AUDITION PACK
Production details
Our production of A Midsummer
Night’s Dream will take place at Simply
Theatre Studios, Main House, Centre
Choiseul, Avenue de Choiseul 23a,
1290 Versoix
Production dates
Thursday 28th May at 7.30pm
Friday 29th May at 8.00pm
Saturday 30th May and 2.00pm / 6.00pm
Sunday 31st May at 2.00pm / 6.00pm
Thursday 4th June at 7.30pm
Friday 5th June at 8.00pm
Saturday 6th June at 2.00pm / 6.00pm
Sunday 7th June at 2.00pm / 6.00pm
Want to audition?
If you are an Academy member aged between 8 and 18 you
can book your audition time by visiting www.simplytheatre.com/auditions.
Audition details
Auditions for A Midsummer Night’s Dream will take place during the week of February 16th –
20th. If you are selected for a CALLBACK, you will need to be available on Saturday
February 21st.
If you want to audition but cannot make any of these dates please let us know and we
may be able to help.
Audition times are:
Monday February 16th
Session 1: 16.30 – 17.30
Session 2: 17.40 – 18.40
Session 3 : 18.50 – 19.50
Session 4 : 20.00 – 21.00
Wednesday February 18th
Session 5: 17.15 – 18:15
Friday February 20th
Session 6: 18.30 – 19:30
Please indicate which audition slot you would like when booking your time on our website.
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What will I be doing in the audition process?
As part of for your audition you will be asked to perform a small scene from memory with
another auditionee or member of the production team. These scenes are listed at the end
of this pack.
Your chosen character within the scene should be memorised. When learning your scene,
remember to think about where you think your character is at the time of this monologue
who he may be talking to and what they are feeling. How can you get this information
over to your audience (director) through your audition?
You may feel free to choose any of the scenes for your audition, as no matter what you
perform at audition you will still be considered for all parts. This said, if you are particularly
keen on playing a specific part then it would be a good idea to prepare the appropriate
one for audition.
During the audition you will be asked to perform your scene in different ways. You may also
be asked to work on other small scenes from the play and take part in some group
improvisations. The auditions will feel a bit like a workshop, and so while you should prepare
thoroughly and do yourself justice, you don't need to be nervous.
For more information on preparing for audition and the audition process, please see our
guide towards the end of this pack.
Please be aware that being involved in this production is a definite
commitment. Each cast member must be present for ALL rehearsals
when he is required. The only exception to this is if we have been notified of an
absence at the time of audition. For your information and to help you decide if you can
commit to this project there is a detailed conflict schedule as part of the application form
at the end of this pack.
Full scripts for the show will be provided following the completion of a successful audition. If
you are successful and gain a part in the production, we ask each participant to pay a
small fee to help towards production costs.
The fee for Academy students enrolled on weekly Academy courses is a one off payment
of 190chf. Students who are members of the Academy via weekend / summer workshops
etc. but not weekly students will be asked to pay a fee of 500chf.
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A SIMPLY THEATRE ACADEMY PRODUCTION
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
The Synopsis
Theseus, duke of Athens, is preparing for his marriage to Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, with a
four-day festival of pomp and entertainment. He commissions his Master of the Revels, Philostrate, to
find suitable amusements for the occasion. Egeus, an Athenian nobleman, marches into Theseus’s
court with his daughter, Hermia, and two young men, Demetrius and Lysander. Egeus wishes Hermia
to marry Demetrius (who loves Hermia), but Hermia is in love with Lysander and refuses to comply.
Egeus asks for the full penalty of law to fall on Hermia’s head if she flouts her father’s will. Theseus
gives Hermia until his wedding to consider her options, warning her that disobeying her father’s
wishes could result in her being sent to a convent or even executed. Nonetheless, Hermia and
Lysander plan to escape Athens the following night and marry in the house of Lysander’s aunt, some
seven leagues distant from the city. They make their intentions known to Hermia’s friend Helena, who
was once engaged to Demetrius and still loves him even though he jilted her after meeting Hermia.
