Auditions

General Notes

• This is a British comedy. I encourage all actors to be familiar with Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, The Office, etc. The actors will be trying to seriously present their play, while disaster happens around them. They are not trying to be funny, just reacting to the crazy circumstances around them.
• All characters will have British accents. But do not be discouraged. A bad accent can be funny too.
• This is a physical comedy – prat falls, hit by set pieces, jumping through windows, falling off balconies, etc. NO ONE will be hurt, but it will be physically demanding. Consider yourself warned!
• No egos. This is not a star driven show. It is the essence of ensemble playing. There are literally no small parts.
• Do not prepare a monologue. We will read from the script.
• Try to read (or watch the play online) beforehand. It will help you.
• Finally – TWO of the roles Trevor the tech person and Dennis the butler can be played by a man or woman.

MEN (4 or 6)

• Chris Bean/Inspector Carter: (30 or 40) The head of the theater company. Director of the play-within a-play Murder at Haversham Manor and plays the esteemed Inspector Carter. Rigid, uptight, everything really matters. This is the biggest day of his life. It is a nerve-wracking and exciting night. His pain is evident and every time someone laughs the pain deepens. He has equal amounts of contempt for his fellow actors and the audience watching the play.
• Jonathan Harris/Charles Haversham: (30 to 50) A member of the company. He plays Charles Haversham, the deceased. A bit bland, but sees himself as a James Bond type. Excited and having fun, but not naïve. He technically has to drive the show. He cares about the play, but not to the same extent as the others. Very physical role. He spends the First Act motionless on the sofa.
• Robert Grove/Thomas Colleymoore: (30 to 50) A member of the company, plays Thomas Colleymoore, Charles’ old school friend. Wants to be Richard Burton, as evidenced by his declamatory style. He is, however, not a parody of a bad actor. He is unaware of others around him. He does not feel badly when things go wrong and never learns from his mistakes. There is a power struggle between Robert and Chris to be president of the Cornley Poly Drama Society (a position that matters a great deal to Robert). Has real vocal power and physical presence.
• Max Bennett/Cecil Haversham/Arthur the Gardener: (30 to 40)) A brand new member of the company and has never been on stage before. He learned his lines and does exactly what he’s told to do. He has zero connection with any of the other actors, but when he gets a laugh he breaks the 4th wall to engage with the audience. Childlike and naïve. His mistakes are fundamental. He doesn’t think anything through, just looks for approval.
• Dennis/Denise Tyde/Perkins: (Male OR Female) ⎼ (20 to 50) A member of the company, plays Perkins, Charles’s butler. He has no real desire to be involved in the theatre, he just wants to make friends (of which he has none). He believes if he does well in the show, he will be more successful socially. Laughter from the audience is agony for him. He may be slightly oblivious but understands when he gets things wrong. The laughter is a personal tragedy/failure.
• Trevor/Tina Watson/Lighting & Sound Operator: (Male OR Female) ⎼( 20 to 30) The company lighting and sound operator. They simply want to get on with the show. Curmudgeonly and doesn’t care for actors. They are easily distracted and do many things they shouldn’t, including engaging with the audience. When things go really sideways, they also are forced to act in the play. They hate acting.

WOMEN (2 or 4)

• Sandra Wilkinson/Florence Colleymoore: (20 to 30) A member of the company, plays Florence Colleymoore, Charles’ fiancée and Thomas’ sister. She is vain and possesses a huge ego. Wants to be loved. Has ambitions to go to Hollywood and will hurt anyone standing in the way of what she wants but is smart enough to stay on the good side of someone who can help her (like the director). You know the type. The stakes are high for her. Very physical role. Please Note: This role will appear in less than full costume with some sort of underwear revealed. Also, actor needs to be comfortable being in an enclosed box for up to 5 minutes.
• Annie Twilloil/Stage Manager: (30 to 50) She is the company’s stage manager. She has the biggest journey of any character. She is secretly the best actor in the entire company. She’s initially annoyed but fully onboard to save her show when the lead is indisposed. As she is onstage, her amazing talent begins to be showcased, where she is willing to fight for her chance to be in the play.

