Current Auditions:

Want to be involved but don’t want to act? There’s always plenty to do backstage – see our membership page for details.

Non-members are welcome but please read the notes at the bottom of this page.

Please note

While auditions are intended for members, non-members are welcome to attend on the understanding that, if successful in reading for a part, you would be expected to become a member of the theatre. This entitles you to take part in all theatre activities and to concessionary ticket prices. In return you will be expected to attend all rehearsals and performances and to undertake your required allocation of front of house duties. Your membership subscription must be paid by the end of the second rehearsal. Membership fees for a year are £60 (£25 if unwaged). More details on Crescent Membership can be found in the membership pages.

Unless stated otherwise, the venue for all readings and auditions is the Crescent Theatre.

Rules for Living

by Sam Holcroft

Saturday 16th January to Saturday 23rd January 2027 – Rob Barber Studio

  • Sat, 16th Jan 7:45pm
  • Sun, 17th Jan 2:45pm
  • Tue, 19th Jan 7:45pm
  • Wed, 20th Jan 7:45pm
  • Thurs 21st Jan 7:45pm
  • Fri, 22nd Jan 7:45pm
  • Sat, 22nd Jan 2:45pm & 7:45pm

Get-In: Sunday 10th January 2027

Tech week: Monday 11th January – Friday 15th January 2027

 

The Play

Rules for Living is a dark, high‑energy kitchen‑sink drama‑farce (you heard it here first) that descends into anarchy with the introduction of more and more “rules” that only the audience can see, but which the characters must act out compulsively and instinctively. 

Descriptions of what kind of rules come into play have been added to each character description. All instances of the “rules” are noted in the script, so no need to worry about having to improvise the what and when but the joy in rehearsals will be exploring the how and why.

Sam Holcroft has created a world in which the audience are part of the joke from the very start, and with that knowledge, have the unique gift of being able to see trouble coming from a mile away and relish when it inevitably hits.

Set over the course of one family’s Christmas Day, emotions are laid bare, hidden truths are exposed, and choices must be made. This play encourages you, as an actor, to embrace organised chaos, push yourself physically, and wholeheartedly trust your fellow cast and crew from page to stage.

In the studio, space will be at a premium, and this production will put our actors front and centre. Supported by a stylised set, multi‑media elements, and a full Christmas dinner, we’ll have all the trimmings to make Rules for Living an incredible show together.

Cast breakdown

Please read full descriptions below. Some playing ages are flexible depending on other actors cast (with a focus on appropriate age ranges between family members and romantic pairings). Familial resemblance will not be prioritised.

Some notes on eating and drinking within the show:

    • Any food or drink consumed will be adapted around individual cast needs (please do give details on your audition form to give as much notice as possible for this).
    • There are multiple references to alcohol and medication being consumed, please note, this will never be real. Suitable visual replacements for each will be discussed and pre-agreed prior to tech week.
  • Rehearsal consumables will also be provided. These may not be what is used in the actual show but these variations will also be pre-agreed and introduced into rehearsals as early as is comfortable for each actor.

Characters (in order of appearance)

  • MATTHEW, boyfriend of Carrie (30s) – The quintessential “younger brother”, Matthew is struggling to claim his place in the family. Bringing his girlfriend home for the first time might not be the one-size-fits-all solution he’d hoped for but it’s all or nothing this holiday. Matthew’s rules include “must sit and eat to tell a lie” – those auditioning should be comfortable with complex physicality and eating throughout the play. There is also one moment where Matthew sings (doesn’t need to be tuneful).
  • CARRIE, girlfriend of Matthew (30s) – Carrie is feeling the pressure to be the perfect house guest and the perfect partner despite feeling like she’s living in the constant shadow of better examples – the life of an actor. A big personality masking big insecurities with questionable success. Carrie’s rules include “must stand and dance around to tell a joke” – those auditioning should have confidence moving their body (dancing doesn’t have to be graceful) creatively.
  • SHEENA, married to Adam (40s) – The sensible and dependable one, experiencing all the frustrations that place in the family brings, particularly at Christmas and increasing marital tensions. Sheena’s rules include “must drink and interrupt to contradict” – those auditioning should be comfortable with drinking onstage.
  • ADAM, married to Sheena (40s) – Eldest child temperament and increasingly petulant competitiveness with his sibling. With cracks also appearing in his relationship with Sheena, Adam doesn’t necessarily approach moments of emotional turbulence in the healthiest of ways.  Adam’s rules include “must affect an accent and name call to mock” – those auditioning should bring as many accents as they can and must be comfortable with fast-paced dialogue.
  • EDITH, married to Francis, mother to Adam and Matthew (60-70s) – Edith is the family matriarch who uses every tool at her disposal to maintain control. Flipping from nurturing but single‑minded, to awkward conflict avoidance, to explosive frustration, she tries anything she can and experiences every emotion, including dealing with her bad back, trying to pretend that everything is normal and keep Christmas Day on track. Edith’s rules include “must clean and self-medicate to keep calm” – those auditioning should be comfortable with eating and drinking throughout the play.
  • FRANCIS, married to Edith, father to Adam and Matthew (60-70s) – Entering on final page of Act One, Francis does not have any rules to follow. However, this a once domineering father figure, now recent stroke survivor is frustrated at his lack of control of both his family and his body. Please note, Francis remains in his wheelchair throughout the play and has a visible right-sided paralysis as well as non-fluent aphasia (meaning great difficulty in being understood even with simple words). Those auditioning should be looking to explore rich characterisation through constricted physicality and facial expression.
  • EMMA, teenage daughter of Adam and Sheena – Although referenced throughout the play, Emma is only onstage in in one show-stopping scene at the height of Act 2; delivering a monologue of reason amongst the chaos, Emma’s strength and wisdom beyond her years is in direct contrast with the other members of her family. Those auditioning should be comfortable with a short, commanding monologue and once cast, would be welcome to be as involved in the rehearsal process as they would like to be or even backstage. Emma is described as 14, however we are looking for someone who is 17+ but looks younger.

