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Auditioning for Snow Queen Frequently Asked Questions

What is The Snow Queen? The Snow Queen was written by Hans Christian Andersen and published in 1844. It was one of his longest and most popular titles (others include The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, The Little Match Girl, The Ugly Duckling and The Emperor’s New Clothes). The original focuses on the relationship between two children, Gerda and Kai. When Kai is kidnapped by the Snow Queen, Gerda turns to the spirits of the river to see if he’s still alive, and receiving what she takes to be a yes, she sets off barefoot to find him. She meets various magical creatures and people who in some way are connected with the changing seasons. She rescues Kai and the children return home, where they realise they have grown up. Our version of the story is in an early form, but will probably be quite different from Hans Christian Andersen’s. At its heart, it will still follow the adventures of two children, journeying to the icy north. Over the last couple of years, our productions have focused on children discovering their powers in magical lands and it’s likely that The Snow Queen will follow this trend. There will be excerpts available for auditions – either specially written or from the script. In previous years the play has really evolved once we have a cast, partly because we want to ensure that every young actor involved has a range of challenges on offer. This year, with the auditions happening so early, the script may evolve even more around our cast.

What is the production? For the last five years, Rose Youth Theatre has been the driving force in our main-stage Christmas show, with productions of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, A Christmas Carol, The Wind in the Willows, Alice in Winterland and Hansel & Gretel. We are an industry leader in combining community actors into our major productions, offering first-rate training and a unique experience for young actors. The Rose Christmas show has always been a great adventure story, with themes of family, friendship, courage and Christmas. We will be assembling a company of 46 young people who will work alongside a professional cast and a team of experienced creatives. Our young cast will receive training across a number of disciplines. Although the intensive work will begin in September, this year we’re keen to take advantage of the longer lead time to offer more training earlier on. Some of that will be in the form of optional (but strongly-encouraged) masterclasses, and there may be an emphasis on developing musical theatre skills, so that the young cast can pick up the training quicker in September. We are also hoping to offer two additional projects for the older students in the Christmas cast.

For over-sixteens, we will offer a free place on the Rose Academy, the prestigious six-day coaching course we run each summer, in which students work with drama school teachers and industry professionals to maximise their chances of a place in a conservatoire.

For students choosing to take a gap year from September, we also hope to offer an additional performance project in October to go to a drama festival in Oldenburg, Germany, for a few days.

Finally, we will continue to do our best to find paid assisting work for gap year students. In terms of the Snow Queen training itself, the ‘formal’ course begins in September and will run throughout the autumn, with weekend and occasional weeknight sessions. More intensive work follows from the October half-term onwards when the professional cast join us. The young company should expect to be with us every Saturday and a number of weeknight evenings. We will try and keep the calls as specific as possible, so that students aren’t spending too much time hanging about. We split the company into two casts, each performing approximately 21 times from mid-December until the first week of January 2020.

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Why would I sign up for this? The Rose Christmas Courses are unique within the theatre industry. We are leaders in training young companies in this way, so that they are prepared for the rigorous demands of a performance run alongside professionals. The training is everything, and we’re very proud of the programme, from first-round auditions on.

Even if you don’t get a part in The Snow Queen, there will be a place for you in our youth theatre, and you will receive in-depth, individual feedback on your audition.

You will make friends who have a shared passion for acting and theatre, who inspire and support you.

If you do get a part in The Snow Queen, you will receive a total of ten months’ contact time with the Rose, with initial introductory training sessions, team-building workshops and, from the autumn, a rigorous course in psychological realism, musical theatre and stage craft. Whatever your experience, it will transform your approach to acting.

You will work on-stage with experienced professional actors.

You will gain a unique insight into the work of a large creative and stage management team. In the lead-up to technical rehearsals there will be about 80 people working on this show!

You will be able to perform to an audience of tens of thousands of people over five weeks. It’s unusual for young actors to have the opportunity of a run, but with this project you can develop your confidence and character each time you perform. We are there throughout, helping you find depth to your performance and giving you the tools to manage yourself so that you are well and happy.

