by John Heimbuch and Jon Ferguson. Directed by Mark Joyce.
Performance dates and venue :
Evenings at 7.30pm : Wednesday 21 – Saturday 24 October and Tuesday 27 – Saturday 31 October
Matinées at 3pm on Saturdays 24 and 31 October
To be performed at the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
Audition dates and times :
Auditions will take place on Tuesday 4 August from 7pm to 10pm and on Saturday 8 August from 10am to 2 pm at the Tower Theatre.
Auditions are for Tower Theatre Company Members only.
If you would like to join the Company, please click here for more information.
Please email the director Mark Joyce at [email protected] to arrange an audition. Please identify which character you would like to audition for, which audition date you would prefer to attend, and provide any dates you would not. be able to commit to during the rehearsal process. Also contact Mark if you have any questions about the play or the production, or if you cannot take part in the audition on the dates above.
At the audition, you will be asked to perform monologues and/or scenes from the play with other auditionees, this may involve movement so please come in appropriate clothing. Copies of the audition pieces will beavailable in advance and paper copies will also be made available on the day. You do not need to learn the extracts but we do advise becoming as familiar as possible.
We may invite you to a recall, where you will perform further scenes from the play. You will be informed of the outcome of your audition after any recalls have taken place.
About the Production
Spirits and devilry abound in this rural town.
The new superstitious schoolmaster, Ichabod Crane, just wants to teach in peace, win the affection of Katrina Van Tassel and perhaps enjoy a slice of cake or two.
However, the unusual townsfolk and haunting spectre of the Headless Horseman may have other ideas for him. In such perilous times, Ichabod would do well to keep his own head…
Adapted from the 1820 short story by Washington Irving, this take on one of America’s most famous ghost stories blends eerie suspense with playful humour. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow is a spirited theatrical experience for all the family this Halloween season.
Cast require
All characters can be played by actors of any ethnicity.
Three main characters (no multiroling):
Ichabod Crane (male, 20s)
A sophisticated, superstitious snob from the city, whose goal is to educate those he sees beneath him. Ichabod Crane knows what he wants, and his greed, to his peril, knows no bounds.
Brom Bones (male, 20s)
With the looks and the charm that makes the country girls swoon, Brom Bones could be your typical bad boy heartthrob, but Brom has a softer side for the ones he loves and will go to great, some may say extreme, lengths to protect them.
Katrina Van Tassel (female, 20s)
She may be the love interest of both Brom Bones and Ichabod Crane, but Katrina Van Tassel is far sneakier, smarter and more sinister than you may think. This young heiress has the town of Sleepy Hollow under her thumb, and she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Secondary characters with ensemble multiroling (The ensemble roles include gender swapping and age jumps and can be played by actors of any gender):
Baltus Van Tassel (mid 50s)
Father to Katrina Van Tassel, Baltus is a well-respected gentleman who is generous with his harvest and parties.
Multi-roles as a student, a country girl, villager ensemble
Hans Van Ripper (mid 50s)
Another farmer who indulges in supernatural stories.
Multi-roles as a student, the skeleton, Gunpowder the horse, villager ensemble, sleepy hollow boy and Old Brouwer (a supernatural skeptic)
Parson Van Houten (mid 50s)
A commanding, ominous, preacher whose work is cut out trying to keep the townspeople in line with God’s path
Multi-roles as Rupert (a mischievous schoolboy), Geoffrey Crayon, villager ensemble and a country girl
The Headless horseman
The horrific spirit that terrorises the townspeople and is out for blood.
Multiroles as a student, villager ensemble and Otto Van Lancker (a willing believer who meets a dreadful end)
The Three Old Men
Masters of story telling who multi role as students, country girls, sleepy hollow boys and villager ensemble
Accents: General British accent, working class, possible RP style accent for ensemble roles of a higher class.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will start on Sunday 16 August and take place every Tuesday, Friday (7pm – 9.30pm) and Sunday (10am – 2pm).
All cast members are required to assist with the get-in, which will take place all day on Sunday 18 October. Cast members must also be available for the Technical and Dress Rehearsals on Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 October, and for the strike after the last performance on Saturday 31 October.
 Mark Joyce has a background in film production and has been a member of the Tower since 2019. He has previously worked on Sweat, Mules, The Towers 90th year celebration, Spring Forward and The Secret Garden. He also directed the short plays Bloody Mary and The Ten-Minute Play about Rosemary’s Baby for the horror anthology show Ghost Stories in 2022. Mark likes Halloween and hopes you do too. |
Set Design: Dina Benderra
Costume Design: Grace Easterbrook
Stage Managers: Isabel Alexander and Ely DeSandoli
Assistant director: Marley Starkey Joyner
Movement director: Rebeca Pereira
Props Master: Michelle Balgobin