CREW (Up to 4)

• Stage Crew/Swing : ⎼ They are the backbone of this very important show to Christopher Bean, the director, as well as to the whole production team. They believe in Annie, their Stage Manager, and will do anything for her. They will jump in should Trevor demand action, but would rather listen to Annie’s directives. They will be part of the pre-show, intermission and throughout the acts coming to fix problems, recover items, save face, and hopefully save the show. They will have improv opportunities on and off stage, as well as interactions with the audience.

Cast

3 female
5 male

This play is not a farce. It is a very clever comedy with many layers that has a lot of active scenes, and along with the comedy, there is a lot of depth and even drama, therefore a cast that is more of an ensemble as their relationships and interactions and timing are critical.

*Abby Binder (resident of Senior Living Place): Any actor who can honestly and convincingly present as /play a woman in her 70s. This role has a very heavy line load, is almost never offstage, and has many extremely quick scene and costume changes that will require some balance and physicality. This role is an actor's dream because it requires comedic timing and talent, as well as talent for intensely dramatic scenes, and the willingness and ability to dive deep into a many-layered character with a complex past, while interacting with the other actors/characters who will be doing so as well. Abby seems bitter, cranky, anti-social, and alone, but this actor will unfold the reasons why, while still not being completely unlikeable to the audience, as her wit and wry humor must shine through.

*Marilyn Dunne (resident of Senior Living Place): Any actor who can honestly and convincingly present as/play a woman in her 70s. This role also has a heavy line load, but not quite as much as Abby, and she does have some breaks where she is not onstage, but she still will have many quick costume/scene changes, and she will be required to have some level of agility and balance and of being harnessed up behind a door. This role also requires skilled comedic timing and talent, and she also will have some dramatic interpersonal scenes and depth where we realize her sunny, happy, overly perky nature and need to interact with people, and talk about her late husband and family is not all it seems. These 2 women seem complete opposites, but they, and their relationship, will transform to the audience's delight, and even tears.

*Scotty (a resident aide of Senior Living Place): Any actor who can honestly and convincingly present/play a male in his 20's (possibly early 30's.). Scotty is very likeable, sweet, naive, earnest, and wants everyone to get along and be happy, while also having a side dream of being an actor. He has a lot of lines also, mostly sweet and/or comedic, but does have times offstage, and only 1 costume change, and is is tasked with refereeing the 2 ladies, while resolving their differences. (the audiences LOVE this character)

*Benjamin (long estranged former addict son of Abby), also plays roles of Lewis (son of Marilyn who helps with the family parachuting business), and Clown (scary crazy clown at Halloween Haunted house): Any actor who can honestly and convincingly play a male in his 40s, possibly late 30s. The Benjamin role has 1 long scene that requires some witty, wry comedic skills, but also gets extremely dramatic and personal with a lot of depth and interaction with Abby.  The role of Lewis is very funny, and the role of the clown is terrifyingly funny in an over-acting way, with some physicality skills.

Colleen (Marilyn's daughter) and Woman in White in Haunted House: Any actor who can honestly and convincingly play a woman in her 40s, possibly late 30s. Colleen is absolutely her mother's daughter, and the audience can see the apple doesn't fall far, as she portrays a very similar over-the-top friendliness and perkiness and family is everything to her as well. So much so that she doesn't mind being enlisted to help her mother "win the bet", and goes way too far to help. This actor must have very good comedic skills and timing. The role as the Woman in White is short, but very funny as a spooky, ghostly mother of a baby in the Halloween Haunted House.

Derek (Colleen's husband) and Zombie Butler in Haunted House: Any actor who can honestly and convincingly play a man in his 40s, possibly late 30s. Derek seems to be the affable, easy-going (maybe not too bright?) husband of Collen who also adores his mother-in-law Marylin, but is the first to see that the "Bet" has gone too far, as he gets duped into the shenanigans, even to his own hysterical peril. A very funny role that also requires comedic skills and timing. The role of the Zombie butler in the Halloween Haunted House is a spooky, dry Boris Karloff/Lurch type.

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels is a rip-roaring musical comedy, with just enough touch of romance to keep it grounded.  The director is looking to build a cast of playful, keep-‘em-laughing, wild and wacky actors who can sing and dance and invent physical comedy just because it’s fun.

If no age range is listed, assume you are in the range if you are over 18.