This play needs a strong ensemble of adaptable actors who are able to embody realistic natural characters whilst also demonstrating great spatial awareness, intelligence and sensitivity to balance handling the rules and props too. Featuring an intricate card game, this is also a very food heavy show which is guaranteed to get messy; it will be a lot of fun but you have been warned.

Intimacy

You will not be asked to participate in any intimate acts during the audition process.

Throughout the play there will be moments of intimacy (eg. hugging, holding hands, general close proximity) between most characters to depict things like family connection, romantic interest, and/or threatening behaviour. 

All will be rehearsed following The Crescent Theatre intimacy guidelines, some specific examples detailed below.  

  • Matthew & Carrie: Kiss
  • Adam & Sheena: Kiss
  • Matthew & Edith: Motherly kiss on cheek
  • Francis & Carrie: 2 moments of “inappropriate touching”

Auditions

Auditions will take place at The Crescent Theatre on:

  • Tuesday 20th October 2026 @ 19.00
  • Thursday 22nd October 2026 @ 19.00

With callbacks (if needed) on Sunday 24th October 2026 @ 10.00

Please sign up to auditions by completing this form to let us know a little more about you and which audition date you are planning to attend.

Audition pieces for each character are below; there is no requirement to learn the audition pieces but do familiarise yourself ahead of your audition but don’t worry about the “rules” as these can be chatted through at the audition. Please note, you may not be asked to perform every extract. If auditioning for Francis, we will ask you to read alternative parts playing with reduced physicality where appropriate.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals will take place at the Crescent Theatre starting on Sunday 1st November 2026 and will follow the pattern of Tuesday and Wednesday evenings as well as Sunday’s 10am-2pm. Please note, a festive break over Christmas is being built into the schedule so unavailability over this time has some flexibility.

Get in touch

If you have any questions about this production or are unable to make either of the audition dates, please contact: r4l@crescent-theatre.co.uk.

 

Steph Urquhart

Director

The Mirror Crack’d

A new Adaptation by
Rachel Wagstaff

Crescent Theatre, Main House, February 6th – 13th inc.

This clever version retains all the most important elements so beloved by fans of Christie, the puzzle, the differing recollections, the secret and, perhaps most important, Miss Marple herself.

The play is set in St Mary Mead, Miss Marple’s home and surly the most dangerous village in England in which to live. There have been changes to the sleepy, chocolate box, thatched idyll. There is a new housing development, a famous Hollywood couple have taken over the Manor House and worse, there is one of those new supermarket places where you have to select your own purchases.

It is July 1962 and Jane Marple has had a fall which has damaged her ankle quite badly, she can only move about with crutches or a wheelchair. She has some rather ham-fisted help from well-meaning Cherry and occasional visits from her surrogate nephew Dermot and neighbour Dolly Bantry. Miss Marple may have reduced mobility but her mind is as quick as ever as she pieces together the fragments of the puzzle.

All the roles in the play have the strongly drawn Christie characteristics and require playing with style but no sense of parody. Lovely as that was, this is not Cluedo. Additionally there is the acting challenge of playing a scene in Miss Marple’s house whilst also being part of the scene you are recounting. The scene may also be replayed but, this time, from another person’s point of view. Interesting.

A composite set includes the cottage, the updated manor, a street, a film studio, a dressing room and a film set for ‘Catherine of Aragon.’ Costumes range from chic 1960’s, to comfortable old clothes, through Regal Tudor.

THE ROLES
(I’m not going to include playing ages because I find that sometimes makes actors unnecessarily self-edit.)

