We are currently casting for the re-tour of the critically acclaimed Once in a House on Fire. If you are interested, suitable and available for either part, please email your spotlight link or CV and photo to info@monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk by Friday 3rd February 2012. Please indicate clearly which part you wish to be considered for in the email subject. The audition will take place at The Lowry in Salford Quays on Tuesday 7th February 2012. Unfortunately we will be unable to respond to any unsuccesful applicants.

Various (Lead) (Female, 4 – 50)

The play spans several decades and we are looking for an exceptional actor who can play from age 4 to 25 and other adult roles.

A good Manchester accent is required.

We would need the actor to live in or have a base in North-West England

Height: Any

Agreements: Equity Minimum

£400 / week pro rata.

Terry (Male, 28 – 39)

A difficult and violent character who is not without charm and charisma.

A strong actor with a good Manchester accent.

This character may double with smaller roles.

We would need the actor to live in or have a base in North-West England

Height: Any

Ethnicity: Any

Agreements: Equity Minimum

£400 / week pro rata.

Production dates

Rehearsals: 21st March 2012 – 17th April 2012 (part time to the equivalent of 2 weeks)

Performances: Brewery Arts Centre (Kendal) – Wed 18th April 2012 Action Transport (Ellesmere Port) – Thu 19th April 2012 Oswaldtwistle Arts Centre – Sat 21st April 2012 Wales Millennium (Cardiff) – Tue 24th April 2012 Aberystwyth Arts Centre – Thu 26th April 2012 The Lowry Quays Theatre (Salford) – Fri 1st & Sat 2nd June 2012

Written by Sarah McDonald Hughes, based on the memoirs of Andrea Ashworth, Once in a House on Fire is an extraordinary story about ordinary people. The play has recently been nominated for Best New Play and Best Studio Performance in the Manchester Theatre Awards.

Brewery Arts Centre, Kendal, Wednesday 18 April at 8pm

01539 725133 www.breweryarts.co.uk £10

Action Transport Theatre, Ellesmere Port, Thu 19 April at 7.30pm

0151 357 2120 boxoffice@actiontransporttheatre.org £8 (£5)

Oswaldtwhistle Arts Centre, Sat 21 April at 7.30pm

01254 398319  www.ticketsource.co.uk/civicartscentre £5

Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff, Tue 24 April at 8pm

029 2063 6464 www.wmc.org.uk £12 (£8)

Aberystwyth Arts Centre, Thu 26 April at 7.45pm

01970 623 232 www.aberystwythartscentre.co.uk £6.50 (£4.50)

The Lowry, Salford Quays, Friday 1 & Saturday 2 June at 8pm

0843 208 6010 www.thelowry.com £12 (£10)

Based on the memoirs of Andrea Ashworth, Once in a House on Fire is an extraordinary story about ordinary people. In a rainy world of poverty, violence, packing up and moving on, Andy and her sisters escape through stories, games and dreams of a ‘happy family’. But with each new start ending faster than the last, their hopes are stubbed out along with their mum’s cigarettes. As Andy gets older and a new life beckons, she knows her escape will come at a cost.

Tickets are now on sale!

Thanks to all of the cast and crew involved in both productions – shout outs to Miriam Ainsworth, Rachel Austin, Tom Aldersley, Ted Holden, Lois Maskell, Doug Saunders, Kenan Ally, Dan Fitzsimons and James Harris!

Nominations below…

Best New Play

Last Orders, by Sarah McDonald Hughes, Royal Exchange Studio and Library Replay season at Contact

Mogadishu, by Vivienne Franzmann, Royal Exchange

Once In A House On Fire, adapted for the stage by Sarah McDonald Hughes, from a memoir by Andrea Ashworth, The Lowry Studio

Secret Thoughts, by David Lodge, Bolton Octagon

Best Studio Performance

Matthew Ganley, God Wept And The Devil Laughed, Lowry Studio

Rad Kaim, Ivan and the Dogs, Lowry Studio

Amy Nostbakken, The Big Smoke, Lowry Studio

Sarah McDonald Hughes, Once In A House On Fire, Lowry Studio

Rosie Wyatt, Bunny, Royal Exchange Studio

CLOSING DATE      : 4th January 2012 START: February 2012

Monkeywood Theatre are looking for a LIGHTING DESIGNER & TECHNICIAN to work with us on a re-tour of our play Once in a House on Fire.

