OTG is pleased to announce details of their Festivals Production for 2018.

About the production

queers. was commissioned by the BBC and Old Vic to mark the passing of the 1967 Sexual Offences Act. It is a series of 8 short monologues marking key moments in the history of the Gay community in Britain from 1917 to the present day. They were shown on BBC 4 last summer as well as being performed at the Old Vic. All the stories take place within the same pub somewhere in London.

We will be performing three of the stories in a unique interwoven form that allows these beautifully written characters to have their stories heard. It will be a piece packed with emotion, humour and occasional heartbreak.

Important Dates

Auditions

Sunday 18th February 2.30pm to 4pm URC Hall, Summertown
Sunday 25th February 3.30pm to 5pm URC Hall, Summertown

Performances

Kenton Theatre, Henley 1st to 5th May
Unicorn Theatre, Abingdon 4th to 8th June
Corn Exchange, Wallingford 11th to 15th June
Offbeat Festival, Oxford 22nd to 30th June (application pending)

We will perform once at each of the festivals – exact dates to be confirmed. We may be invited to perform again on the Saturday nights of each festival – though this is far from guaranteed! Individual availabilities will be given to the festival organisers to ensure that things are scheduled accordingly.

Offbeat will likely be one performance between the specified dates (assuming we are successful in our application)

Outline

Missing Alice – written by Jon Bradfield – Alice married a man who later came out to her. She tells how they made their own family and life together. The publication of the Wolfenden Report in 1957 makes her wonder what the future might hold.

More Anger – written by Brian Fillis – Phil, a young actor in the 1980s finds his professional and personal lives colliding under the shadow of the early days of the AIDS crisis.

Something Borrowed – written by Gareth McLean – Steve, a middle-aged man prepares for something he never expected to see – his wedding to Adam.

You can get a flavour of the BBC productions from the clips available here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p057t56b...

Roles Available

Alice - Landlady - Playing Age:Mid 40s
Phil - Actor - Playing Age:Mid to Late 20s
Steve - Groom - Playing Age:35 to 55

The playing ages are indicative rather than prescriptive. Please don't worry if you don't fit into a particular range – the key is finding the characters – the rest is down to styling and costume!

Audition Process

There will be 2 auditions – open to all.

You will not be required to look at anything in advance – extracts from the script will be available in the room. The key is to be able to take the text and find empathy with the character as quickly as possible.

The sessions will run for 90 minutes and you will be given the opportunity to work on two or three extracts. It will be a relaxed and informal process – so please try not to get too anxious. Easier said than done, of course!

Accessibility concerns
If you have any specific needs with regards to access or any other issues, please do get in contact with us (simon.tavener@oxfordtheatreguild.com) and we will help if we can.

What if I can’t make those dates and times?
If you are interested in auditioning, but are unable to come to either of the given dates, please contact us (simon.tavener@oxfordtheatreguild.com) and we will try to see you at another time, if possible.

The auditions will be carried out in accordance with the OTG Policy which you can read here: http://www.oxfordtheatreguild.com/auditi...

It is helpful if you can arrive at the auditions with a completed audition form - you can download it from here: http://www.oxfordtheatreguild.com/wp-con...

Production Help

We are also looking for people to help with the production side of the project. Whether you are interested in lighting, costume or production co-ordination, we would love to hear from you. The Festivals production are a great opportunity to try out a new area without the pressure of a full production. Enthusiasm is more important than experience!

If you are interested, please come along to one of the auditions or email simon.tavener@oxfordtheatreguild.com.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals will start in March (before Galileo has opened – but scheduled to avoid any clashes!)

We will only meet once or twice a week for the first month – usually for an hour at a time. We will work each character individually to explore their stories and emotional journeys before putting everything together in the run up to the first festival. Based on the feedback from the Kenton adjudicator, we will meet again to refine our work before the rest of the performances.

Each actor will be asked to carry out some research into the history surrounding the events in their piece and we will spend time during rehearsals putting everything into context. Because of the adult nature of some of the language and situations described, we will have open and honest discussions around the topics of sex and sexuality. There is nothing offensive in the text – but it is better to be open about these things in advanced.

It is not often that OTG members are able to work on monologues and so this is going to be exciting journey for both actors and the director to work on this unique project.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. simon.tavener@oxfordtheatreguild.com

OTG's Statement of Values

The Oxford Theatre Guild (The OTG) is a charity registered in England and Wales and is run wholly by volunteers to promote the advancement of the art of drama. We believe that all The OTG’s members and volunteers have the right to be healthy, happy, safe, valued and respected. The OTG collectively strive for best practice in health and safety and an environment free from bullying, harassment or discrimination.

The OTG’s committee will work pro-actively to prevent or tackle anything that contravenes our values. Any actions, speech or behaviour in breach of these values should be brought to the attention of the committee.