Auditions & performance opportunities
Next open theatre auditions:
All roles: William Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet
January 26th 2025, 1pm
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If you would like to be considered for a role, please attend the open auditions, arriving for 1pm start .
We guarantee to audition every person who wishes to audition. If you cannot make it on this date, we are open to audition people during the two weeks before the audition date, at a mutually agreed time/ date. As always, actors must be based in the South Devon area (sorry we do not have the wherewithal to put up people from further afield), so that they are able to attend rehearsals twice a week, as well as the performances. Roles are available for performers aged 16-80. Many roles are open to being played as either male or female. We are most interested in the best performer for the role. We welcome people of all backgrounds, levels of experience, ethnicities, appearance, accents etc, At the present time we only accept actors aged under 16 with whom we have previously worked. All castings of minors are subject to child actor licencing laws. Actors and crew are required to follow the norms of pleasant socially acceptable behaviour, to be able to work positively and professionally in a reliable team, be calm, non-disruptive and supportive of others. The South Devon Players work as a pleasant, safe, respectful and kind team. We are zero tolerance on bullying, aggression, shaming, sexual impropriety, and any unprofessional / toxic behaviours which negatively impact on other team members wellbeing, the show, or the company's public image. Anyone who has been seen to engage in such behaviours, or who has been warned or removed, for engaging in same, will not be considered for future casting or crewing with us. We will be looking for - punctuality (arriving and being ready on time) - convincing performance of a character invoice and body language - willingness and ability to take direction - being pleasant to the other people in the space - following choreography if going for an action role. - focus on the auditions (we do ask for phones to be on silent and put away) |
We love to welcome anyone; regardless of previous experience, accent, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, disability, gender identity, etc. People often ask if we will seriously consider them because of one of these aspects and the answer is a huge YES!
You are welcome to simply turn up on the day for auditions, or if you would like more information, and the audition sides to prepare in advance please download them as above.
We are currently waiting on the outcome of a grant application, but unless that is successful, involvement in the show is recompensed by equal shares of the ticket profits, plus portfolio photo and video materials (open book profitshare). If you have additional questions, please email us on [email protected]
All actors MUST be based in the South Devon area in order to be able to attend rehearsals and performances. Sadly we don't have the funds or housing situations to be able to put people up from further afield.
You are welcome to simply turn up on the day for auditions, or if you would like more information, and the audition sides to prepare in advance please download them as above.
We are currently waiting on the outcome of a grant application, but unless that is successful, involvement in the show is recompensed by equal shares of the ticket profits, plus portfolio photo and video materials (open book profitshare). If you have additional questions, please email us on [email protected]
All actors MUST be based in the South Devon area in order to be able to attend rehearsals and performances. Sadly we don't have the funds or housing situations to be able to put people up from further afield.
Sample actors agreement for all cast:
Actors & are all self-employed freelancers on our shows, as was legally checked in 2022. Stating due to a few erroneous assumptions, we do ask that all actors are able to attend 75% of rehearsals involving their scenes, all performances listed at the time of casting, and that they have the time & commitment to learn their lines / actions/ scenes as a full part of the team.
We also have a strict anti-bullying policy
We also have a strict anti-bullying policy
| 2023_actors_agreement.pdf |
| 2021_profitshare_information.pdf |
| appropriate_behaviour_agreement.pdf |
Additional information on our castings and how we work:
Our casting process also follows Equity policies, promoting fairness and excellence in running productions:
Safety & best practice for Casting| Safe Places Policy| Autistic Artists
Safety & best practice for Casting| Safe Places Policy| Autistic Artists
Rehearsal times are usually
Wednesdays: 6.30pm for 7pm start to 9 / 9.30pm
Sundays: 12.30pm for 1pm start to 4 / 4.30pm
at Chestnut Community Centre, 1-3 Poplar Close, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 0SA.
Please ensure that you are based in Devon, and available to attend rehearsals at this venue, before applying to audition.
Any actors aged under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
Show performance "runs" include two days at our home venue Brixham Theatre, then single-day performances: one performance per week, each week touring that performance to a new large venue, often including Plymouth, Torquay, Exeter, Bristol, for a one-night show. We may also run workshops and talks with regional schools & universities.
