New Auditions: The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie

Director: Jeff Book

About the play: Lost in the fog, a stranger seeks refuge in a nearby house only to find a man shot dead and his wife standing over him with a smoking gun. But the woman’s dazed confession is anything but convincing and the unexpected guest decides to help. Remarkably, the police clues point to a man who died two years previously but as the ghosts of a past wrong begin to emerge, a tangled web of lies reveals family secrets and chilling motives, where the real murderer turns out to be the greatest mystery of all.

Roles available: The ages listed below are “playing ages”, meaning the actor should be able to credibly portray this age.  The actor’s actual age may be different.

• Richard Warwick – the wealthy, cruel and disabled victim, no text, 40’s to 50’s – will double as one of the other male characters who appear later in the play

• Laura Warwick – wife of Richard, initially confessing to murder, mid-30’s

•  Michael Starkwedder – the unexpected guest, offering to help Laura, mid-30’s

• Miss Bennett – the house manager and secretary, harbouring secrets, 40’s-50’s

• Jan Warwick – Richard’s young half-brother, who hates him for past threats of confinement, 20’s

• Mrs. Warwick – Richard’s mother, who openly dislikes her son, 50+

• Henry Angell – Richard’s valet and personal nurse, 40’s

• Sergeant Cadwallader – a poetic and not always attentive police officer, 30’s

• Inspector Thomas – the detective leading the investigation, 40’s

• Julian Farrar – local politician with a hidden agenda, 30’s to 40’s

Audition dates:

• October 14, from 18:30 to 21:30 at Saalbau Gallus – Wilhelm Derlam-Raum
• October 15, from 18:30 to 21:30 at Saalbau Nidda – Raum Vogelsberg and Raum Kalbach
• October 19, from 10:00 to 15:00 at Saalbau Bornheim Anna Beyer-Raum

Audition process: Please register in advance via [email protected] for your preferred audition date and role, and plan to arrive at the start time on the date you have selected and submitted. An audition form will be sent to you and you are required to fill this in and bring this with you to the audition, including and most importantly, your availability restrictions for the coming months (planned vacations, work travels, etc). This is important in order to plan rehearsals with such a large cast!  

At the start time for the auditions, a short introduction will be given by the director which will include overview of the play and production timeline, audition process, rehearsal expectations and assignment of rehearsal slot time with fellow candidates.  Candidates will be auditioning with other candidates in specific scenes.

No preparation is necessary, and no roles have been pre-cast.  Audition “sides” will be available at the venue and candidates will have sufficient time to get familiar with the short scenes and read with other candidates.

After casting the roles, table reads will begin in October and continue in November.  In-person rehearsals will begin in early December, initially twice per week.  Beginning in February, rehearsals may be planned more frequently in given weeks.

Performance dates are March 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, and April 10, 11, and 12.