The 6 date tour is supported by Arts Council England between March and June 2012.

The fee for the lighting design is £428.50. This will include attending some rehearsals, meeting with the director and technical team and completing the design.

We would also like the same person to accompany the show on tour and operate the lights at each venue. The fee for these 6 performances is £480.00

This position would suit a recent graduate or someone at the beginning of their career in lighting design and is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience with a professional theatre company.

If you are interested in this role then please email your CV to info@monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk by Wednesday 4th January 2012. We will contact successful candidates after this time.

We’re thrilled to be included in the list alongside theatre that we loved in 2011 and delighted that Harriet enjoyed the show as much as we do!

2011 was a busy year for us again and 2012 looks set to be even more full-on. We began the year by taking part in The Library Theatre’s Re:Play Festival at The Contact, performing Last Orders in the intimate Jabez Clegg bar. We have so much fun performing our short play about new starts, last chances and near misses and were delighted to see the audience enjoyed it just as much. The play gained 4* reviews and has been listed in the top productions of 2011 by Whatsonstage northwest and Public Reviews.

In March we premiered Once in a House on Fire, developed with The Lowry, supported by Arts Council England and funded through grants for the arts. The production sold out four performances at The Lowry studio and added an extra night in The Lowry’s Quays Theatre. We were overwhelmed by the positive emails and tweets from the audience and thrilled by the reviews we received. Following The Lowry we toured the play to The Civic, Barnsley and The New Continental, Preston, ending in May.

In June we had the opportunity to meet talent from across the north. We held open auditions inviting actors who we had never previously worked with to meet with us and were delighted by the high standard we saw. We look forward to being able to work with some new faces in the future.

The second half of the year has been spent working behind the scenes, busily preparing for 2012. In addition to this, Sarah and Martin have been busy with their brand new baby girl! Sarah gave birth to May Gibbons-Hughes in October and we’re so excited to have a mini monkey be part of the team.

In December we were thrilled to learn that our planned 2012 tour of Once in a House of Fire will be supported by Arts Council England and funded through grants for the arts. Now we just can’t wait to get cracking with it! We will be touring to new venues and returning to some of our old favourites. We will release the dates, venues and ticket information in the New Year.

As well as the Spring/Summer tour, we will be beginning Research and Development on a new project, which we will announce in the spring. There will be another exciting project happening simultaneously which we will launch in February. Phew! We will post any opportunities to work with us on our casting page, but please email us at info@monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk if you are performing and would like us to attend your production.

We’d like to thank you all for your support in 2011 and look forward to seeing you in 2012.

Francesca, Sarah & Martin (and baby May!)

While Sarah and Martin get to know their beautiful new daughter, we are also getting the wheels in motion for the spring tour of Once in a House on Fire, which we are proud to announce has been awarded £10,000 from Arts Council England Grants for the Arts. Watch this space for tour dates which we will announce in early 2012 when tickets become available.

Meanwhile we are also preparing for a brand new project, which we intend to develop in Summer 2012 to tour in 2013. More information about that will be announced in Spring.

So much to keep us monkeys busy, but we’ll be back with more news soon…

However, whilst this is disappointing, we are currently taking bookings for the Spring 2012 national tour of Once in a House on Fire and will announce details over the next few months. In addition to this, we are carrying out research and development on a number of brand new projects, details of which will be released very soon.

Thank you to all who have expressed an interest in Once in a House on Fire and our other work – keep your eye on our website, facebook and twitter for further information about what’s coming next for Monkeywood!

www.monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk
On twitter: @monkeywood
On facebook:  Monkeywood Theatre

We do plan to run further open auditions in future and will be advertising specific casting calls. If you are interested in being considered, please do keep an eye on the Casting Opportunities page and follow us via twitter and facebook, as we’d be interested to hear from you.  We also try to see as much theatre as we can locally, so please do let us know when you’re performing and we’ll come along if we can. Email info@monkeywoodtheatre.co.uk.

Annie and George have lived in the same house in Moss Side for 55 years.  They’ve never had trouble with the neighbours – until now.  As they set about collecting evidence to get rid of them, they meet the little girl next door and everything changes.