If you are looking to meet some interesting people and enjoy a fun winter project, Playgoers of Lethbridge is holding auditions for their winter production of Derek Benfield‘s 1980 British comedy, “Beyond a Joke.”
Auditions for the play are Nov. 28 and 29 at 7 p.m. at Casa. Because the Yates Centre is closed for renovations, Playgoers of Lethbridge has decided to do a dinner theatre at the Italian Canadian Club, Feb. 6-10.
Director Elaine Jagielski is revisiting the play, which Playgoers of Lethbridge performed around 15 years ago.
“It’s about a couple who live in a house where unfortunate things keep happening. People are dying. When their daughter’s boyfriend Geoff comes in, he suspects they are murders,” said Jagielski, noting the play is a comedy.
“Jane and Andrew's pleasant country house is accident prone. Six people have already died there in unfortunate and embarrassing accidents. When daughter Sally's young man Geoff arrives for the weekend unaware of the house's reputation, he mistakenly deduces from conversational confusion that the deaths were due to sinister circumstances. A body is discovered in the cupboard and a visiting vicar passes peacefully away in the garden just as Geoff's parents call unexpectedly.
Jane and her sister-in-law persuade Andrew to keep up appearances by hiding evidence, which involves trundling around with bodies in wheelbarrows. Geoff is nearly convinced that he is mistaken, unaware that one of the bodies has been mistakenly stowed in the trunk of his parents' car,” is how the play is described by Samuel French.
“It isn’t a dark comedy, but it is a British comedy. And I am a big fan of British comedies,” she said.
The play requires eight actors — four male and four female ranging in age from 20 and up.
“ So they can be in their mid 20s, 30s and 40 all the way up to parental age of 60s,” she said.
She hopes to cast the play quickly and begin rehearsals in December, taking a break over Christmas and resuming in the new year.
Volunteers are also needed to help in a variety of other behind the scenes capacities including backstage, stage building, costumes, props and production.
Auditions are at 7 p.m. , Nov. 28 and 29 at Casa.