Each year we give free tickets to Kingston’s schools, and the dedicated schools shows are enormous fun. If you attend a state school within the Royal Borough of Kingston, it’s likely you’ll perform in front of your classmates! Whether or not you want to pursue a career as a performer, the skills you will take from this project will be valuable in many areas of your life. You will learn complex narrative skills, teamwork, leadership, self-management, prioritisation, and how to manage feedback. You’ll be working within a professional environment and treated with the same respect that we offer our professional casts. You’ll work hard to develop your skills and deliver your performance, but this will be an enriching and unforgettable experience.

How can I get involved? We expect to audition around 300 young people aged 9-19. The minimum age requires that students are 10 years old by Sat 23 November 2019. At the older end, we are happy to consider applicants on a gap year. There are several stages to the audition. Our first round auditions will take place from 20 February, with some sessions designed principally for current Rose Youth Theatre students and some aimed at young people who might be new to the Rose (and possibly new to acting altogether). Everyone is treated on the merit of their audition alone. We try to keep current students separate to avoid cliques. You will be offered a place at the Rose on one of our courses. If we want to take things further with you on The Snow Queen, we will invite you to a second round audition. These will take place from 14-17 March and will include singing and dancing, as well as work on text. If you want to audition, complete the form appropriate to you and send it to CiaranM@rosetheatrekingston.org. Mark your preferred dates for audition, listing them in order of preference. We will confirm your audition date and send you a detailed letter containing dates for the whole project, detail on licensing as a young performer and expectations for the audition. It’s really important you and your parents read that letter very carefully and fully understand all aspects of the project before taking it further. It’s okay to sign up to a different course if The Snow Queen looks too much! At the end of the letter, we will include a form for you to sign and bring in to the parents’ Q&A at the end of your audition – so that we know you have read and understand it. Your level of experience doesn’t matter. If you love acting and this is something that sounds exciting and logistically possible, please do audition. If you know you can’t take part, please don’t audition for the sake of it. We have a lot of people to see, and we want to be confident that our offers will be accepted.

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If you know you’d like to join Rose Youth Theatre on one of our other courses (not The Snow Queen), please emailed SarahK@rosetheatrekingston.org for more details. It’s worth remembering that this is a musical production, but I would encourage you to be open to that. You will learn new skills that might seem impossible at the moment, but which you’ll really enjoy. Any performance project requires full attendance. This is a huge undertaking. If you commit to it, you must be confident that you can manage your school work. Some students have said about past Christmas projects that their school work benefitted, because they had to approach it more rigorously and manage busy diaries effectively. Others have found it a bit of a struggle, or have run into obstacles with additional commitments at school. It is absolutely not possible to do this and an autumn term school production. Equally, if you play competitive sport at weekends, you will find you have to choose one or the other in the autumn. If you are accepted onto this project it is very important that you’re proactive in communicating with your teachers, that you make appointments with them to stay on top of homework, and that you let them know what you’re doing at the Rose and why. Try not to slip behind with your work over the spring or summer; the school can pull you out of extra-curricular performance projects at any time. What we have learnt is the more teachers know about what you’re doing and why, the more likely they are to support you. I can tell you that every student involved at the Rose is a fabulous ambassador for their school. The interpersonal skills you learn here, the confidence you gain, the self-management and stamina required all contribute to your education, to managing exams and succeeding in interviews for university or drama school.

Do I have to pay to audition? Absolutely not. Apart from drama school auditions, you should never have to pay for an audition as an actor. We cover the substantial costs – about £5.5k – of auditioning 300 young people.

