AUDITION NOTICE FOR 5 SHORT PLAYS TO BEGIN OUR NEW SEASON.
Production Dates - Short Plays 2026: October 2nd to October 10th
Auditions all take place over the 11th and 12th July at The New Venture Theatre, Bedford Place.
Please see individual play details for times
Plays
The Candidate by Brent Holland
Sure Thing by David Ives
Say Something Happened by Alan Bennett
Catherine Medbh by Declan Feenan
The Fall by James Fritz
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PLAY - The Candidate by Brent Holland
Directed by Carolyn Chinn
Audition: Sunday 12 July 2-5pm at New Venture Theatre
About the Play
Four strangers wake up in a locked room with no memory of who they are or how they got there. With no obvious escape, they must rely on instinct to survive.< br/> Who can be trusted? Who is really in control? And who will pay the price?
The Candidate by Brent Holland is a tense 30-minute psychological thriller in the spirit of Squid Game — packed with suspense, paranoia, and high-stakes choices.
Are you ready for the challenge?
Roles
Black – shrewd, strategic and competitive
Blue – a natural follower, gentle unless provoked
Red – volatile, quick to anger and violence
White – wary, defiant, and slow to trust
Runnels - calm, cold and professionally detached
All roles are flexible in age, gender, and ethnicity.
For an audition pack and to register your interest, please contact the director at
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PLAY - Sure Thing by David Ives
Directed by Oliver Canavan
Brief Summary of the Play
A brilliantly witty and fast-paced comedy, Sure Thingexplores the awkward, hilarious, and all-too-relatable world of first encounters. Set in a café, the play follows two strangers navigating a conversation that keeps hilariously resetting every time something goes wrong. It’s sharp, playful, and full of clever twists — a real actor’s piece with great timing and comedic potential.
Cast
Bill – Male, playing age 25–40
Betty – Female, playing age 25–40
Audition Date & Time
12th July 10am-1pm
If Interested, Please Contact
Oliver Canavan
Contact Details
Email:
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PLAY - Say Something Happened by Alan Bennett
directed by Jason Lever
AUDITION DATE AND TIME: 12th July 6-10pm
SYNOPSIS
Mrs Rhodes is busy staring out of the window while Mr Rhodes is just about to look up Helsinki when they have a caller to their Leeds terrace house. An inexperienced social worker is visiting this oldish couple with her questionnaire, whom the council want to put on an “at risk" register – but Mam and Dad, perfectly alert, able-bodied and streetwise have no intention of this!
Eager but green social worker, June, ends up learning just as much about herself in this lovely dramatisation of a direct confrontation between old age and youth. The parents’ portrayal of their upwardly mobile daughter living down south conjures up a character you feel you’ve come to know despite her absence – and there’s an unexpected turn as Mam chooses to betray a genuinely dark secret to their visitor.
First broadcast in the BBC's 1982 Objects of Affection series, and starring Thora Hird and Julie Walters. A radio version was with Thora Hird, Brian Wilde and Imelda Staunton. This will be performed in the writer’s 91st year as a short play of approx. 35 minutes.
CAST
Mam 60+
Dad 60+
June Proctor 20-30
MORE INFO
I’m so excited to direct this piece in NVT’s regular show of short plays. Classic Bennett, with its not too gentle social satire that still feels relevant over forty years on. Containing moments of comedy, poignancy and tragedy, it flows beautifully as the 3 characters bicker, banter and finish each other’s sentences. It will take place with five other pieces in the Studio without a set.
To express an interest and book an audition slot, or if you have any questions, please contact me at:
Non-members are welcome to audition but must join NVT if cast.
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PLAY - Catherine Medbh
Directed by Alice Healey
Seeking two actors for Catherine Medbh, a tender, bittersweet Irish short play by Declan Feenan.
Set in a bar, the play follows a hesitant encounter between two former lovers.
Intimate and deeply human, the piece relies on emotional truth, subtext, and naturalistic dialogue.
Roles: *HER* Playing late 20s-early 30s
*HIM* Playing late 20s-early 30s
*Requirements*
Authentic Irish accents essential
Strong instinct for naturalism.
Chemistry between actors will be an important consideration
Auditions will take place at NVT on Saturday 11th July between 10am and 1pm.
To express an interest and book an audition slot, or if you have any questions, please contact Alice -
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PLAY - The Fall by James Fritz.
Directed by Sarah Tansey
Two teenagers sneak into the empty house of a retired lawyer. But they get more than they bargained for when they find him unconscious on the floor, an empty bottle of pills
by his side. Any hopes of a night of passion are swiftly obliterated as they face a moral dilemma:do they run, call an ambulance, or stay with him and allow a gentle death?
In the first of three stories, The Fall takes a funny, moving and candid look at young peoples’ relationships to the older generation as they confront the frightening prospect
of ageing in a country undergoing crises of housing and care.
This is a super showcase for two young talented actors. The characters are beautifully realised demanding vibrant energy, comic chops and emotional heft- all in 20 minutes!
CAST
Boy Playing Age 17/18 years old
Girl Playing Age 17/18 years old.
Mr Butler 70+ (Non speaking)
Please note all actors must be 18+
Auditions.
Date: July 11th
Time: 6pm-9pm
Venue: New Venture Theatre
Bedford Place
BN1 2PT
If you are interested and would like further details please contact Sarah Tansey
Email: