We are in the last few rehearsals before the first performances at Brixham Theatre. the cast are doing brilliantly, and from Sunday the final three rehearsals are full dress/ tech. 

Don't forget to get your tickets for the Brixham shows on April 8th and 9th
Shows at  www.southdevonplayers.com/benhurbrixham.html
Brixham Theatre
Bolton Cross, Brixham TQ5 8TA

SHOW TIME(S)
Fri: April 8th 7.30pm
Sat: April 9th 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Few rehearsals have resulted in some fabulous photoshoots for as many of the Ben Hur actors as could attend the shoots at Brixham Theatre last Sunday after rehearsals. Photos by Laura Jury at the South Devon Players and Paul at Brixham Theatre

Tickets are on sale at https://www.southdevonplayers.com/box-office.html for Brixham Theatre and all other show venues. 

Part of our show education packs for students traditionally, is a video showing ten words from the show in BSL (British Sign Language.)
Sarah Gregori has kindly created this video for our Ben Hur education pack, and also added in the full alphabet in BSL as well.
This video is subtitled as well.
Feel free to share to anyone who may find it useful.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B9URt2-OlrE

 We are looking for an actor to take on the role of Quintus Arrius, plus some additional one-scene roles for our theatre production of Ben Hur. This is a touring theatre show (touring the southwest of England), on our biggest tour ever, set in the 1st Century Roman Empire, based on the novel by Lew Wallace. 

Covid Safety
Covid safety protocols are in place for the rehearsals and shows, in line with that provided by Equity. All actors and crew are asked to test themselves before attending. We keep a good airflow through the rehearsal space at all times, and the director & fight trainer together disinfect the space (a rented community centre room) thoroughly before the rest of cast and crew arrive, ahead of each session.  

Actor's roles: 
Recasting Quintus Arrius. 
Quintus Arrius is a pivotal character in the story of Ben Hur. Arrius is the Roman naval commander who is rescued during a sea battle by Judah Ben Hur, and later frees, and adopts Judah. 

The original character in the story is male although the original actor playing the role with us was female, so the casting is genderblind and based purely on "rightness for the part".
Age is unimportant, we are ideally looking for late thirties up to seventies, but happy to be flexible. It is not a role suitable for a child. As with the majority of actors in our show, the actor will also be asked to take on small additional roles in the show. The main scenes are below.

FULL speaking scene list for this actor
- (As Roman soldier): The arrest of Judah Ben Hur & family
- ( As Quintus Arrius): Arrival at the port in Misenum
- ( As Quintus Arrius): The Roman Galley
- ( As Quintus Arrius): The Sea Battle
-  ( As Quintus Arrius): meeting Emperor Tiberias in Rome
- (As gladiator): The Roman Games in Jerusalem 
-  ( As Quintus Arrius): Final scene where Arrius reunites with the Hur family

This role involves fight action (Sea Battle and Roman Games). Fight scenes are choreographed with out fight choreographer and cannot be "improvised"

No scenes for this show involve nudity or sexual content. 

The actor must be based in Devon, UK (Ideally in the Torbay area) because of attending rehearsals in person. 
 
We are delighted to consider any actor who wishes to apply, regardless of ethnicity, religion, nationality, or accent. 

Script, costumes, rehearsal refreshments all provided. 

Rehearsal Dates & Location
Rehearsals are already underway, and take place on a Wednesday evening 6.30pm - 9/ 9.30pm, and Sundays, 12.30pm to 4/ 5pm. Rehearsals are in a large community centre room at Chestnut Community Centre, 1-3 Poplar Close, Brixham, Devon TQ5 0SA. 

We expect 75% attendance for the rehearsals in which your character appears. For safety, we do require you to attend all mutually agreed fight calls for your gladiatorial scene. If you cannot attend rehearsals, you do need to let us know ahead of the session. Just as you rely on the other actors in your scene to be there to rehearse with, so they rely on you as well. (any absence due to Covid etc is treated as unavoidable and not treated as "missing rehearsals".) Ongoing no-showing may result in the role being recast

Show dates
Our confirmed show dates are as advertised on the left, with the note that we are in discussions about two additional performance dates. These would be either a Friday evening or a Saturday within/ close to the timeframe of the other shows. The potential locations are in Torquay and Exeter. 

