprano capability)
Audition Song: Sunday Morning Fever (opening section)

The auditions will be held on Sunday 26 April at Mill Lodge Primary School (see map below), beginning at 7pm. If you would like to audition, please email us at mail@stagsmtc.co.uk, or ring Producer, Veronica Walsh, on 0121 705 3914.

The show runs at Solihull Arts Complex from 17 to 21 November. For more information about the show and St. Augustines MTC click here.

You can find St Augustines MTC on Facebook here.
You can find St Augustines MTC on Twitter here.

Aspiring young performers are being urged to make sure they take up their opportunity to star in Stafford Gatehouse Theatre’s Summer School production of The Wizard of Oz.

The iconic musical features favourite songs including; Over The Rainbow, Munchkinland (Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead), If I Only Had A Brain, If I Only Had A Heart, If I Only Had The Nerve, We're Off To See The Wizard (Follow The Yellow Brick Road) and many more that the whole family will be singing along to.

Auditions are now just four weeks away and are the only way to gain a place in the show. Places are available for youngsters aged between 7 and 21 who live in or attend a school in Staffordshire. Previous years have seen up to 150 children battle it out for one of the lucky spaces in recent productions, which have included Doctor Dolittle, Whistle Down the Wind and Peter Pan.

Auditions are on Sunday 17 May at Stafford Gatehouse Theatre. The first session is at 9.30am for 7-12 year olds, followed by a session at 2pm for 13 – 21 year olds.


Summer School will start on Monday 20 July, with the production opening on Wednesday 5 August and running until Saturday 8 August. All candidates must be available for the entirety of Summer School.

Further information can be obtained by calling Stafford Gatehouse Theatre on 01785 619 080 or by clicking here.

Stone-based theatre group, Stone Revellers, are holding auditions for their next production A Midsummer Night's Dream on 22 and 26 April.  

Shakespeare's hilarious and inventive play follows the story of four lovers who take refuge in the woods when the Duke of Athens tries to enforce the marriage of Hermia and Demetrius. However, unbeknownst to them, they wander into the middle of a dispute between the king and queen of fairies.  

Stone Revellers are the longest running theatre group in Stone and they are taking on Shakespeare's wonderful play this September. The first set of auditions will be taking place on Wednesday 22 April from 7.30pm to 9.30pm and the second set of auditions are on Sunday 26 April from 10am to 2pm. The auditions will take place a St Michael's Hall (see map below). Audition pieces and more information can be found by clicking here.

If you would like any further information please email info@stonerevellers.org.uk.

Find Stone Revellers on Twitter here.
Find Stone Revellers on Facebook here.

On Monday 20 April Bilston Operatic will be holding auditions for their upcoming production of Hairspray, which will be playing at Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from 10 to 14 November. 

Hairspray follows the story of Tracy Turnblad who is given a place on her favourite show, The Corny Collins Show, but she can’t stand that they won’t allow integration and launches a campaign to make it happen. Filled with brilliant songs, this musical has a huge heart that will have you dancing in your seats. 

Those interested in auditioning are required to sing a song of their choice and perform a short piece of poetry, prose or dialogue, again from choice. If auditionees require someone to read in a part, this can be arranged.

Auditions for Bilston Operatic's production of Hairspray will be taking place on Monday 20 April at Springvale Sports and Social Club (see map below). If you wish to audition for the company then please email bilstonoperatic@hotmail.co.uk for more information and an application form.