OPEN CALL AUDITION: And Then There Were None - January 25, 2025

Ottawa Little Theatre presents

And Then There Were None
Written by: Agatha Christie

Directed by: Venetia Lawless

Production Dates:
May 7 – 24, 2025 at 7:30 pm (Wednesdays – Saturdays) and matinees on May 11 & 18  at 2:30 pm (Sundays)

*A note on rehearsals: Please note that the rehearsal schedule will be slightly unusual for the first month with some Saturday rehearsals incorporated into the schedule. We will require those cast to be flexible with their time in the first few weeks of February.

Open Call Audition:
Auditions  will be held on:

Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 1:00 pm
Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to fill out your audition card – onstage readings will commence at 1:00pm sharp.  

Call Backs will be Monday, January, 27th with the possibility of Tuesday, January 28th as an additional call back if needed.

Audition Location:
Ottawa Little Theatre
400 King Edward Avenue, Ottawa
(Please use 235 Besserer Street entrance.)

Backstage Orientation:
Simultaneously with the audition, A BACKSTAGE ORIENTATION and tour of the theatre will be offered by a member of the Volunteer Committee for anyone interested in working behind the scenes on any future production. Descriptions of each of the various Volunteer Positions can be found in the Volunteer section of this website.

Synopsis:
Ten strangers are mysteriously summoned to a remote island. All they have in common are dark secrets in their pasts for which each has now been condemned to death. Trapped by a violent storm, the guests are murdered one by one in accordance with the lines of a sinister nursery rhyme. Dame Agatha wrote this stage adaptation based on her own novel – the best-selling mystery of all time.

Character Descriptions:

Notes:

  • We are looking for actors who are able to manage the 1940’s dialogue without sounding camp, and have an ability to build tension through voice and body.
  • The characters are from different class structures and different parts of the country, therefore accents reflecting these differences would be welcome. However, clarity of voice, and our audiences’ ability to hear and understand is the priority. Casting will come down to actors’ abilities to portray these roles with authenticity, tension and chemistry.
  • All of the characters are implicated in causing death at some point in their pasts. While they all carry the weight of that past differently, they all must bring a sense of their past with them into the play.
  •  Ages refer to the approximate age of the character, not the actor.

VERA CLAYTHORNE (Female presenting, early 20’s to early 30’s) – She is a strong young woman, with a sad secret. She was looking forward to this work placement as a way to get away from it all. She is bright and competent as a Secretary, but is particularly stressed by the situation and the eerie nursery rhyme that dictates how each murder occurs. She is accused of causing the death of a boy she cared for as a nanny.

PHILIP LOMBARD (Male presenting, 30’s) – Served in the King’s African Rifles but was too bored in peace-time so left the service. He is a dashing adventurer, bold and witty. He seems to have a level head throughout the play, feeling confident he can take care of himself if he’s in a scrape. He has a gun on him to protect himself. He is accused of abandoning 21 members of an East African Tribe in the jungle to save his own life.

WILLIAM BLORE (Male presenting, 45+) – A former police inspector, he comes to the island undercover but is quickly discovered. He initially speaks with a South African accent which then turns to English once his true identity is revealed. He is suspicious of everybody. He is accused of giving misleading testimony in court causing an innocent man to die in prison.

SIR LAWRENCE WARGRAVE (Male presenting, 65+) – A natural leader; he takes control and drives the investigation of who each of the characters are and the details of the accusations leveled against them. He is thoughtful and methodical, he exudes confidence. He is accused of swaying a jury and sentencing a man to death – even though the jury believed the defendant to be innocent.

DR. ARMSTRONG (Male presenting, late 40’s to late 50’s) – A Nerves Specialist who used to be a hospital surgeon. He is quiet, reliable and quickly must use his knowledge to determine various causes of death as the murders occur. He is accused of malpractice causing the death of a patient on the operating table.

EMILY BRENT (Female presenting, 60+) – A religious woman who lives by a strict moral code and sees the decay of morality in everything – but especially in young people. She believes people will face God’s judgment for their sins. She is judge-y and has no issue in letting others know she disapproves of them. Miss Brent entirely justified in having once turned out a serving girl after discovering she was pregnant out of wedlock. The girl subsequently committed suicide. Miss Brent is accused of causing the girl’s death.

ROGERS (Male presenting, late 30’s to early 50’s) – As the house / parlour man, Rogers serves the rest of the group and even continues his duties as long as he can. He gently coaxes his grumbling wife, though later becomes fearful that she will somehow share a secret. He tries very hard to hold things together as the servant (feeding the house guests and seeing to their needs), while there is a murderer among them, and he and his wife are among the accused.

MRS. ROGERS (Female presenting, late 30’s to early 50’s) – Rogers’ wife. Ethel is at first a grumbling cook, finding herself saddled with other household duties as the guests have arrived before the maids and the hostess have. Once the accusations come out, she transitions to a frightened woman, in much distress. She and her husband are accused of allowing a woman in their care to die unaided.

GENERAL MACKENZIE (Male presenting, 65+) – A widow who seems lost and discombobulated. He is a man of habit and doesn’t leave his residence much. Faced with the choice of “fight, flight or freeze” MacKenzie’s natural tendency seems to be freeze – resigning himself to the fate before him. He seems to lose himself in his own thoughts – the stress of the situation perhaps untethering him from the others. He is accused of knowingly sending his wife’s lover to his death in battle while under his command in WWI.

ANTHONY MARSTON* (Male presenting, early to mid 20’s) – A rich and spoiled young man. Marston likes to drive recklessly and seems to lack a conscience. To him, the world is his playground and he shows no feeling or remorse should his action negatively impact others. He is accused of killing two children in a car accident caused by his speeding.

FRED NARRACOTT* (Male or female presenting, any age) – Island caretaker, brings food to the island and transports the guests to and from the mainland.

*These parts may be played by the same actor, depending on turnout.

Audition Sides:

Below are various scenes that are provided for auditionees to review to get a sense of time, place, character. Depending on how many people are auditioning, we MAY NOT get to all of these sides. Please acquaint yourself with the sides but do not spend time memorizing them – they are simply to be used as a guide and reference for you. We may add other scenes that are not listed here.
 
This play – like ALL Agatha Christie plays – is an ensemble. While there are roles with less lines, these characters are just as critical to the plot and the tension of the piece as the last character standing. 
 
Feel free to identify the role you are interested  in on your audition card, however given the size of the cast and the importance of balance across the entire play, you will likely be asked to read for various characters during the audition.
 
We anticipate auditioning Naraccott, Mrs. and Mr. Rogers first, then will focus on the larger scenes, with the possibility of ending with some smaller scenes.
 
Thank you – we look forward to seeing you!
 

Side 1 – Mr & Mrs. Rogers

Side 2 – Narracott, Mr & Mrs. Rogers

Side 3 – Vera, Lombard, Blore, Wargrave, Armstrong, Emily, Rogers, MacKenzie, Marston

Side 4 – Vera, Lombard, Blore, Wargrave, Armstrong, Emily, Rogers, MacKenzie, Marston

Side 5 – Vera, Lombard, Blore, Wargrave, Armstrong, Emily, Rogers, MacKenzie, Marston

Side 6 – Blore, Armstrong, Vera, Wargrave, Armstrong 

Side 7 – Vera & MacKenzie

Side 8 – Vera & Emily