The Comedy of Errors - Summer 2021 Casting Information

The Comedy of Errors

   Summer 2021
 Casting Information

Summary

The Maltings Theatre is seeking 11 performers for its upcoming open air production of
Shakespeare's THE COMEDY OF ERRORS directed by award winning director Matthew Parker
playing at the historic Roman Theatre of St Albans this June and July.

A fast paced, fun and anarchic take on the classic comedy of mistaken identity featuring live music
(karaoke classics!) so performers with strong singing abilities are required.

Experience of Shakespeare, outdoor performance and any comedy skills (clowning, Lazzi, Commedia
del Arte, stand-up etc) are all encouraged. Please do highlight any of these experiences in your cover
note.

The Concept

Welcome to The Phoenix Beachfront Bar, where owners Ant and Adriana serve up karaoke laced
with fruity cocktail kicks.

When Ant’s long lost twin brother washes up on shore, with his loveable but idiotic mate Dromio
(who also happens to be a long lost twin) a hilarious and anarchic adventure of errors ensues. The
two sets of twins plus a host of colourful characters, mysterious merchants, late night lovers, a drag
queen and a nun grab the wrong end of the stick (of seaside rock) in a hilarious, helter-skelter
comedy of mistaken identity, magic and mayhem, bingo and bunting, candy floss and cocktails,
seagulls and slapstick - and where the Punch & Judy show might well end in a punch up.

Pull up a deckchair, grab your "Kiss Me Quick” hat and join us for a fast paced and colourful version
of Shakespeare’s classic THE COMEDY OF ERRORS featuring live music and lashings of sun soaked
silliness (weather permitting!). Fun-House fun for all the family under the direction of Off West End
Award winner Matthew Parker who returns to direct for OVO following his 2020 ★★★★★ debut
with HENRY V.

★★★★★ “Bursting with energy, originality and laugh-out-loud moments” The Review Chap
★★★★★ “A treat to see Shakespearean sophistication at this level” IThankYou Theatre
★★★★★ “A tour de force” Sardines Magazine
“Revelling in the comedy” Herts Advertiser

OVO / The Maltings Theatre has developed an outstanding reputation for its highly inventive and
entertaining musical Shakespeares including The Merry Wives of Windsor at an 80s rock festival
(2020), Twelfth Night aboard a cruise liner in the roaring twenties (2019), Much Ado About Nothing
in a fifties American diner (2018) and the award winning As You Like It set in the summer of love
(2016).

Our annual Roman Theatre festival has grown, over the past seven years, to become one of the
UK's leading outdoor theatre events.

For more info on our work visit http://maltingstheatre.co.uk

More info on Director Matthew Parker's work at https://www.matthewparker.net

The Roman Theatre can be viewed at https://www.gorhamburyestate.co.uk/The-Roman-Theatre

The Roles

Cast of 11 with some doubling (see role breakdowns below for further details)

Antipholus of Ephesus
Antipholus of Syracuse
Dromio of Ephesus / Headsman in A1
Dromio of Syracuse / Headsman in A5
Egeon / Officer
Duke / Balthasar / Pinch
Adriana
Luciana
Courtesan
Lucy / Merchant 2 / Abbess (Emilia) / Pinch’s Assistant
Merchant 1 / Angelo / Pinch’s Assistant 1

Please note that this job is in St Albans. Rehearsals and performances are all in St Albans. No travel
or accommodation is provided so applicants will need to be able to rehearse and perform in St
Albans.

Production Dates

Rehearsals 11 May to 3 June at The Maltings Theatre & Roman Theatre, St Albans.

Show runs from 4 June to 4 July in rep with other productions as part of the 7 week festival. 14
performances in total.

The cast will need to be available to attend ALL rehearsal and performance dates.

Please do not apply if you are not available for all rehearsal and performance dates.

Rehearsals

11 May to 3 June over a 4 week period as follows:

Daytimes:
Tue 11 May
Wed 12 May
Thu 13 May
Fri 14 May
Mon 17 May
Tue 18 May
Wed 19 May
Thu 20 May
Fri 21 May
Mon 24 May
Tue 25 May
Wed 26 May

(A break whilst the first show in the season goes up)

Tech & Dress from Wed 2 June until opening on Fri 4 June (daytimes/evenings)

Performances

June
Fri 4 at 7.30pm
Sat 5 at 2.30pm
Sun 6 at 1.00pm
Wed 9 at 7.30pm
Thu 10 at 7.30pm
Sat 12 at 1.00pm and 4.30pm
Sun 13 at 4.30pm
Sat 19 at 1.00pm and 4.30pm
Sat 26 at 4.30pm
Sun 27 at 4.30pm

July
Sat 3 at 4.30pm
Sun 4 at 4.30pm

All dates subject to change due to Covid-19

Production Location
Roman Theatre of St Albans

Director
Matthew Parker

Producer
Ryan Wilce

Contract Type
Equity Fringe Agreement

Contract Info
Paid £8.72 per hour plus holiday pay for all rehearsals and performances, in line with the Equity
Fringe Agreement. Performance calls are for 3 hours. The final fee will depend on how many
rehearsals the performer is called for.

