The Portal Players Dramatic Society in Port Alberni is gearing up for its next large production in the spring, and auditions are already open.
Calendar Girls, a comedy by Tim Firth, will open in March of 2024 and the Portal Players are holding early auditions this week. Director Liane Fitzpatrick says the early auditions are because of the play’s large cast size.
“It’s larger than the ones we’ve held the last couple of years, coming out of COVID,” she explained.
Calendar Girls is based on the true story of 11 middle-aged Women’s Institute members who famously posed nude for a calendar to raise money for the Leukaemia Research Fund in 1999. Some people might recognize the story from the 2003 British film of the same name, starring Helen Mirren.
“It’s a really lovely story, with a variety of characters in it,” said Fitzpatrick.
The cast includes 10 female characters and four male characters, but Fitzpatrick says the Portal Players are interested in a gender diverse cast—meaning anyone can audition for any role, regardless of gender. No acting experience is necessary.
For more information about the script, audition requirements and audition times, email Fitzpatrick at fitz@shaw.ca.