Once Casting Brief

Photo by Robert Catto

Our smash-hit production Once returns in 2023 for a soon to be announced Capital city tour! We’re casting for three roles to round out the fabulous cast. Read on to learn more and get your audition tapes in by Tuesday 7 February.

ABOUT THE SHOW:

Once is a tender love story of a struggling Irish musician on the verge of giving up and a piano-playing Czech immigrant who reminds him how to dream.

Featuring an outstanding ensemble of performers playing instrumentals live on stage. Once is a modern-day musical that reminds us of the power of music to connect us all. With songs from the critically-acclaimed film, including the Oscar-winning song Falling Slowly, this spell-binding score will have you holding your breath from beginning to end.

"When the violins begin to play – and the accordion and the mandolin and the guitars and the cello – the instruments swell into a collection of distinctive voices melded into a single, universal feeling... Once massages that feeling until it hurts quite exquisitely.”
- The New York Times

“Original and unforgettable, Once draws you in from the very first note, grabs you by the heart strings and never lets go.”

★★★★★ – New York Daily News

8 Tony Awards including Best Musical

4 Drama Desk Awards including Outstanding Musical

Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album

Academy Award for Best Original Song

CREATIVE TEAM:

Director: Richard Carroll

Movement Director: Amy Campbell

Musical Director: Victoria Falconer

Actors must be either Sydney or Melbourne based.

All cast will be paid according to the PCA and receive travel, accommodation and per diems when away from their base city.

DATES:

Rehearsals - Sydney

New cast members: 10 April - 16 April

Full cast rehearsals: 17 April - 30 April

Capital city transfer

Travel, tech and previews: 1 May - 6 May

Season: 7 May - 4 June

Option to extend: 5 June - 11 June

TBC further transfer dates: 12 June - 2 July

CHARACTERS

Performers should be able to play their primary instrument with a level of competency enabling them to play confidently with other performers as part of a band. They should familiarise themselves with the music from ONCE to be sure they are appropriately proficient to play the music before auditioning, as performers without suitable musical ability will not proceed.

Bank Manager

Corporate on the outside, but artistic on the inside. Male. Age 30-50

Vocal range G3 - B4

Accent: Cork Irish

Essential instrument/s: Guitar plus mandolin and/or banjo

Eamon

A Dublin music studio manager. Male. Age 20-50

Accent: Dublin Irish

Essential instrument/s: Violin

Preferred additional instruments: Mandolin

Offstage Cover (Girl, Reza, Baruska, Ex-GF)

Girl: A determined and witty dreamer. Girl has come from the Czech Republic to Dublin for a new life. She is passionate about playing the piano and making music. Female. 

Vocal range F#3 - B4

Accent: Czech

Essential instrument: Piano

Preferred additional instruments: Violin

AUDITION REQUIREMENTS

First Round:

Slate to camera (60 secs)

• Please introduce yourself

• Please list the instruments you play and indicate the level in which you play them (basic / intermediate / professional)

• Please mention your level of movement/dance experience and any special physical skills (e.g. rollerblading)

60-90 second video of yourself playing your primary instrument, as well as the essential instrument listed in the brief (if this is not your primary instrument).

Second Round:

Should you proceed, we will provide and ask for the following materials:

Offstage Cover (Girl, Reza, Baruska, Ex-GF)

Sides: Pages 2-4 (“that song you play” to “I’ll need my tools to have a look”)

Song: The Hill, self-accompanied on piano

Bank Manager

Sides: Pages 37-39 (“I cannot say I see many applications like this one” to “Sing!”)

Song: Abandoned in Bandon, self-accompanied on guitar

Eamon

Sides: Pages 61-62: (“Hello” to “Most definitely”)

Song: Excerpt of The Moon, acapella or self-accompanied on guitar

HOW TO SUBMIT

First round tapes are due 5pm Tuesday 7 February.

• We will contact you by Friday 10 February if you proceed to the second round.

You can submit via this google form OR your agent can submit you via Showcast. For more information please contact our Producer Sonia at sonia@darlinghursttheatre.com.