April 11, 2019
Casting Call!
Our next production is a Bond spoof entitled Diamonds are For Trevor and some of it will be filmed over the summer prior to starting stage rehearsals in September. At this stage, director Helena Gomm is looking to cast the roles of those characters that appear in the film sequences (and hopefully others too, although they can be cast later), so our first read-through of this interesting and exciting play will be on Wednesday 24th April at 7.30pm in the Cheriton Village Hall. All are welcome to this reading.
Other important dates include tentative shoot dates for the filming which will probably be over 2-3 weekends in June/July, locations to include a beach/sea scene and Cheriton Village. Pencilled dates for filming are: 15th/16th June, 29th/30th June, 6th/7th July, 13th/14th July but the chosen dates will be confirmed nearer the time and hopefully by the first read-through on 24th April.
Stage rehearsals will commence Monday 2nd September and will be on Mondays/Wednesdays until the run of the show which is Wednesday 20th – Saturday 24th November 2019.
More information about the play and the casting follows:
Diamonds are for Trevor: this production is a mixture of filmed material and stage acting. As such, it will be an interesting challenge and new experience for the actors (film acting is very different from stage acting). It will also be something that is fun to work on and to watch. It has scope for including local people and local scenes within what is essentially a spoof Bond movie.
The Queen and one of her corgis have been abducted, and MI6 have received a ransom video from an anonymous kidnapper with a suspiciously familiar mop of strange orange hair. Unless the Koh-i-Noor diamond is handed over, the Queen and the corgi are toast. This is clearly a job for Bond, but 007 is out on the tiles and his phone is answered by his hapless brother Trevor, who has always fancied having a go at this secret agent business. Meanwhile, the Queen’s disappearance must be kept from the public, so a lookalike is sought to take her place …
All the familiar Bond characters are there: M, Q, Miss Spendapenny, a ‘Bond girl’ Fanny Stravaganza, plus a couple of devious villains and their henchmen. There are car chases, underwater scenes (just about) and the villains’ lair is blown up just as Trevor hustles Queen and corgi out to freedom.
Only some of the sections will be filmed, so initially we are primarily looking to cast the characters in the following list with (F) after their name, who appear both on film and on stage. The filming will take place on a few weekends during June and July. If we can’t cast those characters who only appear on stage during the first audition, we will have time to conduct a further audition later in the year.
There are a few extra requirements. Trevor Bond and Fanny Stravaganza have to be able to drive. Trevor has to be prepared to go into the sea in a lime green mankini, and the vicar has to fall off a bicycle into the river (we can fake this, but he does have to emerge from the river wet through). We are also looking for someone who can scuba dive; this person will not appear in the film or the production, but we need someone suitably qualified and with the right kit to swim underwater a short distance out to sea with a periscope.
Speaking roles
Male: M, Pratt, Q, Trevor Bond (F), James Bond, Bigjob (very small speaking part), Donald Trumpet (F), Vladimir Putitov, Norman Slobby, Prince Philip
Female: Burly Chassis (F sings the Bond theme), two backing singers (for the main Bond theme), Miss Spendapenny, Fanny Stravaganza (F), The Queen (F), Ena Slobby, Reporter, TV producer
Non-speaking roles: vicar on bicycle (F only), henchmen, security people, TV crew members, an elderly woman with a zimmer frame and possibly a small dog (F only)
Those wishing to be considered for an acting part should register their interest at the read-through meeting on 24th April, or direct to Helena by email.