TEAM MUDDY ARE CASTING
We are casting two roles. A puppeteer/improviser to play Paper Bag Girl and a musician/improviser to live score the show. There is a 3 week devising period and an 8 week tour of ‘Almost Always Muddy’ Sep/Oct/Nov 2017.
THE IDEA
This new piece of work for a family audience is an interactive, improvised instrument of chaos! We wanted to look at Risk Aversion and Risk Benefit. In a society where children are over protected what is lost? There is a gap between what people fear and what’s actually happening. What happens when we overprotect children and we don't let them explore their own limitations. Where do they explore risk in a risk adverse society. In exploring these ideas we stumbled across an incredible place called ‘The Land’. A ‘Dangerous Playground with a raw, energised, untamed feel about it. It was an overwhelmed, challenging and excited place to be, full of potential, possibility, story and adventure. The idea of creating a world with pallets, tires, tubes, rope and mud that can be manipulated by cast and audience was a very exciting possibility. Risk and adventure is slowly being designed out of children's lives. Can we use our theatre practice to design it back in?
THE ROLE’S
To become part of team Muddy we require you to;
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be a skilled improviser and be comfortable working without a script.
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be accomplished puppeteer or musician.
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be comfortable improvising with a puppet/with a musical instrument. (role dependent)
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thrive on stage in a live and responsive environment.
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have experience of devising in the rehearsal room.
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have experience of working in an ensemble.
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have some experience of clowning, physical theatre.
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be used to the lifting and shifting required for the type of tour where everyone mucks in off stage as well as on.
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have a passion for making work for a family audience.
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Be comfortable working outdoors and in all the challenging weather of the UK.
PUPPETEER/IMPROVISER DATES AND FEE
You will be part of an Ensemble of 5. Main role will be puppeteering and voicing the protagonist of our adventure Paper Bag Girl.
Rehearsals: 31st - 2nd Sept, 4th-8th Sept, 11th-15th Sept, 19th - 24th Sept
Tour: 27th - 1st October Wigan
4th - 8th October Darlington
11th - 15th October Gloucester
18th - 22nd October Hull
25th - 29th October Medway
1st - 5th November Torbay
7th - 12th November Peterborough
15th - 19th November Thanet
Fee: £6140 Accommodation and travel provided.
MUSICIAN/IMPROVISER DATES AND FEE
You will be part of an Ensemble of 5. Main role will be to support the piece with improvised underscore. We don't have a specific instrument in mind.
Rehearsals: 11th-15th Sept, 19th - 24th Sept
Tour: 27th - 1st October Wigan
4th - 8th October Darlington
11th - 15th October Gloucester
18th - 22nd October Hull
25th - 29th October Medway
1st - 5th November Torbay
7th - 12th November Peterborough
15th - 19th November Thanet
Fee: £5340 Accommodation and travel provided.
HOW TO APPLY
If you would like to attend an audition, please send your CV and a brief letter to almostalwaysmuddy@gmail.com, detailing your relevant experience and why you would be interested in being part of the project. Please title the email Team Muddy Application Puppeteer or Team Muddy Application Musician. Include links to showreels/sound clips and websites where available.
The closing date for submissions is 12 noon on Monday 24th April.
If your application is successful you will be invited to attend a day workshop audition at either of the following venues:
15th May Battersea Arts Centre, London,
16th May, Puppet Place, Bristol
THE SHOW
Paper Bag girl is on a hunt to find ‘The Courage’ and its down to the audience to build all the places she adventures to find it. In the first part of the event, the audience are invited in to a junkyard of building materials to build the world of the story. Some structures and tools have been specially designed for the challenge ahead. Adult are invited to build a monster that lives in this world. The Young audience are given wooden mallets, pegs, string and freedom to play.
In the second half, The ‘Story Yard Keepers’, an ensemble of 5 improvisers transform their creations into a theatrical storytelling of Paper Bag Girl's Adventure, with live music and 'special' effects hidden in the ‘set’. The Ensemble is made up of one narrator/story wrangler, one maker, one clown, one musician and one puppeteer. The story is lead by the young people; the world they have built and the suggestions they give us.
Risk is the big word of the piece and the process. As well as exploring the risks our audience are taking with their creations and story telling, we are interested in exploring what risk means to us as performers and story tellers. What risks are we taking, during the process and with the show.
We are open to performers from all walks of life and from all backgrounds. We actively welcome performers who are from BAMER backgrounds, or have lived experience of disability and are open to supporting any access requirements. If you would prefer to apply or audition in a different format to take into account any access needs, please get in touch.