Casting Directors
Adam Nichols and Matthew Parker

Casting Location
St Albans

Closing Date
4th March 2021 at 11pm

Casting Details
Auditions will be held in person at The Maltings Theatre, St Albans on 11 and 12 March daytimes
between 10.30am and 6pm. Please do not apply if you cannot attend on one of these days
in person. As with rehearsals and performances, COVID secure regulations and social distancing
will be applied to all auditions.

Roles

Antipholus of Ephesus (Male, 25–29 years)
Lead role.
Antipholus ('Ant') runs the local Karaoke Bar with his wife Adriana. Hipster vibe. A trendy bloke.
Could be a bit of a rogue/geezer. He’s got money and runs a successful business. Strong personality.
Cocky. Knows what he wants. Conceited/full of himself with regards to his looks and magnetism so
when this is questioned it throws him (with comic results). Quick to switch his affections to other
women eg Courtesan. Quick tempered. Fiery and potentially explosive. Violent with Dromio. But it
is still very much a comic role. The butt of quite a lot of the jokes and treated badly by his own
household, wife, sister in law, Pinch… everyone really. Everyone believes he is mad.
One of twins so will be looking for strong physical similarities with whoever we cast as the other
Antipholus.
Strong singing skills required.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Antipholus of Syracuse (Male, 25–29 years)
Lead role.
Hipster vibe. Bit of a romantic. Strong personality. Knows what he wants. Fall in love with Luciana
almost upon first sight and completely falls for her, getting very poetic in the process. Wary and
overawed by his unfamiliar surroundings in Ephesus. Quick tempered.
One of twins so will be looking for strong physical similarities with whoever we cast as the other
Antipholus.
Strong singing skills required. Solo singing likely.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Dromio of Ephesus (Male, 25–29 years)
Lead role.
Sidekick of Antipholus of Ephesus. Works at The Phoenix Karaoke Bar - probably as a barman but
open to suggestions and further creation here. Bit of an idiot but well meaning. Just wants to please
his master (Ant E) and mistress (Adriana).
One of twins so will be looking for strong physical similarities with whoever we cast as the other
Dromio.
Will also double as the Headsman in Act 1.
Not sure who this character is yet and will create in rehearsal.
Strong singing skills required.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Dromio of Syracuse (Male, 25–29 years)
Lead role.
Sidekick/Best mate (perhaps) of Antipholus of Syracuse. Happy with his lot in life. He becomes
betrothed to a woman he does not care for (Nell) and is fully scared of her. Bit of an idiot but well
meaning.
One of twins so will be looking for strong physical similarities with whoever we cast as the other
Dromio.
Will also double as the Headsman in Act 5. Not sure who this character is yet and will create in
rehearsal.
Strong singing skills required. Solo singing likely.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Adriana (Female, 23–29 years)
Lead role.
Adriana runs The Phoenix Karaoke Bar with her husband Ant E. Passionate. Driven. Open with her
feelings and expresses herself with freedom and abandon. Charms Ant S to dine with her even
though he doesn’t know her at all. Voices her frustrations as a wife and wants more attention from
her husband than she is getting. Upset at her husband Ant E spending time with anyone else other
than her. Other characters describe her as jealous. Quick witted. Mercurial. A flair for the dramatic.
She employs an exorcist to rid her husband of the devil for cheating on her. Fiery. Fights for what
she believes is right when he stands up to the Abbess when she takes Ant E into her care, plead her
case to the Duke etc.
Strong singing skills required. Solo singing likely.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Luciana (Female, 23–34 years)
Described as Adriana's sister. Not necessarily her biological sister eg could be best friends.
Potentially works at The Phoenix Bar. Or potentially just spends a lot of her time there. Proud to be
unmarried / strong feminist OR hopelessly romantic and just waiting for ”the one”. Shocked to find
herself the object of Ant S's affection. Open to creating exactly who Luciana is and what drives her
with the performer.
Strong singing skills required.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus. Shakespeare experience and experience of
outdoor theatre both useful.

