Ladies in Black Auditions

DIRECTOR DEBBIE KEYT | MUSICAL DIRECTOR RHONDA VAUGHAN | CHOREOGRAPHER CAMILLA KLESMAN

Saturday 9th November 10 am to 5pm and

Sunday 10th November 10am- 12.30pm

Ladies in Black is a coming-of-age story, set in Sydney in the 1950s the musical tells the story of a young, intelligent, bookish school leaver, Lisa who embarks on a summer job between completing her Leaving Certificate and following her dreams of a Literature Degree at Sydney University. Lisa joins the sales staff in the fashionable department store, F.G. Goode’s and it’s a summer that changes her life as she befriends the colourful denizens of the women’s clothing department. Each of the characters are on the precipice of change- facing independence, working for a living and what it means to be a woman.

  • Auditions

    Saturday 9th November 10 am to 5pm and Sunday 10th November 10am- 12.30pm

    Season Dates - March 2025

    Friday 7th 7.30pm, Saturday 8th 7.30pm, Sunday 9th 2.00pm

    Friday 14th 7.30pm, Saturday 15th 7.30pm, Sunday 16th 2.00pm

    Thursday 20th 7.30pm, Friday 21st 7.30pm, Saturday 22nd 7.30pm

    Rehearsals

    Tuesday and Friday evenings 7.30-10.30 pm and Sunday afternoons 2.00- 5.00 pm

    There will be a meet and greet first rehearsal for successful cast members on Thursday 14th November at 7.30pm and rehearsals will commence on Sunday 17th November and we’ll have a break over the Christmas and New Year period and the final rehearsal prior to Christmas will be Friday 20th December and rehearsals will resume on Tuesday 7th January 2025.

  • LISA- Stage age 16. A shy bookworm, who is described as having neither style nor beauty, yet emerges with both at the end of the story. Highly intelligent, and desperate to learn more about literature, her holiday job at Goodes teaches her more about life than she could have imagined. G#3-D5

    MYRA/DAWN- A double role for an actor in her mid to late 20’s. Myra is Fay’s best friend- cheerful and out for a good time. Dawn is Patty’s sister- forthright, cynical and rough around the edges. A3-B4.

    PATTY- Stage age early 30s, unhappily married shop assistant at Goodes. Her husband is chronically uncommunicative, so she has become stitched up and a little malicious as a result. Underneath she is vulnerable and unhappy. G3-Eb5.

    FRANK- Patty’s husband, mid-30s to early 40’s. Described by others as ‘gormless’ Frank is a tile salesman with little ambition or vitality. Humiliated by his potential responsibility for his childless marriage, he hides his low self-esteem in taciturn introspection. G#2-G4.

    MAGDA- An exotic Hungarian, stage age approximately 40. In charge of Model Gowns at Goodes, she is the embodiment of European style, glamorous, educated and beautifully presented. While undoubtedly somewhat forbidding, she has warmth, wit and great insight. A3-E5.

    RUDI/LLOYD/FRED- Played by one actor, stage age mid-30s to early 40s. Lloyd and Fred are two Australian men on the lookout for a good time. Rudi is a Hungarian refugee on the lookout for a wife. He is charming, well-read, irrepressible, a beautiful dancer and a genuine lover of women. C3-A4.

    MRS MILES- Lisa’s mother, in her late 30’s to early 40’s. She dotes on her daughter, is proud of her and wants the best for her, but is nervous of rocking the boat and upsetting her conservative husband. A product of her era, she is neither educated nor sophisticated, but her love for her daughter ultimately gives her courage. D4-A4.

    MISS CARTWRIGHT/JOY/CUSTOMER- Stage age approximately 40. Miss Cartwright is the blue-stocking, crisply authoritative manager of the Ladies’ Department at Goodes. Ideally tall and definitely stylish, she is all business, having dedicated her life to it, but is not without compassion or wit. Joy is Patty’s older sister. Exhausted by motherhood and housework, she doesn’t live up to her name. A3-C#5 (top note not as solo)

    MISS JACOBS/MISS CROWN- A double role, stage age 60’s. Miss Jacobs has worked at Goodes her whole life. Nervous and intense, she lives alone and has a sense of tragedy about her. Mrs Crown is Patty’s mother. Now widowed, she is a rough diamond with three daughters and doesn’t beat around the bush. E3-C5/A3-A4.

    FAY- Stage age late 20’s. A shop assistant at Goodes. She has had a series of unfortunate relationships with unsuitable men, so she feels insecure about ever getting married and being considered respectable. G3-Eb5

    MR MILES/STEFAN- Two roles played by one actor. Stage age 40s. Mr Miles is stiff, conservative and authoritarian. He loves his daughter but firmly believes a woman’s place is in the home and is baffled by her intellect and ambition. Stefan is an ebullient Hungarian intellectual and von vivant. He is a passionate enthusiast for all things literary. G2-D4/D2-C4

    We are seeking performers from a wide range of ages, cultural and linguistically diverse backgrounds, gender identities and body types to be part of this special production. The creative team are open to different interpretations of the character descriptions.

  • Auditions will be 15 minute sessions.

    WHAT TO PREPARE:

    • A diary entry, approximately 1 minute in length, for the character(s) you are auditioning for to be delivered as a monologue

    • A musical theatre song of your choice, showcasing your vocal range. Please bring a backing track or sheet music.

    • You will be asked to follow a short sequence of basic choreographed movements. Please wear appropriate footwear.

    Click here to discover the script.

Book an audition