Auditions for The Merchant of Venice

Auditions for The Merchant of Venice by William Shakespeare

Directed by Lucy Eyre for GRADS

Performance dates:
Weeks of 4th and 11th of March 2019
(Please note that if you are not available for the performance dates we cannot see you at auditions, thank you).

Audition Venues

Sat 10- Sun 11 November
The Palms Community Centre
Corner Nicholson and Rokeby roads, Subiaco.

Monday 12 November
Subiaco Community Centre
203 Bagot Road, Subiaco

Audition requirement

Please memorise a 2 - 3 minute Shakespearean monologue.

Synopsis

Bassanio, a young Venetian, needs a loan so that he can pursue Portia, a wealthy Venetian heiress, and secure his own financial future. He approaches his friend Antonio, a merchant, who, at the time, is short of money because all his wealth is invested in his fleet, which is currently at sea. Bassanio and Antonio are forced to go to Jewish money lender, Shylock, who hates Antonio because of Antonio’s anti-semitic behaviour towards him.
Nevertheless, Shylock agrees to make the loan on the condition that the loan be repaid in three months or Shylock will exact a pound of flesh from Antonio. Antonio agrees, confident that his ships will return in time.

This contemporary adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic play will be set in the late 1930’s and explore different facets of discrimination that, when challenged, aim to preserve wealth and power in the hands of the few.

Character List

Shylock, a Jewish moneylender in Venice; - aged 40-60

Jessica, Shylock’s daughter; - aged 20-25

Portia, a wealthy Venetian heiress; - aged 20-35

Nerissa, Portia’s friend; - aged 20-35

Balthazar, works for Portia; - aged 30-50

Antonio, a Venetian merchant; - aged 30-50

Solanio, a friend of Antonio’s; - aged 30-50

Salerio, another merchant of Venice, and friend of Antonio and Bassanio; - aged 30-50

Bassanio, a young Venetian; - aged 20-30

Gratiano, a friend of Bassanio; - aged 20-40

Lorenzo, a friend of Bassanio in love with Shylock’s daughter Jessica; - aged 20-30

Leonardo, works for Bassanio; - aged 20-40

Prince of Morocco, a suitor to Portia’s hand; - aged 20-50

Prince of Arragon, a prince of Spain and a suitor to Portia’s hand; - aged 20-50

Duke of Venice, a bureaucrat; - aged 30-60

Tubal, a wealthy Jew of Venice and Shylock’s friend; - aged 40-60

Launcelot Gobbo, works for Shylock; - aged 20-30

Old Gobbo, Launcelot’s father, an old, blind man; - aged 50-70

Lucy Eyre is a director, playwright, performer, producer and researcher. Lucy's directing credits include: Conundrum at the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts (PICA); Shift Swapping by David Ryding at The Blue Room Theatre; No Refunds by Trent Burton at the Regal Theatre; The Woman Who Cooked Her Husband by Debbie Isitt at the Sun Room in Maylands; Return to Sender by Anne Sorenson at the Midland Railway Workshops and for the WA Fringe and Perth International Arts Festivals; and in 2014 Lucy adapted and directed Shakespeare’s Othello for the Hills Shakespeare 450th Anniversary Festival.

In 2017 Lucy graduated from WAAPA with a PhD in Performing Arts and is currently employed as a Casual Lecturer at WAAPA and Edith Cowan University. Lucy is also the WA editor and reviewer for the national theatre website: theatrepeople.com.au

Please contact Lucy with any queries at lucyeyre@iinet.net.au