Do I need to pay to be a part of Rose Youth Theatre? Yes. We charge a membership fee to the Young Company of £180. This is normally per term, and as we’re not for profit and not in receipt of funding, it all goes into the teaching and administration of the youth theatre. In the case of The Snow Queen, we charge the £180 membership fee once, even though your training takes you from April to January. With box office deals for students and parents, the membership fee is generally made up for in show tickets alone. The fee is also a gesture of commitment. Normal end-of-term performances require about 42 hours of teaching. Our Christmas show requires three times that. If you’re on a gap year and keen to take advantage of everything we’re offering, it’s possible that you will have about 350 hours of training. Production costs (the physical, marketing and personnel costs of staging the play) are all covered by Rose Theatre Productions, and the Christmas show is the biggest production of the year. We have a bursary scheme. If you can’t pay the £180 membership fee, we are happy for you to apply for a partial or full bursary. That may include additional mentoring and help with travel, too. In the ten years since we launched Rose Youth Theatre we have never turned anyone away because of money. Our focus is on inclusive, first-rate training. If fees are a struggle, email CiaranM@rosetheatrekingston.org.

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Shouldn’t I be paid if I’m taking part in a professional production? You’re not paying to take part in a production, but to be a member of a not-for-profit youth theatre. The fee covers your extensive training and the additional resource that goes into developing a young ensemble at a high standard. It also goes some way to covering the very substantial cost of auditions (paid for in part by Rose Theatre Productions). We want you to feel like professionals and to be able to deliver a performance at the end of the course that is worthy of a young professional. That means a lot of work! In reality, we couldn’t involve young people in the Christmas show if we had to pay them. Of the 25,000 people who come and see the Christmas show, the vast majority won’t know you and will be coming because of The Snow Queen title or the Rose brand. They will have high expectations. On the flipside, you will gain a unique insight into the performing arts, you will be a wonderful ambassador for your local theatre, and you will take an incredible confidence and skillset into other areas of your life. In the long-term, and particularly if you want to become a professional actor, the training and experiences you receive at the Rose will have a huge impact on your employability.

What do the auditions involve? Facilitation of first round sessions will be led either by the director of The Snow Queen or the Rose Theatre Director of Learning & Participation. The sessions will focus mainly on text. You will be given ‘excerpts’ (they may be specially written for the audition) five days in advance and we will ask you to choose and prepare two of them, ready to perform. You must familiarise yourselves with your excerpts. In fact, I’d go so far as to say learn them. Text is often a barrier, particularly if you’re nervous; it’s too easy to bury your head in the page and forget that you’re speaking to someone! We might ask over-16s to read opposite younger auditionees. This gives us a sense of how older students work with younger members of the cast, and whether they can be responsive with excerpts they haven’t specifically prepared. The whole first-round audition will take an hour and a quarter, the final fifteen minutes of which will be a mandatory presentation to parents and an opportunity to ask questions. The director leading your audition will take extensive notes and will also have an assistant in the room; someone who can help ensure objectivity. Decisions will be made based on the merit of the audition alone. This is important to ensure we find space for new students in our Christmas projects. You will receive individual feedback of up to 300 words no matter what the outcome of your first-round audition. It’s really important to us that you both enjoy and learn from any time spent with us. Whatever the outcome of the first round audition, there is a place for you at the Rose. We may offer you a place in our popular RYT Under-11s, or our Rose Young Company or RYT Academy, depending on age and aptitude. If we decide to take you further with The Snow Queen auditions, we’ll invite you back to a second round. The second round auditions will be between 14-17 March and will be led with by the director The Snow Queen, along with a choreographer and musical director. In the sessions, auditionees will be asked to learn a song and a dance, and to put them together. They will also be asked to perform one of their excerpts having taken on feedback from the first round. They may be redirected on pieces at this stage too, so that we can see how open to direction individuals are (a piece can be beautifully prepped, but immovable in rehearsal). From the second round auditions, the director will make a final decision on casting for this project. Again, no one will be turned away from the Rose. If there’s not a place for you in The Snow Queen, we will certainly invite you to join one of our other youth theatre courses.