Hoping to regain his love, Helena tells Demetrius of the elopement that Hermia and Lysander have
planned. Demetrius stalks into the woods after his intended bride and her lover; Helena follows
behind him.
In these same woods are two very different groups of characters. The first is a band of fairies,
including Oberon, the fairy king, and Titania, his queen, who has recently returned from India to bless
the marriage of Theseus and Hippolyta. The second is a band of craftsmen rehearsing a play that
they hope to perform for the duke and his bride. Oberon and Titania are at odds over a young
Indian prince given to Titania by the prince’s mother; Oberon wishes to make the boy his page, but
Titania refuses. Seeking revenge, Oberon sends his merry servant, Puck, to acquire a magical flower,
the juice of which can be spread over a sleeping person’s eyelids to make that person fall in love
with the first thing he or she sees upon waking. Puck obtains the flower, and Oberon tells him of his
plan to spread its juice on the sleeping Titania’s eyelids. Having seen Demetrius act cruelly toward
Helena, he orders Puck to spread some of the juice on the eyelids of the young Athenian man. Puck
encounters Lysander and Hermia; thinking that Lysander is the Athenian of whom Oberon spoke,
Puck afflicts him with the love potion. Lysander happens to see Helena upon awaking and falls
deeply in love with her, abandoning Hermia. As the night progresses and Puck attempts to undo his
mistake, both Lysander and Demetrius end up in love with Helena, who believes that they are
mocking her. Hermia becomes so jealous that she tries to challenge Helena to a fight. Demetrius
and Lysander nearly do fight over Helena’s love, but Puck confuses them by mimicking their voices,
leading them apart until they are lost separately in the forest.
When Titania wakes, the first creature she sees is Bottom, the most ridiculous of the Athenian
craftsmen, whose head Puck has mockingly transformed into that of an ass. Titania passes a
ludicrous interlude doting on the ass-headed weaver. Eventually, Oberon obtains the Indian boy,
Puck spreads the love potion on Lysander’s eyelids, and by morning all is well. Theseus and Hippolyta
discover the sleeping lovers in the forest and take them back to Athens to be married—Demetrius
now loves Helena, and Lysander now loves Hermia. After the group wedding, the lovers watch
Bottom and his fellow craftsmen perform their play, a fumbling, hilarious version of the story of
Pyramus and Thisbe. When the play is completed, the lovers go to bed; the fairies briefly emerge to
bless the sleeping couples with a protective charm and then disappear. Only Puck remains, to ask
the audience for its forgiveness and approval and to urge it to remember the play as though it had
all been a dream.
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Characters
Theseus (MALE) Duke of Athens, who is marrying Hippolyta as the play begins. He decrees
that Hermia must marry Demetrius or be sentenced either to death or to life in a convent.
At the end of the play, he insists that all of the lovers marry along with him and Hipployta
and provides a humorous commentary to accompany the performance of "Pyramus and
Thisbe."
Hippolyta (FEMALE) Queen of the Amazons, she is betrothed to Theseus. These two were
once enemies, and Theseus won her in battle. In this play, she seems to have lost much of
her fighting spirit, though she does not hesitate to voice her opinion, for example, following
Theseus' choice of the play "Pyramus and Thisbe."
Lysander (MALE) Hermia's beloved. Egeus does not approve of Lysander, though we don't
know why. Lysander claims to be Demetrius' equal, yet Egeus insists Hermia marry
Demetrius. Rather than lose his lover in this random way, Lysander plans to escape with her
to his widowed aunt's home. During a night in the forest, Lysander is mistakenly doused by
Puck with Oberon's love juice, causing him to fall briefly in love with Helena. Realizing the
mistake, Oberon makes Puck reverse the spell, so by the end of the play, Lysander and
Hermia are once again in love and marry.
Demetrius (MALE) He is in love with Hermia, and her father's choice of a husband for her.
Similar to Lysander in most ways, Demetrius' only distinguishing characteristic is his fickleness
in love. He once loved Helena but has cruelly abandoned her before the play begins. Not
only does he reject Helena's deep love for him, but he vows to hurt her if she doesn't leave
him alone. With the help of Oberon's love juice, he relinquishes Hermia and marries Helena
at the end of the play.
