Auditions for The Book of Everything

A drama adapted by Richard Tulloch from the book by Guus Kuijer/Aust/2010.

Directed by: Alex Gleed

Synopsis:
Nine-year-old Thomas can see things no one else can: tropical fish thriving in the Amsterdam canals, trumpeting sparrows and even a hailstorm of frogs. He also sees the unhappiness of his family, the violence in his father, and the pain that lingers long after World War II is over. All this – good and bad – he carefully records in his magical and hopeful Book of Everything.

All ages are guidelines. The characters Thomas, Margot, and Eliza are children, but are intended to be played by older teen/adult actors. This is an ensemble piece, with all actors being on stage the whole time.

Thomas Klopper - Male, teen/adult to play age 9-10
Thomas is the hero of the story. Although he is young, he knows a lot and is never afraid to ask questions. He has visions of Jesus and talks to him. He is a good boy with a lovely personality.

Margot Klopper - Female, teen/adult to play age 16
Margot is Thomas's older sister. Thomas describes her as, "dumb as an onion," though much of her apparent stupidity is a farce. She has a way of knowing things.

Eliza - Female, teen/adult to play age 16
Eliza is Margot's friend from school. She has a leather leg that creaks when she walks. Thomas notes that he will marry her when he is older. She is smart and is not afraid to showcase her amazement in Thomas.

Mother - Female, age 35+
Mother is very nice to her son Thomas. She hides the full extent of her relationship with her husband. She often takes the blow for Thomas' mistakes.

Father/Bumbiter - Male, age 35+
Father has a very strict personality who does not believe in niceness or mercy, saying that "only good-for-nothings and weaklings are happy. Life is a struggle." He has shut himself off from people. He is a very religious man, raising his family up to what he thinks is God's standard. This role is doubled with the ‘Bumbiter’ – a scary dog in Thomas’ imagination.

Mrs. van Amersfoort - Female, age 50+
Mrs. van Amersfoort is a war survivor who is said to be a witch. She has a very messy house and two black cats. She also helps Thomas and learns from him, too. They have a very special relationship. She is a very independent woman.

Auntie Pie - Female, age 50+
She is around Mother’s age. She is a strong-minded woman who is sceptical of Father and the way he treats his family. Doesn’t believe in men being in control and abusive.

Jesus - Male, 25-35
Jesus comes down to talk to Thomas to help guide him through the difficult moments of his young life.

Preparation for the audition:
Please select and prepare two scenes that best showcase the character(s) you are auditioning for. One of these scenes could be a monologue from the play if appropriate. There will be people at the audition to read with you. It is not necessary to memorise the lines – only a familiarity is required. Please bear in mind that audition slots are 10-15 mins max.

- To request a copy of the script, email our Office Manager, Dominique at info@hlt.org.nz
- To book an audition slot, email the director, Alex Gleed at alex.gleed@outlook.com

Rehearsals and performances:
- Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm and Sundays at 2pm at Howick Little Theatre
- Readthrough: Sunday, May 12
- First rehearsal: Tuesday, May 14
- Season: July 6 to 27

The Director: Alex Gleed
Alex has been working in theatre for almost 20 years as an actor and director, being involved in close to 50 productions during this time. In 2017, Alex directed the very successful Dial M for Murder at Howick Little Theatre. He works full time as an English and Drama teacher at Howick College.