Welcome to open auditions for a New York-themed musical directed by Adrian Goldman. (For more details, contact Adrian Goldman: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..)

The performances will be one week in late August/early September, with a few rehearsals on weekends before summer to get a start on the music and dance, and intensive rehearsals in the two weeks prior to the show. Stephanie Carlson from the US will again be performing with us.

The auditions will be held on Saturday February 23rd from 12–5 (later if necessary) with callbacks on Sunday 24th from 12–4.

REGISTRATION
We will be doing individual auditions of 10 minutes, so please book a time via this Doodle poll: https://doodle.com/poll/re259732fsnii2xw. If you just show up on the day, you’ll have to wait for an available slot – but we promise to see everyone. If you really can’t make the Saturday, or if all the slots are taken, please email Adrian.

ENTRY TO THE BUILDING
Press the FINNBRIT buzzer by the street door to be let in.

PREPARATION
The auditions will include both a monologue and a song, while the callbacks will also include a dance. What follows is a lot of scary-sounding information – but please don’t be! Its purpose is to give you the best chance to put your best foot forward.

PREPARATION FOR THE AUDITIONS
Songs
We would like you to either sing one of the following songs, or a song of your own choice. If you are singing a song of your own choice, please bring an mp3 accompaniment with you (preferably not karaoke style), as we will not have a rehearsal pianist present. Otherwise, you’ll have to sing a cappella.

Song choices:
1) "I never wanted to love you” from Falsettos
2) “Waving through a window” from Dear Evan Hansen
3) “Lonely town” from On the Town (Bernstein/Comden/Green)
All three songs can be found in multiple versions on YouTube and we will make the accompaniment music available.

Monologue
In addition, we want you to have an audition monologue. You can either choose one of your own, or else we will have a couple to choose from at the auditions. They will be Moon’s monologue from The Real Inspector Hound by Tom Stoppard, or a monologue from The Faculty Lounge by Michael Schulman. The scripts for these will be available at the audition.

PREPARATION FOR THE CALLBACKS
Dance
We will teach you a small section of “Four Jews in a Room Bitching” from Falsettos, along with the song to go with it for the dance audition. The video will be available before Callbacks. Please wear loose-fitting/dance clothes for the callbacks – skirts OK, sweats OK, tight jeans not OK for either sex.

The music we will use can be found on Spotify:
This is from the 1992 production... but we won’t take it at this crazy tempo!
https://open.spotify.com/track/2PCmOpsMsTZdgmts5AiiaL?si=YLEst9jkT1KhPDjTUefH6Q

See the section from 30s to 1 min 15 seconds. (You will not have to sing parts!)

Lyrics
It maybe seems a bit peculiar
We are psychopathic people
We sometimes tell a lie but mostly we just hide behind the door
We lie in wait for someone good to enter
We offer food and drinks
The lady never thinks
That we’re the mad we’re all but mad too often mad we’re very mad
But we’re the mad experimenters call us
Four Jews itching for answers
Four Jews bitching their whole life long

The musical is not going to be dance-heavy!

Acting group scenes
We will again use some of the same musical for callbacks, but not require any singing.

Welcome to open auditions for the Finn-Brit Players' spring production in cooperation with the Passport Theatre Company: Hay Fever by Noel Coward, directed by Adrian Goldman.

The performances will be on 16–20 May 2018. You must be available for an intensive rehearsal period starting about 30 April 2018, that is, rehearsals almost every day. Weekday rehearsals will be in the evenings and weekend rehearsals during the day.

REGISTRATION
The main auditions will take place on Sunday 17 December at 1–6 pm. There may (or may not) be callbacks on 27 December at 6–9 pm or 3 January at 6–9 pm.

If you intend to audition, please click here to book an audition slot in advance. NOTE If all the slots are taken, please email Adrian (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to arrange an audition time, either before 1 pm or after 6 pm.

PREPARATION
We’d like you to prepare a short monologue in advance, preferably a comedic one. Preparing a monologue is preferred but not essential.

ENTRY TO THE BUILDING
Press the FINNBRIT buzzer by the street door to be let in.

MORE INFORMATION & QUERIES
If you cannot attend the main Sunday auditions, or if there are no available slots left, please contact Adrian (This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.) to make alternative arrangements. Likewise if you have any questions about the play, rehearsal schedule or other arrangements.

THE PLAY
Hay Fever is a wonderful cross between high farce and an English comedy of bad manners. The play is set in an English country house in the 1920s, and deals with the four eccentric members of the Bliss family and their outlandish behaviour when they each invite a guest to spend the weekend. Each – unbeknownst to the rest – invites down a house guest for a quiet weekend! The self-centred behaviour of the hosts finally drives their guests to flee, while the Blisses are so engaged in a family row that they do not notice their guests' furtive departure.

Written when Noel Coward was just 25, it is the first of his superb comedies that achieved recognition as part of the canon of English comedic play writing stretching back through Wilde to Congreve and Sheridan. It truly is an even 9-hander: there’s not a bad part to be had.

THE CHARACTERS (5F, 4M)
Judith Bliss – an actress of a certain age who has retired (several times) from the stage, which is her natural metier
David Bliss – her husband, a writer of novels that the entire family argue about; inclined to a little dalliance on the side
Simon Bliss – their son, a painter of aggressive daubs
Sorel Bliss – their daughter, an accomplished instrumentalist (but skills NOT required, though welcome!)
Both of the children are every bit as theatrical, as egomaniacal in the nicest possible way, as their parents.

Richard Greatham – a career diplomat (40–60+), who “always says something exquisitely diplomatic”
Myra Arundel – a society lady (35–45) of whom Judith says “she uses sex like a shrimping net”
Sandy Tyrell – a younger “anyone for tennis” sporty chap who has fallen in love with Judith having seen her in some dreadful melodrama
Jackie Coryton – a scared little thing who has been picked by the husband David

Clara – the long-suffering maid, who used to be Judith’s dresser, and is quite coarse with it

Let’s celebrate Finland! 

On 6 December 2017, Finland will turn 100. And the day after, on 7 December, we will celebrate her in style at Rauhanasema in Pasila. With a Finnbrit festivity programme, and wine and nibbles. Homage to Finland – in English!

But we need a cast and programme. In other words – we need you! So let’s meet and put a programme together. Time is short, so please come to the meeting with at least some idea of what you’d like to do, the more detailed the better.

This is what we’re looking for:
- short plays, sketches, monologues, poetry, music
- somehow related to at least one of the themes ‘Finland’ or ‘independence’
- length max. 15 mins
- minimal set & tech requirements (the venue has no theatre lighting or soundboard)

Please also have some idea of how many people you’d require and whether you’d need any budget for performance rights, costumes, props, etc.

Aside from a joint dress rehearsal (provisionally on 3 December), you will mainly be responsible for arranging your own rehearsals for each piece among yourselves. Self-direction is therefore both permissible and encouraged; and those proposing solo pieces are encouraged to meet up with other solo performers for some feedback rehearsals.

It would be helpful if you’d let us know in advance whether you’re interested in being involved, either in proposing something or just taking part as an actor or crew member. Email us with your suggestions, and any queries, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

See you in the FINNBRIT Club Room (Fredrikinkatu 20 A 9) on Monday 16 October 2017 at 6 pm.

Welcome!

Zoë and Ulf (The Producers)