GASLIGHT
Audition Notice: Sunday 3rd November, 2pm
“Gaslight” – a play by Patrick Hamilton
Director – Rachel Toner
(any questions, please contact me on 07815 687795, or racheltoner83@hotmail.co.uk)
Assistant Director – Alan Levesley
Stage Manager – Ellie Brown
Tech – Paul Carr
Cast of 5 – 3 women and 2 men.
To register your interest in auditioning, please complete the following form:
https://forms.gle/joEByVjo6fuHZCuA8
The audition pack may be accessed here:
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“Tell me now – what first made you think it was him?”
“It was the light, the gaslight. Thank God I can tell this to someone at last!”
A Victorian crime drama. A classic period piece. In many ways, traditional.
But here’s the twist.
Gaslighting is not just something that belongs back in the 1880s. It is still prevalent today – so much so that the title of the play has been adopted into psychological, and even common, parlance.
Thanks to section 76 of the Serious Crime Act of 2015, Gaslighting is now a criminal offence. Yes, unbelievably, the legislation is LESS THAN TEN YEARS OLD.
Have these laws stopped it happening? The short answer is NO.
THAT is the message this production will share.
A period drama – with a very modern relevance.
Performance Dates:
Monday 17th to Saturday 22nd February 2025, 7:30 pm
Location:
Main Theatre
Rehearsals:
Initially Monday and Wednesday evenings from 7:15 pm, Sundays (times tbc subject to availability), additional Fridays if necessary.
Tech and dress runs: Sunday 16th February (TBC)
Characters:
All actors must be 16+
Bella Manningham (female, playing age late 20s – early 30s, RP accent)
Bella is the abused wife of soon-to-be-exposed criminal mastermind Jack Manningham. She attempts to keep a grip on her sanity while Jack uses his wicked wiles to convince her she is going mad. We need to see her journey from caged animal weeping at the feet of her evil husband, through to her final, triumphant, “Take this man away!”.
Jack Manningham (male, playing age mid/late 30s – mid 40s, RP accent)
Make no mistake, this character is a BADDIE! He subtly (and later less subtly) psychologically manipulates the mind of his wife until she begins literally to question her own reality. Unbeknownst to Bella, he was also the perpetrator of a heinous violent crime from years ago. In this character we need to see both the potential for pure evil, and his ability to twist the truth to suit his own ends. A truly vile character!
Sargeant Rough (male, playing age above 50, RP accent preferred, others considered)
Rough is a retired police officer on the trail of his nemesis – the perpetrator of a violent attempted jewellery theft in which a woman was brutally murdered – and the desired loot mysteriously never found. Rough is a kind soul and a clever detective, he radiates an air of energy and action, but also one of mystery. His efforts to solve the puzzles of the past gradually lead Bella down the path to bravery, and ultimately redemption!
Elizabeth (female, playing age anything from 40+, different regional accents considered)
Elizabeth is a servant in the Manningham house, a kind housekeeper with many years of experience. Ultimately on Bella’s side and helpful in uncovering the truth, we should see in Elizabeth calmness, kindness and a sense of duty and loyalty towards Bella.
Nancy (female, playing age late teens – mid 20s)
Nancy is a young maidservant with a high opinion of herself and designs on the man of the house. If she can humiliate Bella while she schemes to seduce Jack, so much the better! Nancy is often cheeky, speaking out of turn and quick with a sarcastic comment. She is attractive, and knows it, as does Jack.
