Information night will be Tuesday 2nd December at 7pm with auditions on Sunday 7th December by appointment in the Thomas Nave Room, Arts Theatre.

Rehearsals will commence late January/early February to be determined.  Rehearsal times to be agreed with the cast but are likely to be Sunday mornings and Tuesday and Thursday evenings.  Show opens on 9th April, 2015 and runs to 18th April. 

Synopsis

Cecily, Reggie and Wilfred are former opera singers in a home for retired musicians.  Rumours circulate about a new resident.  The word is, it’s a STAR.  The group is in for a shock when they discover that the new arrival is none other than their former singing partner, Jean.  Her subsequent career as a star soloist, and the ego that accompanied it, split up their long friendship and ended her marriage to Reggie.  The famous quartet is now asked to give one final performance at a concert to celebrate Verdi’s birthday.  Can the passage of time heal old wounds?  Will the famous quartet be able to patch up their differences to present one last hurrah?  Quartet is a pitch-perfect comedy which is both moving and charming.

The play was written by Ronald Harwood, award-winning author of The Dresser and The Pianist.  It was first presented on the West End stage in 1999 and subsequently adapted into a delightful movie directed by Dustin Hoffman and starring Maggie Smith, Tom Courtney, Billy Connolly and Pauline Collins.

Although the movie, also scripted by Harwood, shares a great deal with the original play, there are some key differences.  In particular, in the play we only meet the quartet whereas the movie expanded the palette to include more of the other residents of the home.  This gives the play a much more intimate and heart-warming feel.

Writing for The Independent, Paul Taylor described the play as “an unashamed — no, shameless — vehicle for four feisty old troupers whose task is to make us laugh a little, sigh a little and cry a little as they take us into the bittersweet world of facing up to age and mortality.”

Cast

Two women and two men are required all with stage age over 65.

Cecily – bubbly, excitable with at least a hint of dementia.

Reggie – withdrawn and serious, likes life to be structured.

Wilfred – randy old man with a wicked sense of humour.

Jean – tactless and overbearing, a typical self-centred Diva.

For further information contact the Director,Glenn Vallen on 0417 814 856 after October 6th.

Start typing and press Enter to search