Audition Notice for Holding the Man by Tommy Murphy.

The Award Winning Australian classic play.

Holding The Man will run from Thursday 21st to Sunday 24th November and you will need to be available from Monday 18th to Wednesday 20th November for tech and dress rehearsals.

During this period, you MUST be able to get to the Gatehouse (Highgate Village) by 6:15pm every evening on weekdays, and 2.45pm on the Saturday and Sunday.

Rehearsals proper will start on the Tues 3rd September with a read-through and some workshops (e.g. accents) taking place in July (dates TBC). Planned rehearsal days are Tuesdays (7.15-9.30pm), Thursday (7.15-9.30pm) and Sunday (3.45-7.00pm).

Please note that the play concerns adult themes and includes some explicit sexual references and strong language

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Tommy Murphy’s adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s memoir is a fast-paced, hilarious,

warm and heartbreaking masterpiece.

In a 1970s Melbourne High School, young Tim falls in love with none other than the captain of the football team and so begins an unconventional love story that runs over the course of the next 15 years, until finally an obstacle that even love, sadly, can’t conquer.

We are so excited to be putting this brilliant play on, and are looking for a lovely cast to infect with our enthusiasm!

It’s a really special play. So relatable, truthful and constantly funny, with a beautiful story underpinning it all.

Also, so much fun to be had as an actor in this one - There are two complex and lovable characters at the core, plus a small ensemble playing over 40 other very different characters between them.

The play is written to be staged in a really fast paced and fun way, so lots of physical comedy just from the staging alone.

Number of Parts

We will be looking to cast Tim and John (the two leads) to a single actor each, playing them as they grow and change over a fifteen-year period.

We will then be casting a small ensemble of 4-5 versatile actors to play the 40 or so remaining characters. The ensemble will be playing multiple characters of different ages and genders, sometimes in the same scene!

aLTERNATE AUDITION DATE

If you can’t make this audition date but still want to try out, please contact us on the email below. We will try to organise an alternate date if possible.

AUSSIE ACcents

We will be looking to use Australian accents in the play, However, we are not expecting you to come to the audition able to do this. If you can, great! But it won’t be an issue if you don’t want to at the audition.

We will be offering accent support and coaching, over and above the rehearsal process, but we will ask you to do some of your own practice, and you need to be comfortable that, with support, you can ultimately learn to do a reasonable Australian accent.

Reading beforehand

We recommend you read the play before the rehearsal of course, because it’s brilliant, and also knowing the story will likely help you understand the characters and the style. But, if you can’t or don’t have time, or you are reading this one hour before the audition, that’s ok too, we still want you to come and try out!

The play is available on amazon here. Other stores are available.

Lines/Books-down

The fast paced, and physical nature of the play makes it a lot of fun but also means we need to be books-down early, in order to do it justice, and allow us the space to explore and get used to the flow and rhythm of the piece. We will clearly communicate the off-book deadline once casting is complete, with plenty of notice.

Characters

Tim - Male Playing age 20s/30s. We first see Tim briefly as a child, then spin rapidly through his life from high school, university, acting school and into his early working life as an actor/writer. Tim is curious, brave, impulsive and both expressive and introspective. He acts as both protagonist and sometimes storyteller. His love for John, although not always reflected in his actions, is constant. Tim, while mostly lovely, can be a bit of an attention seeker.

John - Male Playing age 20s/30s. Meets Tim at school. He is at first a typical high-school ‘jock’, but he quickly reveals himself to be a sensitive, loyal, funny and enduringly sweet man. His love for Tim becomes unshakeable, and in some ways he is the more devoted. He is less ambitious than Tim and less of an extrovert, which means he can get frustrated by Tim.

Some of the bigger ensemble parts

Note - although the characters obviously have age and genders, they don’t need to be connected to the playing age of the actor (as each actor will play a multitude of different ages and genders)

Mary Gert - Tim’s Mum, typical 70/80s Aussie Mum, tends to fill any silence, strong opinions, but loves her son.

Dick - Tim’s Dad - In some ways a bloke version of Mary Gert. Quick to get annoyed and then to lose interest. Likes Glace Cherries.

Peter - Friend of Tim/John, nurse, caring and chilled, often the foil to the drama of others.

Bob - John’s Dad - More selfish than Dick, tends to show his disappointment in how things turn out very openly, and tends to think about his son in terms of how it will affect him.

Lois - John’s Mum - The peacemaker, will always side with Bob but tends to try to avoid/manage conflicts.

Juliet - Friend of Tim/John, Loyal and feisty, always has their back

Marie - Juliet’s Mum, Liberal and direct, only parent that seems to fully accept Tim and

John.

Biscuit - Tim/John’s High school friend- very direct also frenetic, funny and annoying in

equal parts.

Woody - Meets Tim at ‘Campus Gays’ - Activist, chatty, fancies Tim.

Lee - Meets Tim at ‘Campus Gays’- Activist, more annoyed, forthright.

Richard - Young man, dying, in the late stages of AIDS. Reflective, resigned.

...and about 30 more including other high school friends, activists from university , drama school actors and a director, doctors, a scarecrow, club regulars, various one night stands, and astronaut Neil Armstrong.

If you have any questions, or can’t make this audition but still want to try out, please contact us at

holdingtheman@gardensuburbtheatre.org.uk

Hope to see you soon

Kayne, Fiona and Jo.

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