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If you are invited to a recall, it’s worth having a conversation with your head of year or class tutor. There’s no point in coming to the recall if your school or college feels like the project is too much for you to take on. I would encourage you to go to them with a work-plan and clear reasons why you want to do this project. As I’ve mentioned earlier, teachers respond well to proactive communication, and they always appreciate a student who shows they’re keen to learn and stay on top of things. After the recall, we will send out offers. Casting a project like this is a fairly staggered affair, so auditionees may not hear back immediately. However, we will aim to have a full, confirmed cast by Thu 18 April. This means ensuring permission from your school or college before breaking up for Easter. If we don’t think this is an appropriate project, we’ll suggest an alternative course and we’re always happy to discuss further your involvement at the Rose.

What if I can’t sing or dance? Everyone can sing or dance. It’s usually a matter of confidence. If you’re at a level where we feel we can work with you over the period of this project, we’ll take you on. If you don’t enjoy singing or dancing, this may not be the project for you. If you saw or took part in a previous Rose Christmas production, you will be familiar with the style we’re aiming for. The Snow Queen will be musical theatre with spoken dialogue. The professional cast will have solos and it’s possible a few of the youth theatre may have solo moments, but generally the youth theatre will lead the ensemble set pieces. Our Christmas audience have high expectations, so our job is to train you up to a high standard and ensure you feel confident when you go on stage. Remember that song and movement are both fundamental ways of telling a story. In spoken acting, we use a rich vocal palette and engage our bodies. Musical theatre simply takes that further by stylising it.

Do current members of Rose Youth Theatre have an advantage? Only in that they might feel less nervous turning up at Stage Door for their audition because the building is familiar to them. In fact, some students who have auditioned having already done a Christmas show say they felt more nervous. Either way, the cast will be formed from the auditions, not from any previous experience at the Rose. As much as possible, we are auditioning current students separately from new applicants. This helps us tailor the presentation to the parents at the end of the session, so that we don’t cover old ground for those who have previously been involved. It’s also so that no one new to the Rose feels intimidated by any cliques of friends who turn up together! The auditions are a valuable experience in themselves and we pride ourselves on making them fun and informative. There’s nothing to be nervous about and you will always be treated kindly and with respect. Whatever the result of your audition, we want you to feel enthused about your acting and to come and work with us on future projects.

I’m in Rose Youth Theatre, but I have a friend who isn’t. How can they audition? They can complete the form on the website aimed at applicants new to Rose Youth Theatre. If they’d feel easier auditioning with you, ask them to email CiaranM@rosetheatrekingston.org before they complete a form aimed at current students.

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I’m in Rose Youth Theatre, but can’t do the dates on my relevant form. Can I still audition? Yes. Just fill in the form aimed at applicants new to Rose Youth Theatre and make sure you’re nice on the day to everyone who’s at the Rose for the first time!

What can I do to maximise my chances? Prepare, prepare, prepare! If it helps you to learn your lines for the excerpts, do so thoroughly and in plenty of time. Dress for a physical workshop: don’t wear heels, or inappropriate clothing. It’s much better to come in clothes that allow you to move freely. Bring a bottle of water, a pen and notepad. Don’t spend your time trying to anticipate what the person auditioning you might think. We’re interested in authenticity, and that has to come from you, from your instincts and imagination. Most of the stress actors feel about auditions is connected to things they can’t control. Focus on what you can impact, which is thorough prep, positive thinking and an organised approach. Be generous to others in the audition workshop. Directors are quick to spot competitiveness. Talking over other people’s work is the quickest way to get a no. Introduce yourself to other auditionees at stage door. Focus on putting them at ease. If you are the type of actor who wants other people to be able to give their best, you’re probably very good. Practise singing. You can do this on your own or with friends, but get used to singing in front of people (this year, it will be a focus in the second-round auditions). Remember that singing requires effective breathing, relaxation and positivity. If your shoulders are up because you’re nervous, you won’t be able to sing effectively. Think about who you’re singing to. Think about why. And enjoy yourself. Practise dancing. If you don’t attend a class, you’ll find plenty of one-off workshops and – of course – there’s always YouTube. The more you practise, the easier you’ll find it to pick up choreography. Again, this year, we’ll be focusing on dance skills in the second-round auditions. In your audition, don’t compare yourself to anyone; everyone’s different and we want to celebrate that. Ask questions if you have them, but get on with the work if you’re clear on what you’re doing. Most of all, come and enjoy yourself. Hopefully, you’re applying because you love acting and theatre, so the audition is an opportunity to do that for free!