Main Characters

Lawrence Jameson: An experienced, sophisticated, suave, and elegant British con artist living on the French Riviera who swindles wealthy women.
Age: 40 to 60
Gender: Male
Vocal Range: G2 – Bb4
Top songs: "Give Them What They Want", "All About Ruprecht", "Love Sneaks In"

The director is looking for a physical comedian who can appear sophisticated, uses a British accent when being charming and a German accent when being comically brutal. Suave dancer, with a speak-singer voice. Think Fred Astaire meets John Cleese.

Freddy Benson: A clever, sloppy, yet attractive young American con artist who relies on pity stories to scam women before teaming up with (and rivaling) Lawrence.
Age: 25 to 35
Gender: Male
Vocal Range: A2 – B4
Top songs: "Great Big Stuff", "Love is My Legs"

The director is looking for a physical comedian with a rocking voice  who tries to appear cool but bumbles his way through prop after prop, always on the edge of getting caught. Think Jim Carey. Think Kramer on Seinfeld.  Bold and daring and fun seeking.

Christine Colgate: A seemingly naive American heiress vacationing in France who is targeted by the two con men, though she harbors secrets of her own.
Age: 30 to 45
Gender: Female
Vocal Range: A3 – F#5
Top song: "Here I Am"

The director is looking for a physical comedian who acts bubbly, cute and naive, because she is secretly hiding her power. She lights up the room with her sweetness, but is comically clumsy, the kind who carries her own too-heavy luggage so the bell hop won’t strain himself. Think Carol Burnette meets Ariande Grande. Think Kristen Chenowith.  

Supporting Roles

Andre Thibault: Lawrence’s loyal, dryly sarcastic French assistant and local police chief who manages the scams and finds unexpected romance.
Vocal Range: Baritone (F2–F4)
Top Songs: "Chimp in a Suit", "Like Zis Like Zat"

Muriel Eubanks:  A wealthy, glamorous American socialite from Nebraska who falls victim to Lawrence and captures Andre's heart.
Vocal Range: Alto / Mezzo-Soprano (E3–C5)
Top Songs: "What Was a Woman to Do?", "Like Zis Like Zat"

Jolene Oakes: An energetic, boisterous, gun-toting, petroleum heiress from Oklahoma who nearly traps Lawrence into a marriage.
Vocal Range: Mezzo-Alto (A3–D5)
Top Song: "Oklahoma?"

Ensemble

The ensemble in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels populates the opulent, high-stakes world of the French Riviera. Rather than being a nameless background chorus, the ensemble members continuously cycle through highly-specific, comedic, and character-driven cameo tracks that aid the main characters' elaborate scams.

Named Female Ensemble Tracks

Lenore: A wealthy, easily charmed vacationer targeted early in the show by Lawrence Jameson’s romantic deceptions.

Sophia: Another elegant, high-society "mark" on the Riviera who falls victim to Lawrence’s sophisticated swindles.

Renee: A wealthy, glamorous Frenchwoman who gets caught up in Freddy Benson’s less refined, sympathy-driven scams.

Named Male Ensemble Tracks

Gerard: A sharp, easily-flustered hotel manager or upper-class patron navigating the chaotic events at the resort.

The Maid / Butler / Waiter Captains: Specific, fast-paced service roles within the luxury hotel who assist or get bribed during the con games.

Categorical Ensemble Groupings

The Riviera Elite & Casino Guests: High-rolling gamblers, elegant socialites, and wealthy tourists who establish the atmosphere of luxury during the opening numbers.

Hotel Staff & Servants: Maids, bellhops, and porters who react comedically to the increasingly bizarre behavior of the main characters (especially during the "Ruprecht" sequences).

Sailors & Tourists: Everyday people visiting the coast who add vocal power and movement to the larger outdoor transitions.

Ensemble Performance Requirements

Comedy Demands: The ensemble will create brash comic moments, both individually and collectively, acting broadly, with exaggerated gestures, facial expressions, and prop play.  

Scenery movers:  Most scene changes occur during songs, not after the songs, so the rolling scenes will be operated by ensemble members, in costume, in character, and with comic aplomb.  

Vocal Demands: Every ensemble member must have strong part-singing capabilities to handle David Yazbek's complex, jazzy harmonies across all standard ranges (Soprano, Mezzo, Alto, Tenor, Baritone, Bass).

Dance Demands: The ensemble serves as the visual engine of the show, requiring confident, high-energy dance abilities for technical numbers like "Oklahoma?" and "The Miracle".

Cast

2 female
1 male