YOUNG COMPANY & COMMUNITY COMPANY INFORMATION

Are you someone who lives locally with a passion for performing? Maybe you’re already part of an amateur dramatic company? Perhaps you’re at college or uni studying performing arts?

This summer 2023, Theatre Royal will be staging a brand-new adaptation of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Our legendary community production will include local young people performing alongside a professional cast to create an exciting new production on our main stage.

Our YOUNG COMPANY (Ages 9-13) will play Munchkins, Monkeys and Courtiers and will be able to also take part in workshops throughout the process working with our Creative Learning team.

This year, we are also expanding the production to include six community members forming our COMMUNITY COMPANY (Ages 14+), these will play The Lion, The Scarecrow, Mum, The North Witch, The Guard and the Medic.

As this is a great opportunity to develop new skills, work with a professional creative team and stage a full-scale production, there will be a charge of £250 to take part over the six weeks period. As a charity, this will be an important contribution toward our costs. If this excludes you from taking part please do speak to our team as we are able to offer a limited number of bursary places to ensure everyone can take part.

The production takes place over the summer, rehearsing daytimes from Mon 24 Jul – Thu 17 Aug and performing evenings and some afternoons from Fri 18 Aug – Sat 2 Sep. It is important that you are able to make these rehearsals and ESSENTIAL that you can make the performance dates.

If you are in our YOUNG COMPANY (Ages 9-13) you will split your role with someone else and share the shows with someone else and you need to be the age of 9 by the start of rehearsals.

If you are in our COMMUNITY COMPANY (Ages 14+) you will perform in every performance as your character, with 7 shows per week and need to be the age of 14 by the start of rehearsals.

To register your interest for YOUNG COMPANY (Ages 9-13) complete this form: https://zfrmz.eu/bf6v3mFiRkpiRQfXn9JB

To register your interest for Community Company complete this form: https://zfrmz.eu/O9Di6LhrFnAQTrUORrWX

Closing Date: FRIDAY 19th MAY

 

AUDITIONS:

YOUNG COMPANY (Ages 9-13): Saturday 3rd June

COMMUNITY COMPANY (Ages 14+): Saturday 3rd June or evening of Tuesday 6th June

There will be a singing and/or dance element to these auditions.

 

Young Technicians

We are also recruiting a small cohort of YOUNG TECHNICIANS (16+) for this production. If you are 16 and will have left school by the time rehearsals start then you can apply to be a Young Technician, you will gain practical experience of working backstage as part of our technical team. The same fees apply as above.

To register your interest to be a YOUNG TECHNICIANS (16+) complete this form: https://zfrmz.eu/bf6v3mFiRkpiRQfXn9JB

Closing Date: FRIDAY 19th MAY

 

Overview

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz was originally written by L. Frank Baum and adapted by Mike Akers for Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds. Directed by Owen Calvert-Lyons and David Whitney. Produced by Zoe Fox, original music by David Lewington, movement & choreography by Sunny Saini and design by Morgan Brind.

After a rare and inexplicable cyclone hits Suffolk (Stowmarket to be precise!), Dorothy and her dog Toto find themselves transported to the mysterious Land of Oz. If they are ever going to find their way home, they must follow the yellow brick road in search of a powerful wizard, The Great Oz. On the way, they meet a host of weird and wonderful creatures: Lion, Scarecrow, Tin Man, Witches and Munchkins.

Mike Akers’ new adaptation will take you on a magical adventure to another world and remind you that there’s ‘no place like home’. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is a play with songs, featuring new music by David Lewington and choreography by Sunny Saini.

Following the success of last year’s The Secret Garden our summer production returns with this classic tale retold by professional actors and local members of our community aged 8 – 80.

 

DATES

Mon 24th July 2023: Rehearsals (4 weeks) in Bury St Edmunds.
Fri 18th August – Sat 2nd September: Performance (2 weeks) Theatre Royal Bury St Edmunds.

 

COMMUNITY COMPANY ROLES (Ages 14+)
If cast you will be required to perform in ALL performances, 7 shows a week.

Lion: 14+, any gender. At the start of the play the lion is shy and fearful, described by others as cowardly and they have started to doubt themselves, often brought to tears in Act 1. But they have a big heart and through wanting the best for their friends finds their courage. Needs to be able to sing and dance.

Scarecrow: 14+. Any gender. Only one day old the Scarecrow is a little ditzy, the farmer made them “with an empty head” and so Scarecrow thinks they need to find some brains in order to be a good Scarecrow. Through Scarecrow’s innocence they are a funny, inquisitive character unsure of who and what things are around them. Needs to be able to sing and dance.

Guard: 14+. Any gender. The Guard is irritable and aggressive, they guard the door to Oz and lead the principle characters to meet Oz.

Medic: 14+. Any gender. The Medic looks after Dorothy’s mum in hospital, a cold and foreboding character.

North Witch: 40 +, Female. Sister of the Wicked Witch of the East. An eccentric character who introduces Dorothy to Oz and gives a flavour of this upside-down new world. Must be a strong singer as there is a solo number “Introducing Oz” performed by the North Witch.

Mum: 30+, Female. Dorothy’s mother. A warm, kind character who loves Dorothy dearly. There is a slightly mystical side to this role as there is an ambiguity around whether she has, or hasn’t been to Oz.

 

YOUNG COMPANY ROLES (Ages 9-13)
If cast you will share your role with someone else and perform in 3-4 shows a week

We are looking for 2 teams of 6 young people to make up our chorus of Munchkins, Monkeys and Courtiers!

We are looking for people with movement experience, good acting skills and who work well in a team. You don’t need to have performed before but bear in mind this is a big professional show and therefore we will be asking a lot of you, so if you think you are up for the challenge then we would love to see you at the audition.

 

If you have any concerns or queries please get in touch with [email protected]