Audition Notice
Mayfly
by Joe White
directed by Emmie Spencer
Auditions: 5, 6 & 7 December 2026
Rehearsals: From mid-January 2027
Performances: 16–24 April 2027
New Venture Theatre Studio
ABOUT THE PLAY
Set in a small Shropshire village on a Sunday in early May, Mayfly is the debut play from Olivier Award-nominated playwright Joe White, which won him the 2019 Offie Award for Most Promising New Playwright.
Over the course of one day, a chance encounter by the river, a first date and a series of unexpected connections bring four people together.
Big-hearted, tender and wonderfully funny, Mayfly is a beautifully observed play about love, loss and the strange, messy business of being human.
CHARACTERS
BEN – 45 (male)
A former local golden boy and Bruce Springsteen tribute act who never quite became the man he imagined he would. Loves Aston Villa. Hates watching them play.
CAT – 46 (female)
Ben’s wife. Quick-witted, flirtatious, impulsive and fiercely alive, even when life has knocked the wind out of her. Loves pinot grigio, Silk Cuts and old voice notes.
LOOPS – 25 (female)
Ben and Cat’s daughter. A young cadet soldier with a sharp tongue, dark sense of humour and a vulnerability beneath the bravado. Loves microwave curries. Hates sheep.
HARRY – 27 (male)
A kind-hearted pub worker and accidental lifeguard with a tendency to overthink everything. Awkward, funny, unexpectedly wise, and prone to saying exactly the wrong thing at exactly the right moment.
The ages listed are the characters’ ages in the script. Casting will be based on actors being broadly right for those playing ages, as well as how the four actors work together and how the family relationships read on stage.
Actors should ideally be comfortable working with a Shropshire/ Midlands accent, but please don’t let this put you off auditioning. We’ll work together in rehearsals to find a shared sense of place and accent for the characters.
All roles are open to actors of any ethnicity.
AUDITIONS
Auditions will take place on Saturday 5, Sunday 6 and Monday 7 December 2026 at New Venture Theatre.
First-round auditions will be in 15-minute individual slots, using a short piece from the script.
There may be recalls and/or paired scene work following the first round of auditions.
There will be a read-through in January, with rehearsals beginning from mid-January 2027 and likely to take place three times a week through February and March.
Anyone can audition. You do not need to be a member of New Venture Theatre to audition, but if cast you will need to become a member. Membership costs £15.
For a digital copy of the script and audition pieces, to book an audition slot, or if you have any questions, please contact