SLT Audition
Auditions: The River
By Jez Butterworth
Audition one
Date: 1 Mar 2026
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Location: SLT Fire Station SE27 9NS
Audition two
Date: 2 Mar 2026
Time: 20:00 - 22:00
Location: SLT Fire Station SE27 9NS
It is August, and the sea trout have returned. They lurk in dark pools, lined up like U-boats, ready to leap up river to spawn and mate.
THE MAN has also returned, to fish for these trout, to recapture magical childhood experiences and also to hopefully find the love of the woman he so yearns for.
The drama takes place in a small remote cabin beside a dramatic river with waterfalls, long dark pools and turbulent rapids. The writing style mirrors the life of the river, poetically following an immersive dramatic course.
THE WOMAN has come with him to the cabin, and maybe together they will discover a deep connection and the love they are searching for. During this night fishing trip we encounter THE OTHER WOMAN, who is also on a fishing trip with The Man. Is he remembering her? Is this some shift in time or a parallel experience?
The brilliant writer Jez Butterworth allows for the two relationships to flow seamlessly in and out of one another, providing us with a sense of repeated experiences leading to an inevitable loss.
The Song of Aengus, derived from a Celtic myth exploring unrequited, idyllic love opens and closes the drama, and is echoed throughout as poignant backdrop to this beautiful play.
Director: Janine Wunsche
Performances: 16 - 20 Jun 2026
First Rehearsal: 5 Apr 2026
Characters:
THE MAN: 40s. Sensitive and vulnerable but witty and intelligent. The Man is a rich tapestry of emotions and imagination, with a poetic view of life. He is passionate about nature, forests, rivers, and the elemental forces that seem fully alive there. He is yearning, searching for a soulmate, a loving connection with a woman - the woman of his dreams. On the surface he presents as an active outdoor type, funny and enthusiastic, enjoys literature and philosophy. He is obsessed by fishing for sea trout at night.
THE WOMAN: Mid-30s. Grounded, earthy and practical. She has a mature, intelligent sensibility. She is confident on the surface but she is also intuitive and feels things very deeply. We sense that she is rediscovering herself. Hoping to find a man who can mirror her, she has come on a weekend trip to the cabin with The Man. Her childhood past has left some wounds that still feel raw and need healing.
THE OTHER WOMAN: 30-ish. Spirited, playful and quirky. She is exciting, immediate, sensual and magnetic. She has quite a liberated, fearless surface, but maybe she secretly yearns to be anchored, to connect with someone solid and reliable who can ground her. We sense that she never fully reveals herself to others. She is mysteriously attractive because of this.
I am looking for three sensitive, risky, emotionally vulnerable actors for these roles.
COMPLETE THIS FORM for further information, audition pieces, and to book an audition slot. Please only email the director if the information you require is not included there.