Why are you auditioning so early? In the past, we’ve auditioned in May and cast the project in early June. This is a really high-pressure time for a lot of teenagers who are going through GCSEs or A-Levels. It’s also a time when schools organise a lot of weekend and evening events, Duke of Edinburgh hikes, and when families tend to have plans too. The feedback from auditionees was that it would be better to audition in the spring term. In order to achieve this, we have moved everything forward, from choosing a title to designing our schedule. The earlier start means that we can offer more training, some of it optional, over the summer term. That’s an advantage, and gives you a lot more value for your membership fees. However, it also means you need to commit early. We hope it will be easier to plan ahead into the autumn, but we don’t have a contingency for people dropping out after we settle on a confirmed cast in April.

What parts are available? This is a brand new script written specially for our unique space at the Rose. For that reason, it’s impossible at the moment to say exactly what parts are available. Everyone will be auditioning to be part of the ensemble, and we will divide the parts after the recalls. What I can promise is that every role will be rewarding and everyone will have lines.

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As the script develops over the next couple of months, we’ll be sure to share news with you. I would expect it to further evolve once we’ve cast it, too. One of the lovely things about our Christmas project is that the cast is of a wide age range. There will be many text-heavy opportunities for students aged 14 up, but there will also be enjoyable roles for ages 10 up.

I’m planning to take a Gap Year. Will that have any impact? We are going to put an extra focus on our GAP YEAR students this year, offering them additional training, projects and paid work:

A free place on the Rose Academy summer coaching course (end of August)

A rehearsed production going to the Staatstheater Germany (w/c 21 Oct)

The possibility of assisting an RYT Under-11s group if appropriate (paid at £9ph)

Additional workshops, individual coaching for drama school auditions

A commitment of two afternoons a week to work with the pro cast during rehearsal period in November.

We ask three older students in each cast to take on captaining roles, for which we offer them a bit of extra training and recognition. This is really about soft-leadership and signposting for younger actors who will be taking on a lot of feedback leading towards production. Last year, a few people turned down their roles before the script was finished. I thought that was a great shame, because all the characters get a lot of development after we’re cast. As with any piece of new writing, we can show the style, but we have to ask for your trust on the finished script. I don’t think anyone who has taken part in a Christmas show here would say they’ve not been challenged or put in rewarding roles.

Will all the parts have lines? Every young actor will have lines. If I’m honest, that’s as much to keep the parents and grannies happy as it is to challenge the cast. I could name several brilliant characters on film and stage that are entirely mute, but we know that part of the experience of being in the Christmas show is working on dialogue. We spend a lot of time developing every single character so that they are integral to the story. There is comedy - much of it physical and situational - action, dance and movement work. Each of the two casts is split into three groups. This is partly so that we can work with smaller groups during training (46 in a room is a lot) and partly so that we can direct the training towards the roles you’re cast in. In past years, Group 1 has normally involved Chorus and principal characters, Group 2 has been text-led scene roles, and Group 3 has been ensemble with a lot of multiroling, combat and a broad range of skills. In the end, lines are only one way in which a character communicates. All of the youth theatre will be busy throughout the production and will drive the story.

Will I have to take time off school? If you are offered a part, yes. We do everything we can to minimise absence from school. Anyone in Year 11 or below will need to be licensed as a child performer. There is some paperwork for parents around this, but our Children’s Administrator will be on hand to help. For sixth form students or those in Further and Higher Education, we will send a letter to their head of course and school with the schedule and will seek permission for their involvement. Ultimately, it is the decision of the school or college as to whether a young person can take time off, and we have to respect that. We also encourage homework clubs and when there’s a full day’s rehearsal and young actors have a break when they’re not being used, they will be able to work on school projects. It’s vital that you stay on top of your formal education. We know it’s entirely achievable, but it does require focus.

