News: Panto auditions at South Shields Customs House

 OPEN AUDITION FOR LEADING PANTO ROLE

Some day our prince will come…

The Customs House in South Shields is holding an open audition for one of the leading roles in this year’s pantomime, Snow White.

Last year’s open auditions for the role of 

Beauty in Beauty and the Beast.

Would-be leading ladies queued around the block last year when theatre bosses opened up the role of Beauty, in Beauty and the Beast, to the general public.

Now they require a leading man to take on the role of the Prince in this year’s show, for which a third of tickets have already been snapped up.

Candidates need to be at least 5ft 10in tall with a playing age of 25 to 30. Tap dancing skills would be an advantage.

Ray Spencer, Executive Director of The Customs House, 

in costume as Dame Bella, with David John Hopper as Arbuthnot, 

Ray Spencer, Executive Director of The Customs House, who co-writes, directs and stars in the annual panto, said: “Last year we held an open casting for the role of Beauty and Annie Guy was chosen and was a fantastic principal girl.  This year we are looking for our principal boy and hope to unearth another fabulous talent. We are heading for another record-breaking year and this is an amazing opportunity for someone to join our panto family.”

Snow White was the first panto to be performed at The Customs House in 1994 and is being brought back as part of its 25^th anniversary celebrations.

Last year’s pantomime broke box office records and has been nominated for three Great British Panto Awards – Best Comic (David John Hopper - Arbuthnot), Best Pantomime Animal (Charlie Raine – Cutlet) and Best Staging and Set (Fox and Shriek).

The open audition will take place in the main auditorium at The Customs House, Mill Dam, on Wednesday, March 27, from 4pm onwards.

Actors should bring with them a CV and a headshot and prepare two contrasting songs to be performed a capella, a short uplifting poem and a joke.

Snow White, sponsored by Hays Travel, runs from Wednesday, November 27, 2019, to Sunday, January 5, 2020. Tickets, priced from £9.99, are available from the box office on (0191) 454 1234 or online at www.customshouse.co.uk.