Payment (financial) and remuneration (in kind)
- Equal profitshare. This is the money we earn from ticket sales performing at the venues, split equally among the actors and crew in that performance. We do not deduct for costumes/ props/ rehearsals/ advertising costs as those are funded by selling second hand items on ebay etc. All actors and crew are given full access to the final box office sales reports from venues, for openness, in all profit-share situations. 
- Portfolio photos and videos. We always do costumed/ character photoshoots for each actor, to promote the show, which the actors are also most welcome to use in their portfolios, and we may also be able to provide generic actor headshots. We also film the show for streaming and online screening, all cast and crew are also provided with the footage for their own portfolio/ showreel use. 
- Refreshments We always supply simple refreshments at rehearsals and backstage. These are tea, coffee, squash and biscuits. 
- Spotlight eligibility  Several actors have been able to get their Spotlight registrations at least in part based on credits working with our shows. A credit in a show with us, therefore, counts towards getting your Spotlight, if that is something you are working towards. 

NOTE: We are currently waiting to hear from the Arts Council re funding for full payments but as it is therefore we can only promise what we can guarantee. 

All actors and crew in our shows, join on a project by project basis, as self employed, freelance creatives, who must report their earnings to HMRC. 

​The show is fully insured. 

About the director
The show is directed by our theatre company founder Laura Jury. Laura is a freelance actor, as well as working with the South Devon Players as an actor, director and producer. She has been an actor since 1996, a director since 2000, and founded the South Devon Players in 2005, to make opportunities for local freelance creatives and those wishing to embark on a career in theatre. 
Laura is a member of the Equity trade union Directors & Designers committee. 
Laura is also autistic, this is stated openly in case it affects communication or why she may appear "different", but doesn't affect the creating of awardwinning theatre projects, and it does not affect the care and respect for the rest of the team! 

To apply
Please email Laura on southdevonplayers@gmail.com to arrange an audition.  Laura will ask to meet you for a face to face audition in Brixham, alongside Rich, the fight director, and some of the stage crew, as soon as is possible.  This will involve working with some excerpts of the show script. 

HENRY V ANNOUNCEMENT
Due to illness and related personal circumstances for some of the team, we have had to take what is an ultimately gut-wrenching but unavoidable decision to cancel Henry V at Brixham Theatre. This is the first time in 17 years since we formed, that we have ever had to cancel a performance.

We did look at rescheduling but we’re unable to find a suitable local venue for January that allows for professional theatre with fast costume changes, a workable backdrop and the tech, as well as audience numbers. After that logistically it becomes too much as we run close to Ben Hur (already contracted in a number of venues across three counties of the Southwest) .

We are all self-employed freelance actors and creatives working professionally on many different things with different companies and via our agents, so rescheduling then becomes increasingly difficult- getting us all in the same place at the same time especially in the summer when a lot more film and tv work comes in via our agents & contact would make herding cats look easy. 

So, we will be focussing on making Ben Hur even bigger and better than it was going to be, and coming back to a stage near you with a bang in the spring. You’ll see many of the same cast in Ben Hur!
​
We do apologize sincerely for all disappointment for audience- John at Brixham Theatre will be in contact with you in due course if you have bought tickets. We will continue working like mad behind the scenes, and see you on stage soon.

Great news! We are so pleased to be returning to the live stage this year, with our production of William Shakspeare's Henry V. 

Yes! A theatre show, on an actual STAGE! - **AT LAST!!**

Tickets have gone on sale at Brixham Theatre - you can book now at http://brixhamtheatre.uk
(direct link at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/brixham-theatre/the-south-devon-players-present-shakespeares-henry-v/e-vpblzv) 

Brixham Theatre will have full covid safety procedures in place when it reopens in September 2021, and any questions relating to keeping your visit to Brixham Theatre safe, can be answered by emailing info@brixhamtheatre.uk