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Time off school begins from Wed 27 November, when we enter the technical rehearsals. This is the period during which the designers feed their work into the production, and the company starts working on the stage. It is an intensive, exciting part of rehearsal. After that we have a number of ‘preview’ performances, during which time the creative and directing teams continue to work on tightening aspects of the production. After our two opening shows (one for each cast), we have matinee and schools’ performances for the remaining few days of term. We do our utmost to ensure that registration at school is always possible. It’s important to remember that there are two casts, largely working on alternate performances, so there are still plenty of dates at the end of term when it’s possible to attend a full day of school. Performances continue into the first few days of the spring term. That means each cast will have one matinee after school has resumed in January. Getting good grades and keeping on top of your school work is vital. However, I believe that universities, drama schools and employers look for more than that; they look for young people who are active, engaged and have broad experiences. There’s a lot of pressure on you as teenagers and learning how to juggle all those demands and expectations is an important part of growing up.

What if my school says no? Generally, they say yes, but we do have to respect your school’s wishes. It’s likely they will have said no for good reason. Some performing arts schools have a blanket policy for Years 10-11 because they would otherwise be inundated by requests. Some independent schools insist that their drama scholars are on-hand for school plays, which is fair enough. Some colleges, particularly those offering BTECs, just have too many evening requirements. And sometimes a school will look at your record and make a decision based on that. We will send out casting offers in March, leaving time to contact schools before the end of the spring term. Over the last few years, we’ve really had great support from most schools, particularly those local to the Rose.

What if I don’t get in? There is a place for you at the Rose no matter what. In addition to the Christmas project, Rose Youth Theatre is comprised of three courses; Rose Young Company (our performance-based course), RYT Academy (our skills-based course) and the Under 11s (working on literacy and ensemble skills). If we don’t invite you to a recall for The Snow Queen, we will invite you to join one of these courses within Rose Youth Theatre. We also run five weeks of summer schools, ranging from two day courses for young children, to plays-in-a-week and a high-end vocational academy. So, anyone who arranges an audition can do so in the knowledge that there is a place and a project for them here at the Rose. That should be a reassurance when you come to meet us!

What if I’m not available for any of the skills or rehearsal dates? If there are any clashes with family holidays, school trips, school productions, Duke of Edinburgh Award, or anything you know will mean you can’t attend a rehearsal or training session, it’s really important not to apply. However talented you may be, we can only make the project work with 100% attendance. Any absence will mean other cast members can’t work effectively. In addition to that very important practical condition of rehearsals, we also have to be fair and consistent. The only way we can do that is to require full attendance. Our regular performance projects in the Young Company are no different. Our skills course, RYT Academy, doesn’t end with a public performance, but we still encourage you to attend every session on the basis that you get out of it what you put in, and we invite parents to an end-of-term showing of the work.

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Does my race or background matter? Absolutely not. Ethnicity, religion or any other part of your personal background is completely irrelevant to our decision. We are interested in you for who you are, not what you look like or where you come from. If you’re ever worried about not fitting in at the Rose, let me reassure you that the wonderful nature of the work quickly bonds everyone and you make great friendships even before you’ve finished the first few sessions. Artistic projects are only ever enriched by diversity of background and experience.

Does it matter if I have a disability? Absolutely not. It’s our job to find the most appropriate young actors for this project and to be as inclusive as possible. If you have any mobility issues, learning difficulties, or anything that might make you hesitate to audition, please be assured that we want to meet you and feel very passionately that a diverse company of young people provides a much richer experience, both for the students and the audience.

Will I need to appear in all of the performances? If you’re cast it will be in either the RED or BLUE CAST. Each cast performs more or less alternately. We try and offer an equal number of daytime and evening shows (which are often different in atmosphere). Much of the work up to the middle of November will be done with the whole company working together. It’s obviously vital that you remain available for your cast’s performances, and we would be keen for you to be ‘on call’ for the whole period. This means it’s a big commitment for your family. You can’t go away on holiday for Christmas!

