Auditions: Sunday 22 Feb at 3.00pm & Tuesday 24 Feb at 7.45pm
The Roles Energy and timing are crucial - to maintain audience attention in this complex thriller masterpiece. The actors playing Andrew, and more particularly Milo, need to demonstrate their capacity for voices/accents, and a physicality that distinguishes them as individuals. The ability to climb a ladder or fall down a set of stairs may be called upon too!
The main characters are on stage 99% of the time and must demonstrate the line-learning capacity that the play demands. Rapport between the players is essential, and getting books down before rehearsals begin would be an absolute boon, if not a necessity.
Audition pieces are available in advance from the director - Richard Seymour - on 07836 374 803. (Please note however that there will also be some surprise pieces on the day..!)
Andrew Wyke (45 - 65) A charismatic, self-obsessed, self-made, intellectual, privileged and aristocratic snob. Obsessed with games-playing, the desire to win and finding a worthy opponent "to play with". Scratch beneath the upper crust surface to discover an insecure, impotent and fragile older man who has created his very own castle in the air' where games-playing takes precedence over meaningful relationships and the fulfilment that children can bring. As the plot progresses the veneer cracks and Andrew is literally stripped of his dignity - which proves to be as precarious as the state of his eccentric mind.
Andrew's character is multi-faceted, and the chart to show the peaks and troughs of his emotional state during the course of the play contains various highs and lows. However he needs to be played consistently and with some degree of empathy. He has no inkling of the price he will have to pay for the pleasure he takes in humiliating Milo.
Milo Tindle (30 - 40) Initially sincere but wary at first, then trusting; eager and naive - seemingly a puppet in the master's hands and quite literally a clown. But Milo is also a realist, driven by the gritty determination of being an outsider and a foreigner in an unwelcoming world. He has had to survive off his wits and become adept at concealing his true feelings, showing people what they wish to see and 'fitting in'. He is resourceful through necessity and has got where he has by sheer determination - not privilege and upbringing.
Milo reveals a steely obsession and an Italian desire for revenge, but once triggered he loses sight of when to stop and ends up having as frail a grip on reality as Wyke. Self-interest and lust for vengeance take over. Whilst initially the opposite of Andrew, he ultimately proves a worthy foil - his self-confidence shines through - putting a desire to win the game over and above all else.
Detective Inspector Doppler (45 - 55, but can be aged up) Milo's alter ego? Slow, methodical, persistent. Plodding, in fact. The archetypal investigative policeman, and almost a caricature from one of Andrew's crime novels. His accent is distinct from the other characters - west country perhaps ("Wiltshire County Constabulary"), and he has a persona which befits his perceived age. Completely different from Milo in stature and demeanour, and perhaps slightly taller than Andrew.
Detective Sergeant Tarrant (Any age) Very minor supporting role (few lines) - a policeman.
Constable Higgs (Any age) Very minor supporting role (few lines) - a policeman.
Food for thought? - see you soon!
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