Young Birmingham actors search

Birmingham Rep is currently casting the first ever stage adaptation of Meera Syal’s much-loved novel and film Anita & Me. The story has been written for stage by multi-award-winning playwright Tanika Gupta. Roxana Silbert, Artistic Director of the REP, will be directing this new musical play. 

 

We are now looking for young actresses to play the two leads in this wonderfully funny and poignant piece. The story follows the life of Meena, a 13 year old girl from Wolverhampton growing up in the only Punjabi family in a 1970s Black Country mining village. One day the impossibly cool Anita enters her life and Meena finds her 15 year-old ‘charms’ irresistible.  But all is not as it seems and soon Meena’s world is turned upside down as she is caught in between two cultures. We are also looking for young actors to play the role of Sam, a local 16 year-old tearaway. All three roles are substantial with Meena as the out-and-out lead in this piece, barely leaving the stage. 

 

The production will play in the main space at the REP before transferring to Theatre Royal Stratford East in London for 4 weeks. This is a paid production and the actors will receive subsistence or touring allowance where applicable. Rehearsals will be in Birmingham. The overall dates of the production, which we will need everyone to be completely available for, are 7th September to 22nd November 2015.

 

We are looking to meet anyone who meets the following casting specifications:

Anita

Playing age: 15 years old (please note we can only consider actresses who are 16years and older). She doesn’t have to be musical theatre inclined or trained / grades but must have a half-decent singing voice - basically not tone deaf. Ethnicity: White. Accent: Birmingham / West Midlands / Black Country. Anita is an attractive, feisty young girl from a difficult upbringing who faces her challenges head-on but is ultimately a lost young girl in desperate need of attention from an unloving mother. 

 

Meena

Playing age: 13 years old (please note we can only consider actresses who are 16years and older). Meena has a number of solos in this piece however we are not necessarily looking for a fully-trained musical theatre voice; someone with a passion for singing and a musical aptitude. Ethnicity: Asian (Meena’s family is Indian).  Accent: Birmingham / West Midlands / Black Country.  We are looking for a sparky, vibrant actress who can tell Meena’s story with joy and humour and style. 

 

Sam

Playing age: 16 years old (please note we can only consider actors who are 16years and older). Doesn’t necessarily have to sing. Ethnicity: White. Accent: Birmingham / West Midlands / Black Country.  Sam is the local tearaway and the leader of the “cool group” whom Meena and Anita are in awe of. He is gobby and crass and a toxic energy within a multi-cultural community. He has some charm and humour but ultimately he’s out for what he can get. 

 

It is not vital to us that you are a seasoned performer with bags of experience. We are looking for young actors with a passion for acting and singing and who would like to come and have a chat with us about this exciting new production. 

 

We will be holding auditions in Birmingham at the REP in the first week of May. If you are interested in meeting us for this role then please contact Polly Jerrold: pollyjerroldcasting@gmail.com Please attach a recent photo of yourself and provide a short paragraph about you as a performer.

 

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Polly Jerrold

Casting Director 

07870 164899