Audition Notice
The World Under The Wood by Helen Langford
Audition at Wharf Theatre 11am Sunday 13th March 2022
To be performed at The Wharf 23rd-26th June (including daytime shows Sat & Sun).
The World under the Wood is a new play for children/family audiences written by Helen Langford, who brought ‘Adam & The Gurglewink’ to the Wharf in 2020.
Jodie meets a magical talking Tree who asks for her help. The wood seems to be dying and Tree thinks the incredible World under the Wood may hold the answer…Jodie is whisked away to a super-world where life moves super-fast. But she discovers that this world is failing too; the super-humans have been collapsing and productivity is down. Jodie and Harley the dog must now journey between worlds to find an answer. Can the mega-multiplier plants restore the wood? And what is the mysterious Source?
The play highlights the need to stop taking the natural-world and its resources for granted.
We learn through Jodie’s mission, that it is through perseverance and working together that environmental problems can be tackled. The world under the wood is an awe-inspiring land of invention and productivity, but Jodie discovers that the resources which underpin it are, to everyone’s surprise, finite. The ‘super-humans’ parody the rat-race of contemporary life, where achievement is king and the constant cycle of doing is reassuringly exhausting. Any long-term consequences of living this way have been ignored…until now.
Characters:
Jodie: (Young adult 16+, with singing ability)
A young girl from Planet Eden. Curious, hopeful, and daring.
Tree: (Mature/any gender).
A grandparent-like figure, the leader of the wood on Planet Eden. Kindly, mature, very wise. A physical role, whereby the actor will embody the tree and create the movement of its branches etc.
Harley: (Any age/gender)
A dog from the world under the wood. Energetic but fond of naps; a caring companion to Jodie. A comic role for a physical performer who will enjoy creating canine movement!
Gardener: (Any age/gender)
Tends an incredible garden in the world under the wood. Broad west-country accent, big-hearted, warm and excitable. May double with Guard.
Guard: (Any age/gender)
Official who guards the entrance to the Source. Sensible, officious, but curious.
Great Leader: (Any age/female)
Ruler of the World under the Wood. Grand, pompous, unintentionally comical, booming voice, bossy.
Non-speaking roles:
I would like to cast 2-3 individuals who can perform the roles of super-humans, guards, a postman and Great Leader’s servants, as well as being a chorus for group songs/movement. This will be to bring the world under the wood to life in all its colourful and fast-moving wonder, and to generally animate other scenes. Ability to sing with others and perform basic dance steps will be helpful. (Any age/gender 16+)
Please email if you would like to attend the audition – please state which character/s you are interested in. The audition will be an informal workshop in small group/s, and will include a group-song, some movement to explore characters/themes and scene-work. Depending on
numbers, I may run two sessions 11am-12pm, and 12.30pm-1.30pm (If you have a time preference please let me know).
Any other questions, or if you are interested but cannot make the audition date, please email Helen on the above address/call 07508 541018.
Rehearsals will be twice a week (plus some Sunday rehearsals) from mid-April.
Please note all performers must be over the age of 16.
You must be a Friend of the Theatre to take part in any production