Hermia (FEMALE) Although she loves Lysander, her father insists she marry Demetrius or be
put to death for disobedience of his wishes. Theseus softens this death sentence, declaring
that Hermia choose Demetrius, death, or life in a convent. Rather than accept this dire
fate, Hermia agrees to run away with Lysander. During the chaotic night in the woods,
Hermia is shocked to see her beloved abandon her and declare his love for Helena. She is
unaware of the mischief Oberon's love juice is playing with Lysander's vision. By the play's
end, Puck has reversed the spell, and Lysander's true love for Hermia has been restored..
Helena (FEMALE) She is the cruelly abused lover of Demetrius. Before the play begins, he
has abandoned her in favor of Hermia. Helena doesn't understand the reason for his switch
in affection, because she is as beautiful as Hermia. Desperate to win him back, Helena tries
anything, even betraying Hermia, her best childhood friend, by revealing to the jealous
Demetrius Lysander and Hermia's plan to escape Athens. With the help of Oberon's love
juice, Demetrius finally falls back in love with Helena, and the two are married at the end of
the play.
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Oberon (MALE) The King of the Fairies, Oberon is fighting with Titania when the play begins
because he wants custody of a boy she is raising. He hatches a plan to win the boy away
from her by placing love juice in her eyes. This juice causes her to fall rashly in love with
Bottom. During her magic-induced love affair, Oberon convinces her to relinquish the boy,
who Oberon will use as a page. Once he has the boy, Oberon releases Titania from her
spell, and the two lovers are reunited. Oberon also sympathizes with Helena and has Puck
place love juice in Demetrius' eyes so he falls in love with her. After Puck mistakenly anoints
Lysander, Oberon insists Puck fix his mistake so that the true lovers are together by the end
of the play. In the final scene, he and Titania bless all of the newlyweds.
Titania (FEMALE) Oberon's wife, she is Queen of the Fairies. Because of Titania's argument
with Oberon, the entire human and natural world is in chaos. Oberon wants the boy she is
protecting, but Titania refuses to give him up because when his mother died in childbirth,
she agreed to raise the boy. Following Oberon's application of the love juice to her eyes,
Titania falls in love with Bottom, and Oberon takes the boy from her. Once he has the boy,
Oberon releases the spell, and he and Titania are reunited.
Puck, or Robin Goodfellow (MALE OR FEMALE) Oberon's jester, Puck is responsible for
mistakenly anointing Lysander with the love juice intended for Demetrius. Puck enjoys the
comedy that ensues when Lysander and Demetrius are both in love with Helena but follows
Oberon's orders to reunite the correct lovers. Puck has the final words of the play,
emphasizing that the entire play was just a dream.
Nick Bottom (MALE)A weaver, Bottom plays Pyramus. He is the most outgoing of the group
of actors, wishing to play all of the characters in "Pyramus and Thisbe." Puck transforms him
into an ass, and Titania falls in love with him. When Puck returns Bottom to his normal self,
Bottom can't speak about what happened to him but vows to have Peter Quince write
about it in a ballad to be called "Bottom's Dream."
Egeus (MALE) Hermia's tyrannical father. He capriciously declares that she must marry
Demetrius or be put to death for disobedience; according to the law of Athens, daughters
must obey their fathers or forfeit their lives. At the end of the play, he is shocked to learn
that Lysander and Hermia tried to flee Athens and insists they should be punished. Theseus
overrules him, making the lovers marry instead.
Philostrate (MALE OR FEMALE) Theseus' Master of Revels, he arranges the selection of
performances for Theseus' wedding. He tries to dissuade the wedding party from choosing
"Pyramus and Thisbe" but is overruled by Theseus.
Peter Quince (MALE OR FEMALE) A carpenter and the nominal leader of the craftsmen’s
attempt to put on a play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. Quince is often shoved aside
by the abundantly confident Bottom. During the craftsmen’s play, Quince plays the
Prologue.