  • MISS JANE MARPLE – The knitting detective, is all the things you would expect her to be with the addition of a frustrating lack of mobility. Do others treat her differently or make assumptions because she is not able to bustle around the village? Probably, but she is far from finished, despite moments of doubt perhaps caused by being trapped in the house. We get to see another side to Miss Marple when we learn about her fiancé Lawrence, killed in WW1. (accent, RP) (n.b. Marple does a lot of, unavoidable for plot purposes, of crawling around on the floor.)
    ‘Now, look, it’s all showers and supermarkets.’
  • CHERRY BAKER – New to the area and living on the estate, she is employed as Miss Marple’s not entirely competent, but well meaning, carer. She was also employed as a waitress at Marina’s drinks party on the night of the murder. (Accent, hints of local?)
    ‘If I didn’t say anything and she died. . . ‘
  • CHIEF INSPECTOR DERMOT CRADDOCK – The archetypal police presence in a Christie, but made more three-dimensional in Wagstaff’s version. He must solve this and needs – but doesn’t want – Marple’s help. (accent, his own)
    ‘But, why would she protect him?’
  • HEATHER LEIGH – A village gossip and stalwart of the local St John’s Ambulance brigade. Heather tends to bustle and dominate, sure that she is doing the right thing. (Accent, her version of RP)
    ‘Sugar’s terribly good for shock.’
  • CYRIL LEIGH – Heather’s poor, downtrodden husband – Mr Cellophane – if people would only listen to him it would be a much shorter evening. Not an enormous role but great comedy potential. (Accent, his own)
    ‘I thought, perhaps, you’d want to talk to me?’
  • DOLLY BANTRY – A crashing snob, her Manor house Gossington Hall, had to be sold after the death of her husband and to a film star! Her lack of self-awareness makes her funny until a sad glimpse of her reality. (Accent, slightly heightened RP)
    ‘Isn’t it odd that sex makes babies? They’re such terribly different things to do.’
  • MARINA GREGG – The film star who has relocated to the English countryside. Why? She is glamourous and talented. A mixture of good genes and surgical intervention makes her ageless. (Accent, cultured American and Hollywood Spanish as Catherine of Aragon.)
    ‘You’ve clearly been reading the gossip columns.’
  • JASON RUDD – Marina’s husband/protector/manager and film producer/director largely conforms to the stereotype. (Accent, American, exact location TBD)
    ‘You couldn’t stop a murderer if he was standing right next to you.’
  • ELLA ZIELINSKY – Marina’s secretary/PA of Polish descent and mutters in Polish occasionally but lived in America for most of her life. Devoted to Marina – or is she? (Accent, American)
    ‘The plumbing in this goddamn country!’
  • LOLA BREWSTER – Actress (it’s 1962 we can say that) more used to gritty dramas, than this historical one where she plays Anne Boleyn. She appears distracted and uncooperative on set, why? (Accent, brought up largely in LA)
    ‘God!! but that was nothing to do with me!’
  • GIUSEPPE RENZO – Butler to Marina and Jason, very protective of Marina and somewhat prickly. (Accent, Italian) ‘I spend my life with secrets crushed against me.’

Other roles will be played by members of the Company.

AUDITIONS

Cumberland Room, Crescent Theatre.

  • Monday November 16th 7.00pm
  • Thursday November 19th 7.00pm

Please be familiar with, but don’t learn, the script excerpts for roles you are interested in.

The Rehearsal pattern is Generally Friday 7.00 – 9.30pm, Saturday 2.00 – 5.30pm and Tuesday 7.00 – 9.30pm. There are some odd other days, to offer some main stage availability. A full rehearsal list will be available soon.

Rehearsals begin on Saturday November 28th. There will be a rehearsal break from Saturday December 19th until Tuesday December 29th

Important Dates:

  • Get in January 31st
  • Tech Monday Feb 1st 2027
  • Tech Tuesday Feb 2nd
  • 1st Dress Wednesday Feb 3rd
  • Thursday Feb 4th keep free
  • 2nd Dress Friday Feb 5th
  • Opening Saturday February 6th at 2.30! Please note! matinee opening performance.

Intimacy:

  • Marina and Jason kiss and he often has his arm round her
  • Dermot kisses Marple on the cheek
  • Marina and Giuseppe ‘grapple’
  • Cherry bandages Marple’s ankle
  • Cyril and Heather help Marple after her fall.

These, and all other instances of touching, no matter how small, will be choreographed in line with the Theatre’s Intimacy policy and guidelines.

Michael Barry

Director

Membership Commitment – as part of your membership we expect all members to support the theatre by assisting with our Front of House Operations when the theatre is open for performances by either Stewarding, working on the Bar or Coffee Bar. We term this as a “Duty” and members are expected to do eight “Duties” per membership year.

New Members will be asked to do three duties before the run of any production they are cast in. Existing members should ensure that they have fulfilled their quota of duties before auditioning or they may not be considered for a production. All members should do a minimum of three duties within a four month period.

The Crescent Theatre is committed to the promotion of equal opportunities within the theatre, and affiliated projects, through the way we manage the venue and provide services to the community. No person should experience discrimination or lack of opportunities on the grounds of gender, race, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability. In the provision of services and in regards to the membership and visiting companies, the Crescent Theatre is committed to promoting equal opportunities for everyone.  Click here for our Statement of Commitment on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. If you need any reasonable adjustments to enable you to access an audition, you can let us know in advance by filling in an online audition form.

Please note the opportunities above are unpaid