LOVE’S Labour’s Lost
by WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
Audition information
READING/INtro workshop
Monday 29 June 2026; 19:00 at Free Church Hall, Northway, NW11 6PB .
This is an opportunity to come together, read through the (very) cut down script, get to know the play and get to know a bit more about what our show is about.. Some people aren’t familiar with the language or have a bit of a nervous-ness around Shakespeare scripts (possible Secondary School Flashbacks anyone?), but this read-through is a fun, low stakes introduction to the play and the language for anyone who just wants to feel a bit more comfortable with some silly language, unfamiliar rhythms and odd script structure.
Audition DATE
Wednesday 08 July 2026; 19:00 at Free Church Hall, Northway, NW11 6PB .
You can download a copy of the script on this page and go away and read the entire play in your own time if you wish (we’d recommend it!). However, I am not looking for someone to memorise the play or have cemented ideas about what a character should be, hence why I am not revealing audition pieces in advance.
The auditions will consist of some warm up activities to get us having a laugh and enjoying being in the space together. And we will then move on to some Shakespeare snippets and character work to see how you can bring to life a character!
What I’m looking for is people who are having fun with it, giving things a go and willing to be directed. You don’t need to be a Shakespeare Scholar or anything like that.
The keys to success in this audition; confidence, comic-timing and camaraderie - this is what this play is all about!
The Play
Love’s Labour’s Lost, in my opinion, is one of Shakespeare simplest and most accessible scripts. It flows beautifully, avoids huge complicated subplots and has pronouncable names (for the most part). This makes it a great play for anyone who either already loves Shakespeare or wants to get more into it. In my very abridged version, the play is simplified further by focusing on the central plot - a classic romantic comedy.
Enter the King’s Team; four ‘men’ who vow to give up food, drink, sleep, and most importantly, women.
Enter the Princess and her escorts (surprise) who’s come to negotiate on behalf of her father.
Guess what happens next; the four ‘men’ of the court and the four ‘ladies’ of the princess cohort fall madly in love with each other at first sight.
Chaos ensues with heartbreak, miscommunication, misdirection, and mistaken identity – but will they find their happily ever after?
My vision for this play is to bring out the colour, the fun, and the campness of the action with larger than life characters, speedy quick-witted delivery and proper British nudge- nudge-wink-wink to the audience. Set in the garden of a grand hotel, the colourful, cartoony set will focus the attention on the hilarity of the characters.
Director
Daryl Hurst
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will take place on Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays at the Free Church Hall and will start slowly across August and then ramp up in September as we head towards show week. There will not be an expectation for everyone to appear at all rehearsals but good flexibility will be key to make the summer rehearsal period work.
All cast are to be expected to be off-book and lines learnt by 01 September (angry, serious face)
Performances & SHow week ()
All cast and crew will be expected all week of the show from Sunday-Sunday for the following reasons Sunday- beginning of get in
Monday – Get in (evening at the very least but during the day is a bonus) & Tech
Tuesday – Evening Tech / Dress Run
Wednesday – Full Dress Run
Thursday – Show 1
Friday – Show 2
Saturday*– Show 3
Sunday – Show 4 (matinee) and then set strike and then pub/meal/party
*if tickets sell like hot cakes, we may be tempted to add in an additional matinee so please keep this Saturday free just in case but this will only be done if it is agreed by all the cast and crew with permission from GST’s General Committee.
Register
Register your interest and book your audition place here.
CHARACTERS
This is a gender, age, race and sexuality blind casting process. By that I mean I am so open to whatever your interpretation of the character is – if we want to cast a female King or a lesbian couple for Berowne and Rosalind – we will! So don’t pigeon-hole yourself – show us what you can do!
The King* – falls madly in love with the Princess
Berowne* – falls madly in love with Rosaline
Longaville – falls madly in love with Maria
Dumaine – falls madly in love with Katherine
The Princess* – falls madly in love with the King
Rosaline* – falls madly in love with Berowne
Maria – falls madly in love with Longaville
Katherine – falls madly in love with Dumaine
Don Adriano de Armado* – a ‘Spanish’ Count - am open to any nationality
Moth – a young servant
Jaquenetta – a country wench
Boyet – a loyal servant
Dull – a boring policeman
Costard* – the clown
*these characters would be considered the major characters, whereas the others have considerably less in terms of lines etc
The joy of these characters is they are fairly under-written – they don’t have huge backstories or obvious character traits that leap off the page so the joy really is in building a character from scratch that feels like part of the team as a whole. Therefore, when signing up for an audition, rather than selecting a specific part to audition for, I want to know what kind of role you are interested in – so you can specify if you want a smaller role or take on a bigger challenge or if you’re more comfortable with comedy or being more straight-laced etc. However, we may ignore that and offer you a part you are perfect for, even if it falls out of your preferences!
the Small Print
You do not have to be a member to audition, but if you get a part you will need to join in order to perform. Further information about membership can be found here.
Before auditioning, please ensure you are available for the show dates and every evening of the production week leading up to the first performance as you will be needed for tech and dress rehearsals in the venue.
All cast and crew are expected to get stuck in to support the success of the show and that may involve being asked to help build/paint set or help with marketing and publicity etc. Ultimately amateur theatre is a team sport and we want to make sure we are all getting our hands nice and dirty – it’s all part of the fun!
QUESTIONS, COmments or queries
Please feel free to email us with any questions and one of my fabulous team will get back to you