What are the dates of auditions? When you apply for an audition, we will send you a full schedule. Here is an outline. FIRST ROUND AUDITIONS Wed 20 February – Fri 8 Mar SECOND ROUND AUDITIONS Thu 14 – Wed 18 March CONFIRMED CAST – Thu 18 April

What are the dates of training sessions and rehearsals? There will be some optional workshops during May, June and July, aimed at different age groups and with different subjects. We may also organise a social. None of this will be conditional on your involvement, although of course we want to train you as much as possible once you’re cast. CAPTAINS’ TRAINING AND SKILLS WEEKEND Thu 27 – Sun 30 June MUSIC WEEKEND Fri 13 – Sun 15 September CHARACTER WEEKEND Sat 21 – Sun 22 Sep, 10am-4pm. AUTUMN TRAINING SCHEDULE

Thu 26 Sep, 5.30-8pm

Sat 28 Sep, 10am-4pm (split call)

Thu 3 Oct, 5.30-8pm

Sat 5 Oct, 10am-4pm (split call)

Thu 10 Oct, 5.30-8pm

Sat 12 Oct, 10am-4pm (split call)

Sun 13 Oct, 12pm-4pm (full company)

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FULL-TIME HALF-TERM REHEARSALS

Mon 28 Oct 9.30-5pm Full company

Tue 29 Oct 9.30-5pm Full company

Wed 30 Oct 9.30-5pm Full company

Thu 31 Oct 9.30-4pm Full company

Fri 1 Nov 9.30-5pm Full company

Sat 2 Nov 9.30-5pm Full company

REHEARSALS WITH PROFESSIONAL CAST Not all of these calls will involve the full company. Weeknight calls will be broken down scene by scene. Saturdays will involve everyone, but start times may vary.

Pro Rehearsal Week One

DATE RYT TIMES WHO FROM RYT

Tue 5 Nov 10am-6pm Gap Year students only

Wed 6 Nov 5-8.30pm Group 1

Thu 7 Nov 5-8.30pm Group 1

Fri 8 Nov 5-8.30pm Groups 1 & 2

Sat 9 Nov 10am-6pm Full company

Pro Rehearsal Week Two

DATE RYT CALL WHO FROM RYT

Tue 12 Nov 5-8.30pm Puppeteers/Understudies

Wed 13 Nov 5-8.30pm Full Company

Thu 14 Nov 5-8.30pm Full Company

Fri 15 Nov 5-8.30pm Full Company

Sat 16 Nov 10am-6pm Full Company

Pro Rehearsal Week Three

DATE RYT CALL WHO FROM RYT

Tue 19 Nov 5-8.30pm Groups 1 & 2

Wed 20 Nov 5-8.30pm Full Company

Thu 21 Nov 5-8.30pm Red Cast (& Blue Captains)

Fri 22 Nov 5-8.30pm Blue Cast (& Red Captains

Sat 23 Nov 10am-6pm Full Company

Monday 25 Nov, 5-9pm – Speed Run Full Company TECH, DRESS AND PREVIEWS (currently subject to change) Tech will begin on Wed 27 Nov. I have coloured the sessions below which require some of the company (one of the casts) to take time off school. Some sessions also mean later finishes than you may be used to. We’ll always ensure you’re completing the legal minimum hours of schooling each week.

Mon 25 Nov 5-8.30pm BLUE Cast Rehearsal

Tue 26 Nov 5-8.30pm RED Cast Rehearsal

Wed 27 Nov 1-5pm RED Technical Rehearsal 1

6-9.15pm RED Technical Rehearsal 2 (BLUE Captains and Gappers watching)

Thu 28 Nov 1-5pm RED Technical Rehearsal 3

6-9.15pm RED Technical Rehearsal 4 (BLUE Captains and Gappers watching)

Fri 29 Nov 1-5pm RED Technical Rehearsal 5

6-9.15pm RED Technical Rehearsal 6 (BLUE Captains and Gappers watching)

