AUDITION NOTICE:

Arts Club Theatre Company’s Production of

The Play That Goes Wrong

By Henry Lewis, Henry Shields & Jonathan Sayer

Directed By Josh Epstein



The well-meaning but hopelessly inept Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society is attempting to stage a classic murder mystery, The Murder at Haversham Manor. However, everything that can go wrong – does! Props malfunction, actors forget lines, doors won’t open (or won’t stay closed), and the set quite literally falls apart around them. Despite the escalating disasters, this determined group of amateur thespians will do whatever it takes to make it to the final curtain call.



CONTRACT DATES: (subject to change)

Stage Management Prep Week: Monday, May 18, 2026

Rehearsals Start: Monday, May 25, 2026

Tech Starts: Friday, June 12, 2026

Dress Rehearsal: Wednesday, June 17, 2026

1st Preview: Thursday, June 18, 2026

Opening: Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Closing: Sunday, August 16, 2026

Possible Holdover Until: Sunday, August 30, 2026



AUDITION INFORMATION



June 27th and 30th and July 3rd and 4th, 2025 at the BMO Theatre Centre,162 W 1st Ave #203, Vancouver, BC V5Y 0H6



TO SUBMIT

To submit your interest for an in-person audition please fill out the Typeform application link at https://artsclub.typeform.com/to/Sm8XbqEM

Submission deadline is May 28th, 2025

At this time, we are only able to consider submissions from Vancouver-based actors.

CURRENTLY CASTING FOR:

The pronouns and ages listed are descriptions of the characters. Actors are welcome to express interest in being seen for any role, regardless of gender or age.





CHRIS: 25 – 45. He/him. Any ethnicity. Overly serious and highly strung director of the Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society. He is deeply committed to putting on a “perfect” production, and his desperation for everything to run smoothly is only matched by his growing frustration as everything spirals into chaos. He prides himself on his professionalism, and his biggest fear is losing control—both of the production and his temper.



ROBERT: 20s – 40s. He/him. Any ethnicity. Robert is a bold, enthusiastic, and somewhat overconfident actor who takes his craft very seriously—despite his obvious lack of skill. Robert is unwavering in his belief that the show is a success, regardless of the mounting catastrophes around him.



SANDRA: 20s – 40s. She/her. Any ethnicity. She loves being the center of everyone’s attention and often leans into melodramatic performances. She is confident her strong performances will take her to the next level.



MAX: 20s – 40s. He/him. Any ethnicity. Excitable, innocent, and somewhat naïve actor who is performing in his first major production. He is thrilled to be on stage and often gets caught up in the excitement of the audience's reactions—whether they're laughing at him or with him. Max loves the attention, and his enthusiasm sometimes causes him to break character and acknowledge the audience when things go well (or hilariously wrong).



DENNIS: 30s – 50s. He/him. Any ethnicity. Dennis is not naturally suited to the stage and seems to be part of the production more out of obligation or desperation than passion. Dennis struggles to remember lines and often mispronounces or delivers them with odd timing, leading to painfully funny interactions. He’s the kind of actor who is painfully aware that things are going wrong but has no idea how to fix them—often making things worse with his earnest attempts to help.



TREVOR: 20s – 40s. He/him. Any ethnicity. Trevor is the play’s long-suffering lighting and sound technician. He is not an actor, but he constantly gets dragged into the disaster when technical cues fail, props break, or actors demand his help.



ANNIE: 20s – 40s. She/her. Any ethnicity. The hardworking and frazzled stage manager. Despite being reluctant and nervous at first, Annie gradually becomes more confident, even enjoying the spotlight.



JONATHAN: 20s – 40s. He/him. Any ethnicity. Cheerful and eager actor who is thrilled to be part of the production—he takes his part seriously but struggles when chaos ensues.



CREW/ENSEMBLE: Any gender. Any ethnicity. The Crew of the stage production (actors). The Crew/Ensemble will also be Performing Understudies in the production.



Two Standbys will be hired to cover the roles in the show. One Standby will be hired to cover the female presenting characters and the other will be hired to cover the male presenting characters.



Please be advised that the production design may require Artists to modify their hairstyles (any costs incurred for such changes will be reimbursed by the Theatre) or cover visible tattoos (at the Artist’s expense).

An Intimacy Director will be engaged to choreograph moments of Intimacy between the characters. Similarly, a Fight Director will be engaged to choreograph fight/accidents/falls onstage.

ACCESS AND INCLUSION:

Access and inclusion are incredibly important to us. In our audition and rehearsal spaces, our studios are situated on the first floor, ensuring convenient accessibility without needing to use stairs. Ample seating options are provided for Artists to use while waiting or taking breaks, along with two fully private washrooms within the premises. Clear signage will be prominently displayed throughout the space to offer guidance. Each studio is equipped with loading-sized doors, facilitating unimpeded entry for wheelchair users. Performances will take place at the Granville Island Stage, while we aspire for inclusivity and accessibility for all artists, regrettably, the current infrastructure does not accommodate wheelchair users.



For those artists who have barriers to access to any part of our process as laid out, please don't hesitate to reach out to us and we will happily work with you to allow you to show us your artistry in whatever format is easiest and accessible to you.



WORKING WITH ARTS CLUB THEATRE COMPANY

Arts Club Theatre Company’s offices, rehearsal halls and theatres are all located on the unceded, ancestral and traditional lands of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. A proud industry leader and one of the top artistic employers on Canada’s West Coast, Arts Club is fiercely dedicated to respecting, championing, and uplifting underrepresented voices in all jobs. The stories on our stages reflect the beauty, culture, and artistic pulse of our city by engaging dynamic, diverse and dedicated artists.