AUDITIONS
PRODUCTION DETAILS
To be performed at
The Maddermarket Theatre, Norwich
4th – 6th APRIL 2024
Performed entirely by young people aged 18 and under
A musical by ALAIN BOUBLIL and CLAUDE-MICHEL SCHÖNBERG
School Edition special adaptation licensed by
MUSIC THEATRE INTERNATIONAL and CAMERON MACKINTOSH (OVERSEAS) LIMITED
Winner of over 100 international awards and seen by over 65 million people worldwide, Les Misérables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. Les Misérables School Edition is one of the most memorable scores of all time. Not available for performance by adult amateur groups and rarely available for youth groups outside of school premises, we are delighted to be producing this epic show.
In 19th century France, Jean Valjean is released from years of unjust imprisonment, but finds nothing in store for him but mistrust and mistreatment. He breaks his parole in hopes of starting a new life, initiating a life-long struggle for redemption as he is relentlessly pursued by police inspector Javert, who refuses to believe Valjean can change his ways. Finally, during the Paris student uprising of 1832, Javert must confront his ideals after Valjean spares his life and saves that of the student revolutionary who has captured the heart of Valjean’s adopted daughter.
Epic, grand and uplifting, Les Misérables School Edition packs an emotional wallop. It is a sung-through musical and is ideal for a cast of exceptional singers. This edition has been abridged to a running time of just over two hours, while carefully maintaining the integrity of one the greatest musicals ever written.
Echo Youth Theatre is looking for young performers aged 9-18 years old to audition for this show.
Cast Members must be age 9 at the start of rehearsals on 29th Nov 23 and 18 years of age or under on the date of our last performance on 6th Apr 24.
The cast must be in full-time education in a Sixth Form, Secondary, Middle or Junior School.
Show Week will be Sun 31st Mar to Sat 6th Apr 24 and you need to be fully available for that period.
REHEARSAL DETAILS
Rehearsing at St Edmund’s Church Fishergate NR3 1SE
Rehearsals will start Wed 29th Nov 2023.
Rehearsals will be:
Wednesdays 6.30pm to 9.00pm
and
Sundays 12pm to 6pm.
We do not routinely call all cast to all rehearsals and you are only required to attend the rehearsals you are called for. A full schedule is available on the link below – this is a draft schedule and subject to change, so we will be expecting good availability for all Wednesdays and Sundays.
During the audition process, you will be asked to let us know of any planned absences – please know your commitments for the periods 29 Nov – 17 Dec 23 and 3 Jan – 6 Apr 24. There will be a break in rehearsals 18 Dec 23 – 2 Jan 24 (inclu).
We will try to accommodate absences that we know about in advance. Auditionees with excessive absences or who are unavailable for key dates may not be cast, but please come and audition if you are keen to be in the show and discuss any issues you have with us.
Please be honest about any prior commitments. Frequent, undeclared absences could result in being removed from the show during the rehearsal process. If your planned absences have been agreed upon by the team in advance and you are cast in the show, your absence will not be an issue.
AUDITION DETAILS
Auditions will be at St Edmunds Church Fishergate NR3 1SE
Audition applications are now open.
Please make sure you have read all the audition information before applying and understand the rehearsal commitment.
AUDITION DATES
Prior to our auditions, we will be holding an information evening for members and potential members, plus parents. There is no obligation and no need to have already booked an audition, just come along and see and hear what we are about. We will talk about the show, roles, rehearsals and the audition process. We will also sing through the audition pieces.
Please also come along to the information evening if you are interested in supporting the production team backstage or on the tech side and are not auditioning.
Information Evening
Wed 8th Nov 23 :
Session 1 – 6.00pm – 7.30pm
Session 2 – 7.30pm – 9pm
The session will run twice and is for those who have booked an audition only – we will not be able to accept walk-ins, because of the number we are auditioning. Please book an audition if you are planning to come to the Information Evening.
AUDITIONS FOR PRINCIPAL ROLES & ENSEMBLE
These audition sessions are for principal roles and ensemble only – those auditioning for the “children’s roles” of Gavroche, Little Cosette, Little Eponine and Gavroche’s Gang are not required on these days and have a separate audition panel.
Movement & Ensemble Singing Audition
Wed 22nd Nov 23
6pm – 9pm
This is a mandatory part of the audition process for this show for all principals and ensemble. You will be allocated a 90-min session within these times, once auditions close.
Audition Days
Sat 25th and Sun 26th Nov 23
10am – 5pm
This is a mandatory part of the audition process for this show for all principals and ensemble. The audition days will be Group Auditions, during which you will be required to sing a solo audition in front of the group. We will need to see you for a solo singing audition, even if you want an ensemble part.
There will be a morning and an afternoon group on Saturday, and a morning group on Sunday and you will only need to attend one session. You can express a preference for which group you would like to attend, but we cannot guarantee which session you will be allocated until nearer the time.
Sunday afternoon has been set aside for recalls for certain parts. Not being called back does not mean you are not being considered for a role – recalls are to see a bit more of certain characters and to see auditionees from different groups together. The roles that are most likely to be recalled have been asked to prepare two songs, so please ensure you prepare both songs, if you plan to audition for any of those roles.
AUDITIONS FOR “CHILDREN’S ROLES”
Those auditioning for the “children’s roles” of Gavroche, Little Cosette, Little Eponine and Gavroche’s Gang are required to attend this session. Please note these roles are height restricted, so please check the character breakdowns in the Audition Information Folder (link below)
Tue 28th Nov 23
6pm – 9pm
All auditionees will need to be available for the whole session but please be prepared to pick up from 7.30pm
This session will be split into two sections, a group workshop audition and a recall session. Auditionees will be informed at the end of the group workshop if they are required to stay for the recall session.
During the audition workshop, every auditionee will be required to sing a solo audition in front of the group.
Notes for all auditionees:
Full details on what to prepare for the auditions are in the audition information folder – link below.
In order to fully commit to the audition, you are expected to learn the audition pieces by heart.
Whilst you may only audition for one character, you will be considered for other roles.
As a part of the audition pack, there are backing track recordings which are in the correct keys, which you will need to sing in for the audition. (Cast recording may be helpful but not guaranteed to be in the correct key.)
ADMIN DETAILS
The minimum age for cast members is 9 at the start of rehearsals on 29th Nov 23. The upper age is 18 as at the date of our last performance (7th Apr 24) and all cast members aged 16-18 must also still be in full-time secondary education (i.e. on a sixth form pupil roll) at the time of the show.
The costs for cast are:
- EYT Annual Membership fee of £20 will need to be paid once casting is confirmed, if you are not already a member.
- The show fee for cast members will be £75 and this will be required by the end of Jan 24. If this will cause any difficulties, please speak to us and we can discuss payments in instalments or financial support options from our sponsorship fund.
- All costumes are provided and cast are not expected to provide or purchase costumes, other than under-garments and possibly footwear.
- We may ask for a damage deposit for the script, which will be refunded when the script is returned undamaged – this will be confirmed on casting.
Agreement to photographic and video consent for internal use and external marketing is a pre-requisite for casting.
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