Sat 30 Nov

10am-12pm BLUE Notes with Associate and Captains

1-5pm RED Technical Rehearsal 7 (BLUE watching)

6-9.15pm RED Dress Rehearsal (BLUE watching)

Mon 2 Dec 1-5pm BLUE Technical Rehearsal 1 6-9.15pm BLUE Technical Rehearsal 2

Tue 3 Dec 1-5pm BLUE Technical Rehearsal 3 6-9.15pm BLUE Technical Rehearsal 4 (RED Captains and Gappers watching)

Wed 4 Dec 1-5pm BLUE Technical Rehearsal 5 6-9.15pm BLUE Technical Rehearsal 6 (RED Captains and Gappers watching)

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Thu 5 Dec Afternoon BLUE Dress Rehearsal (RED watching) followed by BLUE notes

Fri 6 Dec 12-3.30pm RED Dress Rehearsal 4.30pm for 6pm PREVIEW ONE (RED) (BLUE watching)

Sat 7 Dec 11.30am for 1pm PREVIEW TWO (BLUE) followed by notes 4.30pm for 6pm BLUE PREVIEW THREE (RED) (BLUE watching) 8.15-9pm FULL COMPANY Cast Notes in Upper Circle

Mon 9 Dec 12.30pm for 2pm PREVIEW FOUR (BLUE) (with post-show notes)

Tue 10 Dec 12.30pm for 2pm PREVIEW FIVE (RED) (with post-show notes)

Thu 12 Dec 12.30pm for 2pm PREVIEW SIX (BLUE) (with post-show notes)

PERFORMANCE RUN (currently subject to change)

There will be no performances of The Snow Queen on the following days: Wed 18 Dec, Wed 25 Dec, Wed 1 Jan

The schedule is now confirmed with shows on-sale at our box office. The dates for main (post-preview) shows are are likely to be Fri 13 Dec – Sun 5 Jan with casts more or less alternating (we try and give both casts a mix of evening and matinee performances).

A more detailed, but still speculative schedule can be found in your ‘Vital Info’ letter which you will have received with your time and date of audition.

The opening performances for both casts attract press, and there’s no bias in casting – we put together each ensemble based on dynamic, not with one ‘a cast’ and ‘b cast’ in mind.

If I’m involved, will I get any free tickets for The Snow Queen? As a student of Rose Youth Theatre, you are eligible to a free ticket to all Rose Theatre Productions. As part of the Snow Queen company, you are welcome to any show you’re not performing in, providing box office are able to find you a seat. In past years, parents have received a number of free tickets for previews or early performances, and I’m sure we’ll review that further as we get planning the performances of The Snow Queen.

How is the Rose Youth Theatre cast managed during the production? Communication with parents is vital during the whole process and we do our utmost to ensure you can meet other parents, pool lifts, and have up-to-date information. We understand any additional contact time arranged outside the schedule has to be at your convenience – that’s why we to provide a robust schedule as early as possible. If anything, we’re more likely to pull back on dates than add more in. During the initial skills sessions, responsibility for the cast will be mine. From October half-term onwards, a Head Chaperone will manage her team (parents have got involved with this in the past and found it rewarding) and will report to the Company Stage Manager. During tech, the Head Chaperone rehearses the journeys around the building, the dressing room area and the process of signing in and out. The safety, wellbeing and happiness of our young cast is absolutely paramount. Our Safeguarding Policy adheres to industry best-practice and we keep a constant eye on the physical and emotional health of the cast. It’s a challenging project for an inexperienced actor!

I’ve just spent the last forty minutes reading this and you haven’t answered any of my questions. We can learn two things from this. One, like me you are a slow reader, but fortunately that’s not a problem on a project like this. Two, your questions must be excellent because no one has ever asked them before. You can help me improve this document by dropping me an email at CiaranM@Rosetheatrekingston.org with your question. Thank you for taking the time to read this. If you choose to audition, good luck and have fun!

Ciaran McConville Director of Learning & Participation