Francis Flute (MALE) The bellows-mender chosen to play Thisbe in the craftsmen’s play for
Theseus’s marriage celebration. Forced to play a young girl in love, the bearded craftsman
determines to speak his lines in a high, squeaky voice.
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Robin Starveling (MALE OR FEMALE) The tailor chosen to play Thisbe’s mother in the
craftsmen’s play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of
Moonshine.
Tom Snout (MALE OR FEMALE) The tinker chosen to play Pyramus’s father in the craftsmen’s
play for Theseus’s marriage celebration. He ends up playing the part of Wall, dividing the
two lovers.
Snug (MALE OR FEMALE) The joiner chosen to play the lion in the craftsmen’s play for
Theseus’s marriage celebration. Snug worries that his roaring will frighten the ladies in the
audience.
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed (MALE OR FEMALE) The fairies ordered by
Titania to attend to Bottom after she falls in love with him.
First Fairy (MALE OR FEMALE) A fairy in Titania’s service
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AUDITION EXTRACTS
TITANIA
The human mortals want their winter cheer:
No night is now with hymn or carol blest,
Therefore the moon, the governess of floods,
Pale in her anger, washes all the air,
That rheumatic diseases do abound.
And thorough this distemperature we see
The seasons alter: hoary-headed frosts
Fall in the fresh lap of the crimson rose;
And on old Winters thin and icy crown,
An odorous chaplet of sweet summer buds
Is, as in mockery, set; the spring, the summer,
The childing autumn, angry winter, change
Their wonted liveries; and the mazed world,
By their increase, now knows not which is which.
And this same progeny of evils comes
From our debate, from our dissension;
We are their parents and original.
OBERON
Having once this juice,
I’ll watch Titania when she is asleep,
And drop the liquor of it in her eyes:
The next thing then she waking looks upon
(Be it on lion, bear, or wolf, or bull,
On meddling monkey, or on busy ape)
She shall pursue it with the soul of love.
And ere I take this charm from off her sight
(As I can take it with another herb)
I’ll make her render up her page to me.
But who comes here? I am invisible;
And I will overhear their conference.
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HERMIA/HELENA
HERMIA
O me! You juggler! You canker-blossom!
You thief of love! What, have you come by night
And stolen my love's heart from him?
HELENA
Fine, i'faith!
Have you no modesty, no maiden shame,
No touch of bashfulness? What, will you tear
Impatient answers from my gentle tongue?
Fie, fie, you counterfeit! You puppet, you!
HERMIA
‘Puppet’! Why, so? Ay, that way goes the game!
Now I perceive that she hath made compare
Between our statures; she hath urg’d her height;
And with her personage, her tall personage,
Her height, forsooth, she hath prevail'd with him.
And are you grown so high in his esteem
Because I am so dwarfish and so low?
How low am I, thou painted maypole? Speak;
How low am I? I am not yet so low
But that my nails can reach unto thine eyes.
HELENA
I pray you, though you mock me, gentlemen,
Let her not hurt me. I was never curst;
I have no gift at all in shrewishness;
I am a right maid for my cowardice:
Let her not strike me. You perhaps may think,
Because she is something lower than myself,
That I can match her.
HERMIA
Lower! Hark, again.
HELENA
Good Hermia, do not be so bitter with me.
I evermore did love you, Hermia,
Did ever keep your counsels, never wrong'd you,
Save that, in love unto Demetrius,
I told him of your stealth unto this wood.
He follow'd you; for love I follow'd him;
But he hath chid me hence, and threaten'd me
To strike me, spurn me, nay, to kill me too:
And now, so you will let me quiet go,
To Athens will I bear my folly back
And follow you no further. Let me go:
You see how simple and how fond I am.
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HERMIA
Why, get you gone! Who is't that hinders you?
HELENA
A foolish heart that I leave here behind.
HERMIA
What, with Lysander?
HELENA
With Demetrius.
LYSANDER
Be not afraid; she shall not harm thee, Helena.
DEMETRIUS
No, sir, she shall not, though you take her part.
