Malvern Theatre Co. Inc.
VDL Awards Entry: 2024
Author: Abi Morgan
Director: George Werther
Genre: Drama
Agent: Nordiska Performing Rights Agency
Synopsis
William and Margaret will share forty years of marriage, with moments of joy, but also much sadness. In this poignant and moving play we see them in both their optimistic and joyful younger years, as well as in their latter years, as they experience both happy memories and regrets.
BAFTA awardee Abi Morgan has created a play touching on “magical realism” as ‘Bill’ and ‘Maggie’ intertwine poetically and musically with their younger selves in the home and garden in which they have always lived. British Theatre Guide described Lovesong as “A really beautiful, tender work … an unforgettable, elegiac drama”. This will be the premiere, non-professional staging of this very special play.
Characters
Characters Summary:
William - male, 20-30s, in love with Margaret, the younger version of Bill
Margaret - female, 20-30s, in love with William, the younger version of Maggie
Bill - male, late 50s-70s, similar personality to his younger self, William
Maggie - female, late 50s-70s, similar personality to her younger self,
Margaret
Characters Description:
William
Male, 20s to 30s. Warm, loving, ambitious but never quite achieving what he had hoped for. He is deeply in love with Margaret, but sometimes insensitive to her needs. He needs to be able to project an intensity of emotional and practical partnership with Margaret, even through periods of tension. His transition into the older “Bill”, (and magical interaction with him) played by another actor, needs to be seamless and believable.
Margaret
Female, 20s to 30s. Warm and in love with William, but aware of his weaknesses, and often frustrated by his periods of insensitivity and unrealistic visions for the future. Life deals her some tough blows, but she and William ultimately support one another for the long term, in spite of both of their imperfections. Their shared love and bond as soulmates overrides the blows that life throws at them. She also needs to be able to seamlessly transition into her older self (Maggie), played by another actor.
Bill
Male, late 50s to 70s. Essentially similar personality to his younger self (William), but life has left him with a mix of happy and less pleasant memories, as well as regrets over unfulfilled expectations. He now also has to deal with Margaret’s health issues, but their loving bond holds them together, enriched by happy memories. He and Maggie find peace as they journey into their later life. Bill in fact becomes Maggie’s strength, as she weakens.
Maggie
Female, late 50s to 70s. Again, similar in character to her younger self (Margaret), but physical weakness has mellowed her ability to ride through periods of adversity. She and Bill maintain their strong love and companionship, with reminiscence for both happy and challenging times. She takes delight in small joys and the nature around them and in their memories. She and Bill find strength in recounting the story of their life together, as she can see herself fading.
The setting is somewhere in the UK or Australia, so that accents will be generic educated English/Australian, to be determined.
The play requires expression of deep warmth and emotion from all actors, as well as physical fluidity and movement, with believable transitions between younger and older selves. Actors will necessarily be broadly matched on physical similarities for the younger and older versions of the characters.
Precast Characters:
None
Audition Venue & Dates
Audition Dates and Times:
7:00pm on:
- Sun 17th Mar 2024
- Wed 20th Mar 2024
Audition Venue Name: Malvern Theatre
Audition Venue Address:
29 Burke Rd, Malvern East, VIC, 3145
Audition Enquiries Contact: George Werther | werther110@gmail.com | 0402 222 090
Performances
Season Dates: 21 Jun 2024 - 6 Jul 2024
Showtimes:
2:00pm on:
- Sat 22nd Jun 2024
- Sun 30th Jun 2024
- Sat 6th Jul 2024
8:00pm on:
- Fri 21st Jun 2024
- Sat 22nd Jun 2024
- Wed 26th Jun 2024
- Thu 27th Jun 2024
- Fri 28th Jun 2024
- Sat 29th Jun 2024
- Wed 3rd Jul 2024
- Thu 4th Jul 2024
- Fri 5th Jul 2024
- Sat 6th Jul 2024
More info
Other Information
Other Information:
It is necessary that you are familiar with the play and should know it well enough to be able to describe the “story” and briefly discuss the essence of the play. A copy of the script is available from the director.
Auditions are strictly by appointment and will involve reading from specified sections of the script. You will be asked to read relevant sections against another actor, and will also be given some simple directions and an opportunity to demonstrate simple movement. Please arrive at least 10 minutes early to review the audition pieces. There may be call-backs during the audition week.
Successful cast members MUST BE available for rehearsals and all production dates. Rehearsals will most likely be held on Tuesday evenings from 7:30pm – 10:30pm, Thursday evenings from 7:30pm – 10:30pm and Sundays (exact days and times to be decided and dependent on cast availability). The first read through will be the week after auditions with rehearsals commencing straight after Easter (exact dates to be determined upon cast availability). As this is an ensemble piece, all actors will be required to attend the majority of rehearsals.
Please check you are available for all performance dates before booking your audition time. Please also inform the Director at your audition, if there is a possibility of you taking on professional acting work that may conflict with rehearsal and performance dates.
You will be required to submit a resume and headshot prior to the audition via our online audition form which will be sent out in the week prior to the audition date.
If you are successful, you will be required to become a member of the Malvern Theatre Company, if you are not already and abide by our Association Rules & Policies.