Our company upholds the belief that anyone can participate fully in creating theatre, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality, income, previous experience or personal background.
All that matters is that a person is kind to, and respectful of others, reliable, pleasant to work with in a team, communicative, and able & willing to create top quality theatre and entertainment.
Our scheduling is designed as best as possible to allow people to participate around other activities, their work, studies, family and life responsibilities. We ask everyone who applies to get involved with us, about their availability, to best build a rehearsal and show schedule around them.
Wednesdays: 6.30pm for 7pm start to 9 / 9.30pm
Sundays: 12.30pm for 1pm start to 4 / 4.30pm
at Chestnut Community Centre, 1-3 Poplar Close, Brixham, Devon, TQ5 0SA.
Please ensure that you are based in Devon, and available to attend rehearsals at this venue, before applying to audition.
Any actors aged under 16 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian
Show performance "runs" include two days at our home venue Brixham Theatre, then single-day performances: one performance per week, each week touring that performance to a new large venue, often including Plymouth, Torquay, Exeter, Bristol, for a one-night show. We may also run workshops and talks with regional schools & universities.
Our company upholds the belief that anyone can participate fully in creating theatre, regardless of race, gender, sexuality, disability, nationality, income, previous experience or personal background.
All that matters is that a person is kind to, and respectful of others, reliable, pleasant to work with in a team, communicative, and able & willing to create top quality theatre and entertainment.
Our scheduling is designed as best as possible to allow people to participate around other activities, their work, studies, family and life responsibilities. We ask everyone who applies to get involved with us, about their availability, to best build a rehearsal and show schedule around them.
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PAYMENTS
As things stand at time of writing due to being a largely unfunded grassroots organisation reliant on selling second hand bits on eBay & at fetes to cover costumes/ rehearsal space/ insurances etc; all actors will receive an equal share of money made from ticket sales for the performances (inclusive of streaming), as well as character photoshoots, copies of all press featuring you, videos for show/ demo-reels, and references. We are also putting in an Arts Council bid, and other funding applications, to "up" the financial payments to Equity rates, and if that is approved then everyone is automatically upgraded. We do not charge anyone to audition or get involved with us, we are strictly against "pay to play! ABOUT US We are a collaborative organisation of local South Devon people, wanting to create our own freelance opportunities for ourselves, and to welcome other local people like us, to work in theatre and showcase their creative skills, towards everyone being enabled and encouraged to create or further their freelance theatre-based careers, where few opportunities have otherwise existed. We welcome and work with creatives at all levels of experience, from beginners to Hollywood "names" with a strong ethos of inclusion, accessibility, a safe, bullying-free space, and a powerhouse of awardwinning professional theatrical creativity. The credits from our shows can be used towards Equity and Spotlight memberships, to enable people to build their profile as freelance self-employed actors/ creatives, find agents, build their personal brand as actors/ creatives & thus access a wider range of freelance work opportunities in the entertainment industry. Our rehearsal and show schedules are designed to work as much as possible around people's work/ studies/ families/ life commitments, and we ask all prospective actors about these in order to create a working rehearsal schedule around their life commitments as much as possible. |
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From Equity's "Safe Spaces" campaign against bullying & harrassment
To receive the audition sides in advance of the auditions, please email us on [email protected], and request the sides for any character you are interested in, so that you can prepare ahead of time for the auditions.
Any prospective actor with any questions about the script, is welcome to ask us about those questions and answers will be descriptive. Audition sessions are led by, and overseen by Laura Jury, a freelance actor since 1996, founder of the South Devon Players, and one of four theatre directors nationally on Equity's Directors & Designers Committee.