HELENA
O, when she's angry, she is keen and shrewd;
She was a vixen when she went to school,
And though she be but little, she is fierce.
HERMIA
'Little' again? Nothing but 'low' and 'little'?
Why will you suffer her to flout me thus?
Let me come to her.
HELENA
I will not trust your, I,
Nor longer stay in your curst company.
Your hands than mine are quicker for a fray:
My legs are longer though, to run away.
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DEMETRIUS/HELENA
DEMETRIUS
I love thee not, therefore pursue me not.
Where is Lysander and fair Hermia?
The one I'll slay, the other slayeth me.
Thou told’st me they were stol’n unto this wood.
Hence, get thee gone, and follow me no more.
HELENA
You draw me, you heard-hearted adamantBut yet you draw not iron, for my heart
Is true as steel. Leave your power to draw,
And I shall have no power to follow you.
DEMETRIUS
Do I entice you? Do I speak you fair?
Or rather do I not in plainest truth
Tell you I do not, nor I cannot love you?
HELENA
And even for that do I love you the more.
I am your spaniel; and, Demetrius,
The more you beat me, I will fawn on you:
Use me but as your spaniel, spurn me, strike me,
Neglect me, lose me; only give me leave,
Unworthy as I am, to follow you.
What worser place can I beg in your loveAnd yet a place of high respect with meThan to be used as you use your dog?
DEMETRIUS
Tempt not too much the hatred of my spirit;
For I am sick when I do look on thee.
HELENA
And I am sick when I look not on you.
DEMETRIUS
You do impeach your modesty too much
To leave the city and commit yourself
Into the hands of one that loves you not,
To trust the opportunity of night
And the ill counsel of a desert place
With the rich worth of your virginity.
I'll run from thee and hide me in the brakes,
And leave thee to the mercy of wild beasts.
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EGEUS
Full of vexation come I, with complaint
Against my child, my daughter Hermia.
Stand forth, Demetrius. My noble lord,
This man hath my consent to marry her.
Stand forth, Lysander. And, my gracious Duke,
This hath bewitch'd the bosom of my child.
Thou, thou, Lysander, thou hast given her rhymes,
And interchanged love-tokens with my child:
Thou hast by moonlight at her window sung,
With feigning voice verses of feigning love,
And stolen the impression of her fantasy
With bracelets of thy hair, rings, gawds, conceits.
With cunning hast thou filch'd my daughter's heart,
Turn'd her obedience (which is due to me)
To stubborn harshness. And, my gracious Duke,
Be it so she will not here before your Grace,
Consent to marry with Demetrius,
I beg the ancient privilege of Athens:
As she is mine, I may dispose of her;
Which shall be either to this gentleman,
Or to her death, according to our law
Immediately provided in that case.
LYSANDER
You have her father's love, Demetrius;
Let me have Hermia's: do you marry him.
I am, my lord, as well deriv’d as he,
As well possess'd; my love is more than his;
My fortunes every way as fairly rank'd,
If not with vantage, as Demetrius';
And, which is more than all these boasts can be,
I am belov’d of beauteous Hermia.
Why should not I then prosecute my right?
Demetrius, I'll avouch it to his head,
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
And won her soul; and she, sweet lady, dotes,
Devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry,
Upon this spotted and inconstant man.
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BOTTOM
QUINCE
You, Nick Bottom, are set down for Pyramus.
BOTTOM
What is Pyramus? a lover, or a tyrant?
QUINCE
A lover, that kills himself most gallant for love.
BOTTOM
That will ask some tears in the true performing of it. If I do it, let the audience look to their
eyes: I will move storms, I will condole in some measure. To the rest – yet my chief humour is for a tyrant, or
a part to tear a cat in, to make all split.
The raging rocks
And shivering shocks
Shall break the locks
Of prison-gates;
And Phibbus' car
Shall shine from far
And make and mar
The foolish fates.
This was lofty! Now name the rest of the players.
PUCK
My mistress with a monster is in love.
