by Noël Coward in a version by Emma Rice. Directed by Rob Ellis.
Performance dates and times :
Wednesday 15 – Saturday 18 April and Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 April at 7.30pm.
Matinées on Saturday 18 April and Saturday 21 April at 3pm.
To be performed at the Tower Theatre, Stoke Newington.
Audition dates and times :
Tuesday 20 January and Friday 23 January from 7pm at the Tower Theatre.
Recalls on Sunday 25 January from 10am-2pm – please keep available.
Depending on interest, additional audition dates may be added in the week commencing Monday 12 January.
Contact the Director, Rob Ellis ([email protected]) to arrange an audition, for more information or if you cannot make either of the audition dates. Please advise which character you would like to audition for ahead of time, and provide any dates you would not be able to commit to in the rehearsal process. Please audition for only one character – if you would like to be considered for other characters, please let us know.
Auditions will take place in pairs (Laura/Alec or Laura/Fred, Myrtle/Albert, Beryl/Stanley). You will be required to perform:
- A short extract from the play
- You will perform this in your pair. The audition extract will be made available in advance. You’ll be paired up with someone on the day, so there’s no need to prepare anything in advance as a pair
- Copies of the audition extract will be made available on the day
- No more than a two minute version of a song of your choosing
- This may be a capella, or with music you provide. You will perform this solo. Please provide any backing tracks in advance of the audition day
- You may also provide sheet music if you prefer
If we would like to see more of you, we will offer you an invite to a recall. Please note, the recalls are only two days after the final audition day. If you are not offered a recall, it does not mean that your audition was unsuccessful. You will be informed of the outcome of your audition after the recall date.
Recalls will be workshop based
- You will learn and perform an extract of a song from the show, as well as another scene from the show.
- Extracts and sheet music will be made available in advance and on the day. Audio copies of the audition songs will be made available in advance. For fairness, recall materials will only be made available on Saturday 24 January.
- Auditionees may be required to be present for the full 10am-2pm period.
Auditions are for Tower Theatre Company Members only.
If you would like to join the Company, please click here for more information.
About the Play:
Laura and Alec find each other by chance at a railway station. What begins as a fleeting act of kindness soon spirals into an all-consuming love — forbidden, passionate, and impossible to escape — as two ordinary lives are irrevocably changed by one extraordinary meeting.
Emma Rice’s acclaimed stage version of Brief Encounter was adapted from Noël Coward’s screenplay for David Lean’s iconic 1945 film. Running in the West End (2008 & 2018), Rice masterfully weaves together theatre, music, and the magic of cinema. With renditions of Coward’s beloved songs and a cast of colourful characters, Brief Encounter captures the impossible pull of the heart, in the most unforgettable love story.
Casting Breakdown:
This production features a cast of seven actors. The performers playing Laura and Alec will appear exclusively in those roles; the remaining five actors will multi-role throughout the piece. Each of these actors has a principal role, listed below, and will also cover additional characters as required – including the gossipy Dolly, Alec’s friend Stephen, and Bobby and Margaret, Laura’s rather troublesome children.
Whilst technically not a musical, the show has many versions of Noel Coward songs that the characters sing. All actors will be required to sing at some point in the show.
Genders and ages are of characters, and may not reflect the final casting choices. All parts are open to any actor (including non-binary and trans actors) of any ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
Laura Female, 30s–40s : Sweet and mild-mannered, with quiet creative ambitions. She believes herself happily married until she meets Alec. Spends the play torn between a newfound passion and the deep guilt of her betrayal.
Vocal Range: Soprano/Mezzo Soprano (C4-D5)
Alec Male, 30s–40s : Confident yet gentle. He is the more proactive partner in the affair. A successful doctor with a family at home, caught between duty and desire.
Vocal Range: Baritone (D3-E4)
Fred (and other characters) Male, 30s–50s : Laura’s husband. A dependable creature of habit — steady, reliable, and often emotionally reserved.
Vocal Range: Baritone/Bass (G2-Ab3, could go up to Ab4 if possible)
Myrtle (and other characters) Female, 40s–70s : The café owner at Milford Junction. Likes to present herself as strict and no-nonsense, but hides a surprisingly flirtatious streak that Albert easily brings out.
Vocal Range: Mezzo Soprano (G3-B4)
Albert (and other characters)Male, 40s–70s : The ticket inspector at Milford Junction. A cheeky, warm-hearted man with obvious, puppy-dog affection for Myrtle.
Vocal Range: Baritone/Bass (G3-G4, could go down to G2 if possible)
Beryl (and other characters) Female, 20s ; A waitress at Myrtle’s café. Naive, excitable, warm and kind. She has a beautiful crush on Stanley and loves their playful back-and-forth.
Vocal Range: Mezzo Soprano (A3-C5)
Stanley (and other characters) Male, 20s : A cake-seller and frequent visitor to the café. Happy-go-lucky and free-spirited, he adores Beryl and delights in making her laugh.
Vocal Range: Tenor/Baritone (B3-D5)
We’ve put together a Spotify playlist with some of the songs featured in the show, to give you a feel for the style and atmosphere of the music. Just a heads-up: the production will use different versions of these songs, so they may sound a little different from the originals. You will need a Spotify account to listen to this playlist.
Rehearsals:
The rehearsal period will start with the readthrough on Monday 2 February. All cast will be called.
Rehearsals will largely take place on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7pm (finishing between 9.30 – 10pm) and on Saturdays from 2–6pm. Please only audition if you can commit to these weekly rehearsal times. Individual dates may be adjusted where necessary.
A rehearsal schedule will be sent in advance of the rehearsal process. You will not be called to every rehearsal. Additional rehearsals may be added later. Cast members should keep the weeks commencing 30 March and 6 April relatively free, as rehearsals are highly likely to take place over the Easter weekend.
All cast members are required to assist with the Get-In and Set Build on either Sunday 5 April or Sunday 12 April, depending on theatre availability. Technical rehearsal times are to be confirmed; daytime availability may be required and will be confirmed as soon as possible. The Dress Rehearsal will be on Tuesday 14 April, with the first performance on Wednesday 15 April. The Strike will take place after the final performance on Saturday 25 April. All cast are required to assist.
 Rob Ellis is a freelance theatre producer and fundraiser, originally from Yorkshire, who has been a Tower member for ten years. For the Tower he has directed Clybourne Park, The 39 Steps, The Real Inspector Hound, The Chimes and The Merry Wives of Windsor (which toured to Paris). He also recently acted for the first time in a long time, when the Tower toured Shakespeare In Love to Pykard’s Hall in Suffolk. Rob runs Relish Theatre, a LGBTQ+ theatre company, and is currently producing fundraisers for the Property Litigation Association. He was previously Producer at the Actors’ Church in Covent Garden. |
Musical Director : Jonathan Norris
Stage Manager : Sarah Ambrose