This page details the characters / roles you can potentially apply for:

• There are 6 major roles

• There are 4 medium size roles

• There are 3 historical roles

• There are 9 one scene only roles

• There are 10+ minor roles (a couple of lines or walk-on, walk-off)

You can audition for:

• One of the 6 major roles

OR

• For one or a combination of the other roles.

• It’s up to you to tell us how many roles and what size workload you want for this production.

• If you get cast, we will do our best to accommodate you.

Notes:

• While the characters are specified as either Male, Female or Either, we are more than happy to audition non-binary people for roles

• The age of the characters is slightly negotiable

THE 6 MAJOR ROLES

Detective Sergeant Rory James

• Gender: MALE

• Age: 30+

• The hero

• Has mental health issues

• Constantly nagged by voices in his head

• Totally uncertain about personal issues, but clicks into copper mode when he starts investigating the cases

• There is an immediate attraction between him and Marina Clarebrough

• Character Arc: Goes from “first day back at work after 12 months stress leave” to by the end of the play having solved two cases and having made peace with some of the voices

• On stage for 23 of the 28 scenes in the play

• 350+ lines

Detective Sergeant Gary Cockburn

• Gender: MALE

• Age: 40+

• Rory’s nemesis

• Arsehole

• He’s not a very good detective

• But he’s great as swearing and alienating everyone

• Character arc: Starts as a swearing, sloppy detective who insists he’s right and by the end is supporting Rory as Rory solves the case. Has only one scene where the audience might warm to him

• We could possibly consider a female for the role, but the character portrayed would have to be extremely unpleasant

• On stage for 10 of 28 scenes

Patricia Seabridge

• Gender: FEMALE

• Age: 35+

• The main suspect

• Owns a winery as well as being an art dealer

• On the surface level, a very confident woman, but is she hiding something?

• Character arc: Starts off very confident in front of the detectives, but when pushed shows cracks and uncertainty. By the end is exposed totally for what she really is.

• On stage for 11 of 28 scenes

Constable Cayden Logan

• Gender: FEMALE or MALE

• Age: 20-25

• A fresh-faced young constable

• Character arc: When the play opens is sidekick to Cockburn but is then re-assigned to Rory. Grows in the role as Robin to Rory’s Batman. By the end is contributing in a major way to solving the cases.

• On stage for 15 of 28 scenes

Marina Clarebrough

• Gender: FEMALE

• Age: 30+

• Director for Regional Development of the Victorian State Government

• Exceptionally smart and exceptionally well dressed

• There is an immediate attraction between her and Detective Rory James

• Has to be able to speak some French

• Character arc: Not on until late in the first act. Is initially just one of the people Rory interviews. But gradually becomes entwined in the case as well as romantically with Rory. Is there when Rory finally solves the mystery.

• On stage for 7 of 28 scenes

Raymond Ramon

• Gender: Preferably MALE but could be FEMALE

• Age: 30+

• A high-end Solicitor representing Patricia Seabridge

• Cocky smart-arse

• Understandably self-confident in his abilities

• Spars with Cockburn and annihilates him each time

• Spars with Rory James and doesn’t do so well

• May need to speak some Arabic

• On stage for 4 or 5 scenes of 28

4 MEDIUM roles

Voice 1, Voice 2, Voice 3, Voice 4

• Gender: Two FEMALE and two MALE

• These characters are firstly, vocalising what’s going on in Detective Rory James’ head

• Confident voice: “I am a significant individual, growing in confidence each day”

• Angry voice: “You should have killed him with your first shot!”

• Upset voice: “Leave and don’t come back”

• Etc. etc.

• Secondly, these four voice actors will pick up various historical, one scene and minor roles

• If you are auditioning for a “Voice” role – you will be able to nominate which extra roles you would like or not like to play (Director will make final decision about who gets what)

• If there’s not too many people applying for roles, the Voice actors will pick up A LOT of other roles

• On stage for 10 of 28 scenes as voices plus other scenes

• If you saw our production of “Clue” or “The 39 Steps” then the VOICE roles are similar to the Clue Spirits of the House and the 39 Steps clowns

3 HISTORICAL roles (3) (appear in flashbacks)

These roles appear in a series of six historical flashbacks that take us back to the 1860’s and the gold rush.

Brigid O’Connell

• Gender: FEMALE

• Irish woman

• Works in a noisy pub in Kilmore and shacks up with Antoine to make a better life for herself

Antoine Chabanne

• Gender: MALE

• French Vigneron who immigrates to Australia to plant Shiras vines only to find out he can’t own land because he’s not English

• Will need to sing one verse of a bawdy beer drinking song

Archie Ballantyne & John Ballantyne

• Gender: MALE

• The one person plays two characters from two different times

• Archie - Murder victim from 14 years ago

• John - 1860’s landholder

9 ONE SCENE ONLY roles (Some could be Voices actors)

• Cornell Freeman (Male) Old farmer. Neighbour of 1st victim

• Bartender (Male or Female) Passionate about wine

• Scarlet Chabanne (Female) Victim’s mother (60+)

• Female Cop (Female) Interrogates Cockburn

• Male Cop (Male) Interrogates Rory

• Mansur Habdoud (Male) Lebanese mobster (speaks some Arabic)

• Nadia (Female) Mortician

• Fern Bailie(Female) Land officer for shire council

• Detective Inspector Bourke (Male/Female) Rory & Cockburn’s boss (55+)

There are 10+ INCIDENTAL roles (Some/all will be Voices actors)