Near to her close and consecrated bower,
While she was in her dull and sleeping hour,
A crew of patches, rude mechanicals,
That work for bread upon Athenian stalls,
Were met together to rehearse a play
Intended for great Theseus' nuptial day.
The shallowest thick-skin of that barren sort,
Who Pyramus presented in their sport,
Forsook his scene and enter’d in a brake,
When I did him at this advantage take:
An ass's nole I fixèd on his head.
Anon, his Thisby must be answered,
And forth my mimic comes. When they him spyAt his sight, away his fellows fly;
And at our stamp, here o'er and o'er one falls;
He murder cries, and help from Athens calls.
I led them on in this distracted fear,
And left sweet Pyramus translated there;
When in that moment, so it came to pass,
Titania wak’d, and straightway loved an ass
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QUINCE
You can play no part but Pyramus: for Pyramus is a sweet-faced man; a proper man as one shall see
in a summer’s day; a most lovely, gentlemen-like man: therefore you must needs play Pyramus.
But, masters, here are your parts; and I am to entreat you, request you, and desire you, to con them
by tomorrow night; and meet me in the wood, a mile without the town, by moonlight; there will we
rehearse, for if we meet in the city, we shall be dogged with company, and our devices known. I pray
you fail me not.
FAIRY
PUCK
How now, spirit! whither wander you?
FAIRY
Over hill, over dale,
Thorough bush, thorough briar,
Over park, over pale,
Thorough flood, thorough fire,
I do wander everywhere,
Swifter than the moon's sphere;
And I serve the Fairy Queen,
To dew her orbs upon the green.
I must go seek some dew-drops here,
And hang a pearl in every cowslip's ear.
Farewell, thou lob of spirits; I'll be gone;
Our Queen and all her elves come here anon.
PUCK
The king doth keep his revels here to-night:
Take heed the queen come not within his sight;
FAIRY
Either I mistake your shape and making quite,
Or else you are that shrewd and knavish sprite
Call'd Robin Goodfellow. Are not you he
That frights the maidens of the villager?
Those that Hobgoblin call you, and sweet Puck,
You do their work, and they shall have good luck:
Are not you he?
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SIMPLY THEATRE AUDITIONS – HELP FOR
AUDITIONEES AND PARENTS
We want to demystify the auditions process and help everyone, particularly those who are
new to auditions or curious about the process, understand what happens and how
decisions are made. Everyone auditions for things at various points in their lives, and we all
have to face the highs of success or the lows of not getting what we want. However it can
be easier to deal with some of the frustration at not succeeding if one has a clearer, more
realistic idea as to why this might be the case, hence this article.
We also want to offer some practical advice as to how to best prepare for auditions as well
as how to make the decision to apply in the first place. Again, there is often a fear that only
those who have auditioned extensively in the past have any chance of getting a role, or
that others have some sort of mystical, secret knowledge which means they get the roles.
We hope to clear some of these issues up in this article.
Finally, we are committed to making our auditions a rewarding and fair experience as best
as we can. (Ultimately, of course, there will only be one person who gets the role, and
many more people will be rejected. This is the nature of the theatre, for there are always
many more good actors than there are good roles.) Moreover, we firmly believe that
auditions should not be about intimidating people, or making them feel judged, but
instead, a chance to try to see how they respond to a role, to share the material that they
have prepared freely and confidently, and to bring the very best out of them in the
process. We want auditionees to leave an audition session feeling like they have worked
hard, been given every reasonable opportunity to show what they can do, and that they
could not have done any better. So this article is also intended to suggest to you how you
can play your part in this.
What can I expect at auditions?
Audition formats vary widely:
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Some require the auditionee to present a monologue or song to a panel, with noone else in the room. Here the director might just want to see whether, to their mind,
you 'fit' the role or not, as well as how you work under pressure.
Some will ask you to work with one other person as you present your speech or a
piece of dialogue. This person might be another auditionee, or perhaps another
actor, or a member of the panel. Here, they will be exploring both whether you fit
the role, as well as how flexible and responsive you are when working with others.
