by Beth Steel. Directed by Holly Causer.
Performance dates and venue :
Evenings at 7:30pm: Wednesday 24 – Saturday 27 February and Tuesday 2 – Saturday 6 March.
Matinées at 3pm on Saturdays 27th February and 6th March
To be performed at the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington
To be considered for this production, you will need to be available for ALL of the above dates.
Audition dates and times :
Sunday 22 November 2pm – 6pm and Tuesday 24 November from 6pm
Recalls on Friday 27 November from 6pm.
- Copies of the play are available to buy online.
- A copy is in the Tower foyer to be read on the premises only.
- Please contact the Director, Holly Causer, and cc in Assistant Director Azul Alysum stating the role you would like to audition for and specific scenes will be sent to you.
Auditions are for Tower Theatre Company Members only.
Please note that you cannot audition for any show if you have not passed a company audition. If you would like to join the Company, please contact our membership/auditions secretary Stephen Brasher here for more information.
The Director writes: “I encourage all auditionees to audition for the role that they feel best suits their skills. Most importantly have fun with it and if you have any questions I’m only an email away!
The play is set in 2024 in the East Midlands.”
When auditioning please give the director any dates during the rehearsal period that you are unavailable.
About the Play
It’s Sylvia and Marek’s wedding day. On a hot summer’s afternoon, a family gathers to welcome a newcomer into their midst. But as the vodka flows and the guests hit the dance floor, passions boil over and the limits of love are tested.
This Olivier-nominated smash hit by Beth Steel is a heartbreaking and hilarious portrayal of a larger-than-life family struggling to come to terms with a changing world. Till The Stars Come Down originally opened at the National Theatre in January 2024, with a triumphant second production at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in 2025.
Please note :
Intimacy: Kissing, imitations of sex between characters Sylvia and Marek.
Themes: Please be aware the play deals with themes of racism and xenophobia
Characters
HAZEL Playing Age: 35-45 Gender: Female
Hazel is the oldest of the three sisters and very unsympathetic in her approach to most things and quite set in her ways. Mother to Leanne and Sarah and married to John, who she is seemingly annoyed at, at most times.
MAGGIE Playing Age: 35-45 Gender: Female
Maggie is the middle of the sisters who is often trying to keep the peace in the family. She left home abruptly two years ago and has been avoiding visiting ever since because of this she assumes everyone thinks of her as the selfish one.
SYLVIA Playing Age: 30-40 Gender: Female
The youngest of the three sisters who is the last one to fly the nest. She is sweet almost so much that she avoids confrontation at any cost. She is very much her own person though can’t escape being the baby of the family – which she is often treated like.
AUNTY CAROL Playing Age: 65+ Gender: Female
Aunty Carol would be in every conversation if she could. She is quite set in ways when it comes to her views of the world and immovable when she has an idea in her head. Married to Pete, Tony’s brother. She plans to, and does, party like it’s the last party she’ll attend.
TONY Playing Age: 65+ Gender: Male
Tony, the dad of the three girls whom he loves dearly and however old they are they’re still his little girls. Their mother died some years ago due to illness. Good friendship with Aunty Carol but had a falling out with Pete over 40 years ago and they struggle to be in the same room without snarky comments.
JOHN Playing Age: 35-45 Gender: Male
Recently unemployed and now looking for work, he appears to be at a crossroads in his life, there is a lackadaisical nature about him. It is apparent that he and Hazel’s relationship is rocky.
PETE Playing Age: 65+ Gender: Male
Pete is fairly calm in comparison to his spouse and enjoys showing off his magic tricks for the younger generation. This calmness fades when near Tony who he holds contempt for and no longer speaks to, after he crossed the picket line in the 80’s.
MAREK Playing Age: 30-40 Gender: Male
Headstrong, very driven and loves Syliva but has his clashes with the family she comes with. Marek is of Polish descent and constantly has to battle with Hazel and Aunty Carol over snarky comments on his heritage.
LEANNE Playing Age: Mid-Teens Gender: Female
Leanne is a teenager in the 21st century, very aware and engaged with the happenings in the world but, as we all were, still a teenager nonetheless; moody at times and fights with her younger sister as siblings do.
SARAH Playing Age: 10 (to be played by an actor 18+) Gender: Female
Being a child she’s still able to see the wonder and magic in everything and loves anything to do with space and astronomy. Also being a child, she hasn’t developed adult social cues and often repeats what the adults say at inappropriate moments.
Rehearsals
Rehearsals will be at the Tower Theatre on Saturdays 2pm-6pm, Tuesdays 7pm-9:30pm and Wednesdays 7pm-9:30pm. We will start rehearsals on Saturday 12 December with a full-company read through.
A full rehearsal schedule will be created once the casting process is complete. Please make sure you declare at your audition any dates that you are unavailable during the rehearsal period, as rehearsal availability may be considered as part of the casting process.
All cast members are required to assist with the get-in and set build all day on Sunday 21 February and to attend technical rehearsals on Monday 22 February. The Dress Rehearsals will be on Tuesday 23 February with opening night on Wednesday 24 February.
 This will be Holly Causer‘s second show that she has directed at the Tower; she directed 5 Lesbians Eating a Quiche in January 2026. She has previously worked as Assistant Director on the Spring Forward show Telling It and The Dark Room (2024). Holly studied Drama and Theatre Arts at Goldsmiths University, graduating in 2018. She has since had opportunities to work across a variety of roles in theatre and film, including Costume Designer, Assistant Producer, Assistant Director and Director of her first short horror film Behind The Screams completed in 2024. She will have also just appeared in The Legend of Sleepy Hollow at the Tower. |
Set Design : Jude Chalk and Jennie Foot
Costume Design : Sue Carling
Stage Manager : Bella Cavicchi
Assistant Director : Azul Alysum