Dante’sDivineComedy
DirectedbyDouglasBaker
1.Auditions
Youdonotneedtoprepareanythingfortheaudition.Theauditionwillbeintheformofafewgames
followedbysomescriptwork.
Onthenightyouaudition,youwillbeaskedtofillinapreferenceformsothatwehaveyourcontact
detailsandknowifthereareanyspecificpartsyou'dliketoauditionfor.
When:6:15-6:30pmregistration,auditions6:30pm-9:30pm,Tuesday17,Wednesday18andThursday
19January2017.Choosewhicheverdatesuitsyoubest.
Where:TheatreDeliStudios,30MarshWall,IsleofDogs,LondonE149TP
NearestTube:CanaryWharforSouthQuay
Recalls:10am-4pm,Sunday22January2017Venue:AsAbove
YouwillbecalledonFriday20Januaryifthedirectorwouldliketoseeyouagain.
Therecallswillessentiallybeamockrehearsal.Thisisgoingtobeadevisedshowsoit’sjustasmuchof
anopportunityforyoutoseehowwewillrunthestagingprocessasforustoseehowyouallwork
togetherandrespondtodirection.Wewillbelookingathowyoucreatepartstogetherandhowwecan
developthoseideasintoanengagingnarrative.
YouwillbecalledbyFriday20thJanuaryifthedirectorwouldliketoseeyouagain.
2.ShowDates
TheshowwillbeperformedfromTuesday4thApriltoSaturday8thAprilatBaron’sCourtTheatre.Each
performancewillstartat7.30pmandyouwillbecalledatleastanhourbeforehandtowarmup.On
Monday3rdAprilyouwillpreferablybeavailablefrommiddayonwardsbutifthisisimpossibleforyou,
it’snotvital.
3.Rehearsals
FirstrehearsalwillbeWednesday25thJanuary.RehearsalswillbemainlyonMondayandWednesday
eveningsandSundayafternoons/evenings.Youmaynotbeneededforeverysinglerehearsal,butitis
likelyyouwillbeneededformostofthem.AllrehearsalswillbeincentralLondon.Arehearsal
schedulewillbecreatedassoonaspossible,oncethecast’savailabilitydatesareallaccountedfor.
4.AboutthePlay
Dante’sDivineComedyisanepicjourneytohellandbackagain,itisoneman’smissiontofindhislost
loveBeatrice-whotragicallydied.It’sfullofbeautifulpoetry,colorfulcharactersandaclassical,heroic
journeythroughhell,purgatoryandparadise.
BaronsCourtisalovely,butlimitedspacesowewillbeheavilymovementbasedandovertlystylizedin
ordertocompensateforthisandreallystirtheimagination.Wewillhaveanassortmentofbasicprops
thatwillbeusedinthedevisingprocesstocreatetheiconicimageryfromthepoem.
Benotafear’d!Thiswillbenostuffymoral,angst-riddensermon;it’sgoingtobearollercoasterride
thatwillhittheaudiencehardandaskimportantquestionsaboutlife,deathandlovewhilstgivingus
plentyoflaughsalongtheway.It’scalledDante’sDivineComedyforareason.We’llmakeuseofan
eclecticblendofmusicfromclassicalallthewaythroughtoheavymetal.Therewillalsobesomesinging
involved-butdon’tpanic;it’sallgroupsingingaspartofthechorus.Anyonewhocanplayaninstrument
wouldalsobehandy!
5.CastBreakdown-
TheonlypartsthathavetobemaleandfemalearetheloversDanteandBeatrice.Otherthanthat,the
wholethingisopen.
8or9parts–dependingonwhetherBeatriceispartofthechorusornot
Dante-Ourleadingman,heisonthebrinkofsuicideatthestartofthepoem,trappedinadarkand
forebodingplace,untilVirgil,hisidol,issentbyBeatricetorescuehim.Dante’sjourneyisoneof
fulfilment,acharacterthatlearnsofthewoes,pitfallsandoccasionaljoysofhumanityanddecidesat
theendthatisbettertolive.
Virgil-ThewisesagewhoissomewhatallknowingandleadsDanteonhisepicquest.Virgilisalittle
sassyandenjoysputtingDanteinhisplace.Virgil,inreallife,famouslywroteTheAeneidandthereare
manyreferencestothatthroughouttheplay.Virgilisverymuchthewayintothestoryfortheaudience,
asthepersonwithalotofknowledgeandbackstoryofeachcircleofhellandholdssomeoftheanswers
tothemanyquestionposed.
Beatrice-ThelostloveofDante,theonewhoseeshisplightanddecidestohelphim.OnceDantearrives
inheaventhough,shegiveshimahardtime.Shemakeshimquestionallofhisactionsandtellshimthat
thoughtheyaretrulyinlovetheywillneverbeabletobetogether.Asad,tragicandyet,excitingpart.
Chorus-Sixdifferentactorswillrepresentthechorus.Itismadeupofalltheothercharactersinthe
poem.Restassured,thesearenotsmallparts,andinfacttheyareprobablythemostchallengingroles
intheentireproduction.Itislikelythechoruswillhavethemoststagetimeofanyone-eachmemberof
thechoruswillhaveatleast1monologueifnotmore.Onemomentyouwilldeliversplendidpoetry
thatconjuresthebeautifulimageryfortheaudience,thenextyouwillgetphysicalandcreatea
magnificentchasmorbepartofaboatsailingdowntheriverAcheronandanotheryouwilljump
betweenplayingdifferentcharactersinquicksuccession.Itrequiresenergy,enthusiasmandagreat
senseofhumour.Youwillknowexactlywhomyouareplayingonceyouarecast.
Thepartsplayedbythechorusare:
Lions,Tigers&Bearsohmy!
Lostsouls
Demons
Charon
Francesca
Paulo
JuliusCaesar
Electra
Plato
Socrates
Cerberus
SoulstrappedinTrees
Brunetto
Popes
VanniFucci
Judge
Lawyer
Aeneas
Harpies
Zombies
Furies
Schicchi
Capocchio
Devils
Cato
AngelofPurgatory
Commuters
AngelofHumility
Sinners
LaPia
Sapia
Cherubs
Picarda
EmperorJustinian
St.Peter
St.James
St.John