They may also be asking you to work with another actor that they have in mind for
the role, to see if you look right together. For example, it is a sad reality that
audiences may find it difficult to believe in a 5ft Romeo with a 6ft Juliet!
Some will take the form of a workshop, where the emphasis is on asking you to do
different things. Here they might be wanting to see how you work in an environment
similar to the rehearsal room, they might be trying to give you a greater insight into
the play so that you can make a stronger connection to the work. They also might
be trying to see how you engage with others, for casting as well as for working
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purposes. They might also just find this way of auditioning suits their own skills and
observational abilities better, giving them more time to watch you.
How do I prepare for auditions?
Here are some very simple tips:
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•
•
•
•
If you have to prepare some text and know it off by heart, do it thoroughly. In the
audition you want to be focusing on the character and what they are saying and
doing, rather than being the actor desperately trying to remember their words. The
audition room will be different to your bedroom, so try performing your speech in
different locations. The director will want to know that you are reliable if they are
going to trust you with the responsibility of a role in the production.
Engage imaginatively with what the character is saying and why they are saying it.
Remember that they are speaking to someone else, so engage with about what
you want them to understand. Even if the character is speaking to themselves, they
are still doing for a reason, so try to engage with what you think that might be.
Whispering the words to yourself often allows you to hear what you are saying in a
very direct, honest way. Doing this might allow you to hear things in the speech that
you hadn't noticed before.
To make sure you have learned it fully and deeply, do other activities whilst speaking
the speech. The more you do this, the sturdier your learning of the speech. Also,
quite often this will encourage you, unconsciously, to say it in different ways. This will
be helpful in making you more confident, especially if a director is likely to ask you to
do it differently.
Finally, and vitally, the answers to many questions about the speech will be in the
play itself. Find out ALL the simple facts about your character, and make sure you
have an understanding of what has recently happened to them and what is
happening to them at this point in the play. If you don't know, not only will it be very
difficult to perform the speech with any sense of integrity or accuracy, but you will
feel silly if a director asks you about the character you are playing and you can’t
answer.
How do you cast a production?
If you really want to understand the casting process, try doing it yourself. Think of a favourite
character from a play, film, book, TV programme. For example, James Bond. We associate
him with good looks, strength, tenacity, charm, suavity and ruthlessness. Imagine Daniel
Craig, Pierce Brosnan, or an actor like Damien Lewis playing the role – we find it very easy
to believe he has those characteristics. Now imagine Ricky Gervais playing the role. He is a
similar age to Daniel Craig, and a capable actor, but despite his best efforts it would be
hard to believe that he is 007.
Overall, a director is usually trying to find someone who is most immediately 'naturally'
suited to the role. I say ‘immediately’ because, although actors are often capable of great
transformation, the reality of limited rehearsal time means that one is often looking for the
actor who, in auditions, gets closest to the way the director understands the character.
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The simple truth about auditions is that most people are rejected because they are not the
most 'right' person for the role. Other factors might be a lack of experience, a lack of
security in performance, a sense that the auditionee hasn't shown enough of themselves
despite opportunities, not responding clearly to direction, a sense that the auditionee
might not have understood who their character is or why they are saying what they are
saying, a lack of chemistry with other actors, a difficulty in processing instructions clearly....
As you can see, it is therefore unlikely that the reason for rejection will be 'lack of talent' or
'lack of innate ability'.
How do I know if I should audition or not?
At Simply Theatre we would be putting ourselves in an invidious position if we began to
suggest to particular individuals that they should audition. This would immediately create
favouritism, false hopes and resentment. Moreover, we insist that we run an open door
auditions process, and therefore invite anyone who believes they have the commitment,
the energy, the passion and the determination to engage fully with a sustained and
challenging rehearsal process, to audition for one of our productions. If you have a keen
hunger and are prepared to put the work in, then go for it!
Tips for the big day…
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Be confident and try to enjoy the audition as much as possible- remember the team
will be there to help and support you, not to judge you!
Arrive with plenty of time to spare so that you do not add to your nerves.
