Artistic director tells FLICKY HARRISON about new play

Aspiring actors who want to stretch their dramatic skills are urged to audition for a dark and powerful drama.

The latest offering by Shoebox Theatre Company is When The Rain Stops Falling, a contemporary drama shrouded in mystery and sadness,.

Auditions for the nine-strong cast, in Andrew Bovell's family saga takes place on Wednesday, March 1 at the Shoebox Theatre in Theatre Square, Swindon.

The play is a time shifter, from the 1950s to 2039 and set in a flat in London and the Australian desert. The play is based on the theme of past events impacting on the next generation, sins of the father visited on the children. The age range of the characters is from 24 to 56 years.

Luke Marquez, Artistic Director at the Shoebox Theatre, said: “When the Rain Stops Falling was exactly what we were looking for and we cannot wait to start working on it! Our next challenge is finding the right cast to make this project a reality.”

This is the second production by the community theatre company, following on from the success of The Wonderful World of Dissocia, written by Anthony Neilson.

Rehearsals run for 20 weeks on a Wednesday evening from 7pm. The auditions are open to anyone, over 18-years-old, who has had some experience of acting and wishes to receive mentoring, while gaining performance experience in a professional theatre setting.

"The Shoebox Theatre company was set up to support local actors and to give them an opportunity to work on contemporary scripts. It also provides learning and development throughout the process, so actors can build on their technique, whilst working towards a show,'' said Luke.

Characters on offer are Henry Law - playing age 40-45, Elizabeth Law - playing age 56, Elizabeth Law (Younger) – playing age 30-35, Gabriel Law - playing age 28, Gabriel York - playing age 50, Gabrielle York - playing age 50, Gabrielle York (Younger) - playing age 24, Joe Ryan - playing age 50 and Andrew Price - playing age 28.

The project costs £75, for more details email shoebox@wrongshoes.co.uk.

When The Rain Stops Falling will be presented from the week beginning Monday, July 3 at the Shoebox Theatre in Swindon. - Flicky Harrison