When attending an audition, please wear comfortable clothes, bring a pen, your diary, a comprehensive list of dates that you are not available for rehearsal or performing so that we can do our best to build rehearsal schedules around your availability, and your completed audition form. All actors - and crew- are engaged on a freelance self-employed basis and are required to report all earnings to HMRC. All engagements are on a show-by-show basis. No actor or crew member is asked or expected to refuse other external work, while working with us, and is actively encouraged to take as many opportunities as possible! If travelling to or from rehearsals/ shows at unusual hours, or to a company which you do not know, we would like to make you aware of this personal safety phone app which you may find useful Hollie Guard Our auditions take place at our rehearsal base: Chestnut Community Centre, Poplar Close, Brixham (in normal times), on a specific Sunday afternoon 1pm onwards. Our audition, and rehearsal space at the community centre includes disabled access (inclusive of wheelchairs), & a non-gendered disabled-access toilet, as well as a small kitchen and urn for making hot drinks. (We supply complimentary tea, coffee, orange juice, and biscuits). We also provide free Wifi (please ask us for the wifi password) We do not have a system of callbacks, we run one full face to face casting day and at the end of that day have all the information we require to make our casting decisions. If an actor is unable to attend on the casting day, we ask that they contact us beforehand to arrange an alternative date to meet the director and audition. This must take place before the advertised main audition day, as casting decisions are made on the evening of the main audition days |
WHAT HAPPENS IN THE AUDITIONS:
Castings will take the form of reading and characterising excerpts from the script. As with all our shows, all persons appearing as cast and crew for this production will be entitled to remuneration, which is at minimum: - equal profit share (100% of the ticket-take less venue hire cost, shared equally among cast and crew) - photos for portfolio use - copies of all production press/ media in which the character / actor is featured - programme credit (and anything else we find that we are able to offer) Some roles may be combined, or an actor take on more than one role. NOTES Due to previous incidents and misunderstandings; we need to state unequivocally that 1) All cast will need to be able to attend regular rehearsals up to twice a week in Brixham, and to be able to learn characterization, lines and blocking. 2) Actors will be required to wear costumes (supplied) 3) All people in the production are expected to adhere to calm, socially acceptable behaviour at all times, and work as a member of a focused professional team. Bullying, sexual impropriety, causing distress to another team member, attempting to direct other cast / crew members behind the production teams backs, or bringing the company into disrepute, is forbidden. 4) Cast and crew payments are on an open-book equal-profit share basis unless we have secured specific funding for full industry-rate fees, which you can read the full details about, in the right-hand column. 5) We welcome performers of all backgrounds, regardless of gender, nationality, ethnicity, sexuality, disability or religion. COPYRIGHT
Due to a large amount of repeated copyright/ IP violations in the past of our work, especially frequent instances of our in-house scripts being taken, passed around, and given to other companies for unauthorised performances and unauthorised publication, we do not provide full scripts before casting. Audition packs do, however, include a full breakdown as to contents of the play, synopsis and character performance requirements', as well as background resources. No scripts, or audition sides, may be passed around to friends, publicly performed or recorded, physically or online, or uploaded to other websites, without the express written permission of the author. Please be aware that we also register all our in-house scripts copyrights with ScriptVault. If someone wishes to enquire about performing one of our scripts, they should contact us on [email protected] to arrange the licencing of performance rights. Marketing or streaming materials for shows must not be amended, cropped, edited, or altered in any way. ATTENDANCE Actors are expected to attend a minimum of 75% of all mutually agreed rehearsals involving their character. If someone no-shows to rehearsals, we reserve the right to recast without discussion upon the second occasion of no-showing. Auditions and rehearsals take place at our rehearsal base of Chestnut Community Centre, 1-3 Poplar Close, Brixham, Devon TQ5 0SA WHEN YOU HEAR BACK You will be informed within a stated time if you are selected for a role. It is only in very rare cases that we accept video auditions, and then only from people whom we already know are reliable. As a rule, we expect you to attend in person. PAYMENT We do our utmost to ensure that we do our utmost to reward the team members with the show profits, from ticket sales, less venue hire. We fundraise to cover the costs of rehearsal hall, costumes, props, printing and other production expenses, so that we can pay the maximum possible to our team. While full amounts can never be guaranteed as it is based on ticket sales numbers; the total amount, whatever it is, is equally shared among all actors and production crew, so that nobody is treated differently than any other. We have never finished a production in the "red". At the time of payment (usually within 10 days of ticket sale monies being received from venues) we also provide the box-office sales reports from the venues, showing precise ticket sales, and how much the venue has deducted in hire for the space; to the cast and crew. You will also receive portfolio photos of you performing or working in your crew role during the rehearsal and production process, references (upon completion of your first production), backstage light refreshments, and anything else that we find we can offer as relevant. We are applying for funding to increase our work, including a prioritised aim of being able to offer full union rate payments, and at such time as we find such funding or sponsorship, everyone will be automatically upgraded on the spot (even if mid-way through a production). The current profit share situation is because we are self-funded from our eBay shop, small fundraisers, and sponsored activities to pay for a rehearsal room, costumes, and materials, so that we can then share the ticket takes, less show venue hire only, to all our cast and crew. We are committed to rewarding our cast and crew to the very maximum of our ability. We have a strict equal opportunities policy |
FOREIGN NATIONALS
Foreign nationals are most welcome to audition for our shows on the same basis as anyone else with the understanding that they can meet rehearsal and performance requirements; and where required for physical shows, can demonstrate that they are legally allowed to work in England (Government website about working in England).
We reserve the right to check that you are legally able to work in England
EXPECTATIONS
We require that all actors have the ability to attend required rehearsals and performances on time, note and follow directions/ production details, the literacy to read and understand scripts, the ability to be respectful of other cast and crew, be calm & focused in rehearsals and shows, and maintain a positive, stress-free workplace environment.
Actors are expected to attend a minimum of 75% of all mutually agreed rehearsals involving their character. If someone no-shows to rehearsals, we reserve the right to recast without discussion upon the second occasion of no-showing.
We expect our actors to aim to be among the most skilled and professionally-minded in the Southwest.
Bullying/ aggressive behavior, backseat directing, inappropriate sexual behaviour, breaking of copyright, etc, are unacceptable in our company.
CASTING MINORS :
Any minors must have proven previous experience, and must be accompanied by a parent, or legally licensed chaperone at all times, including at rehearsals, shows, and travelling to or from a rehearsal/show. We only cast minors where there is a specific role in a play that needs to be played by a child.
A minor's involvement in our productions is subject to individual licensing per child, from the local authority, and is also dependent upon the parent/ chaperone following legal guidance; including remaining with the child at all rehearsals and performances, and keeping the child in your line of sight at all times when with us. You may obtain more information about this from Torbay Council - CHILD PERFORMANCE LICENSING TORBAY (additional useful links to peruse the legal obligations further: Child Performance Legislation Advice - Children & Young Persons Act 2014 - Chaperone Service professional practice). The child is required to work to the same standards of professionalism and excellent performance as the adults, and the parent or chaperone is required to be fully familiar with, and to follow, at all times, UK law on the licencing and chaperoning of child actors.
Foreign nationals are most welcome to audition for our shows on the same basis as anyone else with the understanding that they can meet rehearsal and performance requirements; and where required for physical shows, can demonstrate that they are legally allowed to work in England (Government website about working in England).
We reserve the right to check that you are legally able to work in England
EXPECTATIONS
We require that all actors have the ability to attend required rehearsals and performances on time, note and follow directions/ production details, the literacy to read and understand scripts, the ability to be respectful of other cast and crew, be calm & focused in rehearsals and shows, and maintain a positive, stress-free workplace environment.
Actors are expected to attend a minimum of 75% of all mutually agreed rehearsals involving their character. If someone no-shows to rehearsals, we reserve the right to recast without discussion upon the second occasion of no-showing.
We expect our actors to aim to be among the most skilled and professionally-minded in the Southwest.
Bullying/ aggressive behavior, backseat directing, inappropriate sexual behaviour, breaking of copyright, etc, are unacceptable in our company.
CASTING MINORS :
Any minors must have proven previous experience, and must be accompanied by a parent, or legally licensed chaperone at all times, including at rehearsals, shows, and travelling to or from a rehearsal/show. We only cast minors where there is a specific role in a play that needs to be played by a child.
A minor's involvement in our productions is subject to individual licensing per child, from the local authority, and is also dependent upon the parent/ chaperone following legal guidance; including remaining with the child at all rehearsals and performances, and keeping the child in your line of sight at all times when with us. You may obtain more information about this from Torbay Council - CHILD PERFORMANCE LICENSING TORBAY (additional useful links to peruse the legal obligations further: Child Performance Legislation Advice - Children & Young Persons Act 2014 - Chaperone Service professional practice). The child is required to work to the same standards of professionalism and excellent performance as the adults, and the parent or chaperone is required to be fully familiar with, and to follow, at all times, UK law on the licencing and chaperoning of child actors.