Warm yourself up in advance both physically and vocally using exercises you will
have used in Academy classes to help warm up the voice and body. If you are short
on time, you can easily do vocal warm-ups in the car on the way there!
Good preparation in advance of your audition is key to helping you feel calm and
confident on the day. Giving you the best chance of showing yourself off to the best
of your ability.
It is advisable to learn the pieces of script if possible, again to be able to perform it
fully and confidently.
Arrive in comfortable clothing (no skirts as they hinder movement) that is easy to
move around in for the dance audition. No jewellery please.
Students with long hair should ensure they have their hair tied back.
Try to enjoy the audition and use it as a fun, learning experience.
Do not make the mistake of believing that you have a part before you do! Building
yourself up too much can lead to disappointment.
Go into the audition with an open mind, looking at it as an opportunity and new
experience from which you will learn.
Do not worry if something goes wrong in the audition. The audition team is there to
see the potential not to see a finished, polished routine.
Presentation is important. Ensure that even if you feel nervous and everything goes
wrong, you smile, project your voice and try to come across as enthusiastically and
confidently as possible.
Good Luck!
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
AUDITION FORM (2 pages)
To be completed and returned at your audition
Students Full Name
__________________________________________________________
Age at time of audition
________
Course attended
___________________________________________________
Gender
Male
Student’s Email
___________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian’s Details
Full Name
__________________________________________________________
Email (for production notices)
___________________________________________________
Home Phone ________________________________
Mobile _____________________________________
If you are unable to make any potential weekend rehearsals marked on the Academy
calendar please state them here:
Any other relevant information:
Terms and Conditions
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All students must have the permission of a parent/guardian in order to audition and participate.
If successful, on gaining a part, students must agree to pay the show fee of 190chf/500chf for
non-members in full, in advance of the rehearsal start date.
On accepting a role, each cast member agrees to attend all relevant rehearsals unless
previously agreed with the director.
Simply Theatre Academy reserves the right to withdraw a cast member from the show if their
behaviour is detrimental to the enjoyment of the other participants, even once rehearsals have
commenced.
No refunds will be given once rehearsals have commenced.
Photographs and videos may be taken of students during Simply Theatre Academy shows /
rehearsals for promotional purposes. Simply Theatre Academy reserves the rights to use these
photos in print, media and online.
I agree to the terms and conditions above and give my permission.
Signature of parent/guardian named above:
_________________________________ Date: _____
Signature of student named above:
_________________________________ Date: _____
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A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM AUDITION FORM CONTINUED (page 2 of 2)
CONFLICT SCHEDULE
We need to know your conflicts so we can set the final casting and rehearsal schedule. Please do
understand the more conflicts that you have the more difficult it will be to cast you.
Month/Date
Day
Times
March 14
Saturday
1pm - 6pm
March 15
Sunday
10am-6pm
March 21
Saturday
1pm-6pm
March 22
Sunday
10am-6pm
March 28
Saturday
1pm-6pm
March 29
Sunday
10am – 6pm
April 11
Saturday
10am-6pm
April 12
Sunday
10am-6pm
April 18
Saturday
1pm – 6pm
April 19
Sunday
10am – 6pm
April 25
Saturday
1pm - 6pm
April 26
Sunday
10am-6pm
May 2
Saturday
1pm-6pm
May 3
Sunday
10am-6pm
May 9
Saturday
1pm-6pm
May 10
Sunday
10am-6pm
May 16
Saturday
1pm-6pm
May 17
Sunday
10am-6pm
May 23
Saturday
10am-6pm
May 24
Sunday
10am-6pm
May 25
Monday
10am – 7pm
May 26
Tuesday
5pm-10pm
May 27
Weds
5pm-10pm
May 28
Thursday
5pm call
May 29
Onwards…
Friday
FOLLOW
SHOW
SCHEDULE
YES, I can
attend rehearsal
Attendance
Required
NO, I cannot
attend
rehearsal
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
Attendance
Required
REASON
why I am not available
Your Signature _____________________________________________________________________
Guardian/Parent Signature ____________________________________________________________
PLEASE BRING TO YOUR AUDITION COMPLETED
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