KDC showdown: Mini-project and call for pitches
Sarah Dobson
1. An exciting mini-project for actors to get involved in this Autumn.
2. Dates for pitches for next season are announced.
Keep reading for more info....
Concrete Island
Graham White’s adaptation of JG Ballard’s dystopian novel.
Directed by Rose Pickles
A KDC mini project – for new ideas and busy people!
Saturday 5th November 2016 at 3pm
The Baron’s Court Theatre
The performance will be a rehearsed reading. You do not need to prepare anything in advance. The play is a radio adaptation of JG Ballard’s novel Concrete Island. It is set in a frightening dystopian near future, close to Heathrow, on a piece of wasteland surrounded on all sides by motorway. There are three main characters, two male (aged 25-35 and 30-40) and one female (aged 18-25). There are also four other characters who are not on the island. Two must be female (aged 25-35) and two can be male or female (aged 16-18 and 25-35). Auditions will take the form of games and cold readings from the script. British accents are preferable but not essential.
At the audition you will be asked to fill in a preference form so that we have your contact details and know if there are any specific parts you'd like to audition for. Recalls will be scene readings.
Auditions: Saturday 17th September 10am – 12pm
Rehearsals: Likely to be Sunday dates in October/November – TBC with cast availibility
Performances: Saturday 5th November
Driving home one Friday rush hour, a cocky young architect crashes down a motorway embankment. At first he seems bound to be rescued, but as he fails to make the passing commuters notice him, he finds himself trapped on a strange, neglected island between the highways. Can this modern day Crusoe survive in this strange new world?
The play is a compelling allegory of modern life. Its main themes are morality, isolation, violence, our relationship with technology and our subconscious desires. It is an intense and demanding piece that asks a lot of its cast.
This production is a rehearsed reading. It will be a challenging and potentially disturbing piece. Through rehearsals we will explore the subtext and inner thoughts of the characters. As it was originally written as a radio play there is a strong focus on dialogue and this will be complimented by a simple but impactful graphic set, perhaps using projection.
7 actors (3-5 female, 2-4 male)
Maitland is a cocky young architect. He has been very successful and is very wealthy. He has become bored with his job, his family and even his mistress. He is board of life and has possibly marooned himself on the concrete island intentionally. This is the lead role and needs an actor with a strong presence and charm but also the ability to show vulnerability.
JANE (18-25)
Jane is a young woman who has run away to escape family problems caused by an early marriage and an abortion. She lives on the island but leaves frequently, especially at night. We get the impression that she is working as a prostitute. She has a very strong exterior and tries not to show any emotion but at heart she is a frightened little girl.
PROCTOR (30-40)
Proctor is an ex-acrobat who lives on the island. He has a strong physical presence but seems to lack intellect. He was part of a travelling circus until he had an accident where he suffered a head injury. He is unable to read or write and talks in an almost primitive way. His strong exterior hides a very vulnerable personality who likes to have a leader to follow.
CATHERINE (25-35)
Catherine is Maitland’s wife. She gave up expecting anything from Maitland a long time ago. Her main concern now is that he does right by their son. She is aware or at least suspects that he has affairs.
DAVID (16-18)
David is Maitland’s teenage son who veers between hating his father and seeking approval from him. This could also be a daughter if played by a woman.
HELEN (25-35)
Helen is a successful doctor and Maitland’s mistress. She is concerned about the fact that he is missing but not very. She is more worried that she left something that she needs for a conference in his car. She is quite prepared to give up on the relationship after he has been missing for a few days.
MARK (25-35)
Mark is Maitland’s business partner. He knows Maitland well and doesn’t seem particularly surprised by his disappearance. He is mainly concerned with the smooth running of the business. This part could also be played by a woman.
Pitches are open for Spring Season 2017
In Spring 2017 we’ll be back at the Barons Court Theatre for three weeks from March 27th through to April 15th. We’re looking for three directors to take on a week each with rehearsals starting in January 2017.
What's the deal?
Without our wonderful directors nothing would happen. We rely on you creative geniuses to dream up the ideas and become the enthusiastic, balls of energy that inspire our actors to take those ideas to the stage. We want to hear from all budding and established directors who would be interested in pitching a play. Over the past year we’ve had directors doing their first play and their fortieth-ish so don’t let your level of experience deter you.
What kind of thing do we want?
ANYTHING!!! We love theatre in all its dramatic, hilarious, touching and downright avant-garde glory. It’s been a while since we dusted off the Shakespeare folio so we’d be interested to hear some Shakespeare pitches. And if new writing takes your fancy let us know and we’ll send you the scripts that are in the new writing bank.
Things to consider
KDC prefers play with upwards of 8 roles in order to give our actors plenty of parts. However, don’t let that deter you from pitching other things, we have ways…
The theatres we use are fairly small and our show budgets are limited. If you are picturing a revolve and purpose built ship it probably won’t happen.
KDC have fantastic actors but they aren’t professionals: they have lives, families, jobs, insecurities and are doing theatre because they love it, not because they are paid for it. As a director you need to be sensitive this and create an environment where people feel safe and free to be creative. Please have a think about this because it’s very important and we will ask!
I’m interested, what now?
In the first instance drop Kim our Artistic Director (arti...@kdctheatre.com) a quick email briefly explaining what you’d like to pitch by 5pm on Friday 30th September and we can take it from there.We’ll be hearing pitches on Monday 3rd October so please keep that date free.
Sarah Dobson
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