Egeon / Officer (Male, 49–60 years)
Double role.
Egeon - the serious heart of the story. A merchant. A father who is searching for his long lost twin
sons and their mother. Sentenced to death at the start of the show. Nostalgic. A natural storyteller.
Officer - A hapless local policeman. Clowning skills highly useful for this role.
Strong singing skills required.
Strong comedy skills required.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Duke /Balthasar / Pinch (Any gender, 24–40 years)
Actor of any gender to multi role 3 characters - a confident, versatile character actor required.
Duke Solinus - Although named a Duke in text can be any gender. Powerful figure in Ephesus
community. Could run the local fairground. Or be a local politician. Perhaps to be played as a
gangland leader. Open to creating the character and backstory with the performer.
Balthasar - An elderly merchant (maybe an old sea dog type?) An associate of Antipholus E (though
probably thinks Ant to be a petulant and silly youth, too quick to anger and violence). Written as
male but doesn’t have to be so. A pragmatist and potentially a bit of a grump.
Pinch - is hired by Adriana to exorcise the demon out of Antipholus. A spiritual person of any
gender. Wildly exaggerated and OTT physicality. Highly comic role. Believes themselves to be
spiritual but could well be just a hack Fortune Teller type. Or we could take Shakespeare’s
description of a conjurer and make Pinch a vaudeville-type magician/magic act or hypnotist. Perhaps
a Mystic Meg type. Definitely some sort of spiritual element though. And someone who perhaps isn’t
all they seem/not truly magical - think perhaps Oda May Brown in Ghost or Professor Trelawney in
Harry Potter or Mr Magoo. Open to creating who exactly Pinch is with the performer. Lots of fun
to be had here.
Strong singing skills required. Solo singing likely.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Lucy / Abbess / Merchant 2 / Pinch's Assistant (Female, 45–59 years)
Versatile actress required to multi role 4 characters.
Lucy - an employee of the Phoenix Karaoke Bar. Female. Potentially a bouncer.
Merchant 2 - An international merchant. Driven by money. Bound for Persia next. Could maybe be
a gangland sort. Any gender or background - open to creating who this character is in rehearsal.
Abbess - Of the local nunnery. Female. Also happens to be Emilia, mother to the Antipholus twins
and long lost husband to Egeon. Forthright. Resolute. Grand. Superior and supercilious. Lots of
comic potential and fun to be had with her.
Pinch’s Assistant 2 - Open to creating whoever this character is in rehearsal. But it is likely to be
very physical.
Strong singing skills required. Solo singing likely.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Courtesan (Male, 28–47 years)
Courtesan is the host of Drag Bingo at the Cabaret Bar called The Porpentine. A drag queen. The
aim is that Courtesan will host each performance with lots of audience interaction - and probably
Bingo. Likely to be a bigger role than in the original Shakespeare text - a lot of which will come from
improv in rehearsals. Fruity and fun. Sexually driven and also likes the bling eg she wears diamond
rings and wants a gold chain from Antipholus E. This performer needs to be quick witted and good
with improv and one-liners. Lots of improv both in rehearsals and also in the live show.
Strong singing skills required. Solo singing likely.
Strong comedy skills required. Clowning skills a bonus.
Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both useful.

Merchant 1 / Angelo / Pinch's Assistant (Any gender, 22–35 years)
Versatile actor required to multi role 3 characters.
Merchant 1 - A local merchant keen to exploit others for financial gain
Angelo - A goldsmith (and loves wearing gold - be it gold clothes or lots of gold jewellery etc). A
wheeler dealer. Brimming with confidence and a natural charm and ease. He provides a gold chain
for Antipholus to give to Adriana.
Pinch’s Assistant 1 - Open to creating whoever this character is in rehearsal. But it is likely to be
very physical. Strong singing skills required. Rapping skills would be useful. Strong comedy skills
required. Clowning skills a bonus. Shakespeare experience and experience of outdoor theatre both
useful.

How to apply

Applications are via agents on Spotlight. However, we are accepting applications from a carefully
selected group of actors without representation with whose work we are already familiar or with
whom we have worked before.

If you have received this information it means that you are already known to us. Please do not share
this with anyone else in your network as we will only be accepting applications from unrepresented
actors who we already know.

If you do not have representation and would like to apply direct, please send us your CV (or a link
to your Spotlight Profile if you have one) and a cover note of no more than one page outlining the
following:

1. What role or role/s you wish to apply for and why
2. Details of your singing skills eg able to sing solo and your vocal range (if not already on your
   CV/Spotlight Profile)
3. Details of comedy skills and experience (eg clowning, Lazzi, Commedia del Arte, stand-up etc)
4. Any Shakespeare experience
5. Any outdoor theatre experience

We anticipate high number of applications and reference to these skills in your cover note will assist
with shortlisting.

Closing Date: Thursday 4th March 2021 at 11pm

Applications received after this date and time cannot be considered.

Shortlisting will be done after the closing date. We will only be able to contact those shortlisted.

IF YOUR AGENT HAS ALREADY SUBBED YOU ON SPOTLIGHT PLEASE DO NOT
ALSO SEND AN EMAIL APPLICATION AS THIS DUPLICATION CAUSES ISSUES
WHEN WE COME TO SHORTLISTING. PLEASE JUST APPLY IN ONE WAY -
EITHER SPOTLIGHT OR EMAIL.

If you wish to submit direct to us please send your application by email to
casting@maltingstheatre.co.uk. Applications will only be accepted via this email address. Please do
not send or copy your application to any other OVO or Maltings Theatre email address.

Please refrain from emailing or contacting us directly with queries etc on email or social media as we
anticipate a very high volume of interest in these opportunities and we unfortunately won’t have
time to respond to individual enquiries. Thankyou for your assistance in this.

Best wishes,

Adam, Matthew and The Maltings Team