Auditions: Aurélia, a Thriller By Robert Thomas

Aurelia
By Robert Thomas – Adapted by Tudor Gates
Directed by Arthur Young
Auditions: Saturday, 10th February.
Time: You will be assigned a time.
Where: Howick Little Theatre, 1 Sir Lloyd Drive, Lloyd Elsmore Park, Pakuranga

Synopsis:
The beautiful, striking but somewhat mysterious Aurelia returns to England without her husband John and begins to spin a web of deceit and crime around Isabel, her husband's former love, which, if successful, should net her a great deal of money. Unfortunately, murder, robbery and blackmail all start to recoil on her own head.

Characters:
(Ages are indicative only)
Aurelia F (30s): Aurelia is the driving force of this play. She has many twists and turns throughout the play as she tries to draw her plans to a successful conclusion. There is very much an air of the Femme Fatale to her, but where is her husband, John?

Isabel F (20s): Isabel is the young ingénue of our story, or at least that's how it seems to appear. Another great role for a young actress, Isabel goes through a transformative process, thanks to Aurelia's machinations, and her feelings for John.

Lady Chalmont F (60s): John's aunt, Lady Chalmont plays host to our tale in her Cotswold home. She is quietly authoritative and walks with the aid of a stick. We suspect she may have had a stroke in the past.

Vera F (50s): Lady Chalmont's Housekeeper/Companion, Vera provides a biting wit to her scenes. A good eye roll will be handy for this role.

Mercer M (30s): A handsome but dangerous gentleman who is somehow embroiled in Aurelia's plans.

A Visitor M (20s/30s): This young man calls upon Lady Chalmont's house at the end of the first act. A pivotal role in the play.

Director's Notes:
I would like to say more about this play but I have to be careful not to spoil it. This is a thriller full of twists and turns leading to a shocking conclusion. I loved the script and the journey these characters go through as their decisions come back to bite them. Having acted in many plays and been directed by some fabulous directors, I know how I like to work. In this instance, that means working collaboratively with cast and crew to deliver a show the audience will talk about and remember. This means coming with ideas. Some might work, some might not, either way we will work together to elevate the performance. Most importantly, I want this process to be fun. At the end of the day, we want to be creating something that we can be proud of. I look forward to working with a great cast and crew for this show.

About the Director:
Arthur first got involved in theatre in high school back in 1988. This has led to a long-term love of the stage, which included three years at Otago University studying drama. After university, he took a break from theatre before returning to the stage in 2008 for HLT's production of 12 Angry Men. Since then he has acted in a number of plays at HLT, Dolphin Theatre, Ellerslie Theatre and Company Theatre. In 2022, he directed his first full-length play, Arcadia, at Dolphin. He is looking forward to working with a new cast to bring Aurélia to life.

Contact: for further information about the play, email Arthur, arfa01@gmail.com, or fill in HLT's online audition form and HLT will be in touch.