Audition

Could you be the next Dame Maggie Smith? Local theatre group holds auditions for The Lady in the Van.

Long established local theatre group, Peterborough Mask Theatre, is holding open auditions for its Spring production of Alan Bennett’s The Lady In The Van, and you could be the eponymous troublemaker! The auditions are on November 14th and 21st at The Lindens, 86 Lincoln Road PE1 2SN (Age Concern lounge). Rehearsals begin in January, and the play will be performed in The Key Theatre studio April 17 th – 20, 2019.

The play is a warm and funny look at, not only homelessness, but also our reactions to those who choose to live in different ways to ourselves. The Lady In the Van is a true story about Miss Shepherd, who lived in her camper van on Bennett’s Street in London in the late 1960s, and her relationship with the writer after she parked her van on his driveway.

He expected the arrangement to last a couple of months; she stayed for 15 years. Director Di Fox says: “This play is a real gift for actors, every part has something fantastic about it and it will be really rewarding challenge for the cast.

There’s plenty of humour and heartfelt moments to explore and it’s going to be so much fun to rehearse!” Talking about how he wrote the play, Bennett says it did not work until he came across the idea of writing two versions of himself; the irritated and resentful side, dealing with the practicalities of his unwelcome guest; and the more amused other side, taking pleasure in Miss Shepherd’s absurdities and outrageous demands. There are three main parts in the play, the two Alan Bennetts and of course the The Lady, but also lots of lovely smaller parts to get your teeth into. Alan Bennett as always, saves his best lines beautifully for the smaller parts.

For the full cast list please request the audition pack. Peterborough Mask Theatre also need a brilliant backstage team to make this production work. So if the idea of being onstage isn’t your cup of tea but you’d like to be involved, then please get in touch.

For an audition pack containing the audition pieces or for any further details please contact info@masktheatre.co.uk.