Join Sedos
Sedos is a London amateur theatre company, bringing together people with a passion for the theatre. Spanning a range of ages, backgrounds, professions and personalities, our members enjoy a vibrant and varied Sedos life both on and off stage.
Membership fees are £30 a year if paid by direct debit, £40 otherwise. We would always be open to a discussion with anyone who found our membership fee a barrier to participation and we also offer a Financial Assistance Scheme for those in need.
If you’d like to find out more about joining Sedos please email [email protected] for more details, and our membership secretary will be happy to get back to you or visit membership.sedos.co.uk to join.
Shows
Whether you’re a singer, a dancer, an actor or all three, there are plentiful opportunities to tread the boards at several of London’s best fringe venues. We present a varied season every year, with large-scale musicals, cabarets, modern and classical dramas and new writing.
Our London auditions are free for members and non-members (£10 reservation fee for non-members if the auditions are held in-person, refunded if you attend the audition or give 72 hours notice of cancellation; some first round auditions are done via self-tapes, in which case auditioning is free). We are committed to casting the best person for the role regardless of membership status.
Sedos seeks to build and sustain a membership that is reflective of the diverse communities within our city and we love to see a diverse range of auditionees at our London auditions. We actively encourage performers to audition for the roles which they feel best suit their skills. Any specific requirements will be detailed in the casting breakdown on individual shows’ auditions notices.
Show costs
All performers and core production team members (directors, musical directors, choreographers and producers) must be members of Sedos. All cast members also pay a participation fee of £80-120, depending on whether the show is a play or musical and whether there are one or two weeks of performances.
We would always be open to a discussion with anyone who found our membership or participation fees a barrier to taking part and we also offer a Financial Assistance Scheme for those in need.
Find out what’s going on
Anyone can receive our weekly newsletter, whether a member or not. We always advertise all our auditions here, as well as much more, from ticket discounts to member events. Sign up here.
Plus, don’t forget to follow us on social media:
Backstage and production
We always strive for a professional standard, both on stage and behind. Sedos offers the chance to broaden your skills in lighting, sound design, set design, marketing, costumes, crewing and a host of other non-performance skill. Find out more about getting involved backstage.
Socials
We put together regular and varied social events for our members, from play-readings to pub quizzes and karaoke nights. Information about our socials is posted here.
Workshops
To make sure our members stay at the top of their game, we regularly offer professional-standard performance workshops to improve their skills across the board.
We also have pre-audition workshops where auditionees can meet the team, find out more about the show and probably run through some of the audition material in a relaxed atmosphere.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
Sedos is a founder member of London Drama Societies, which commits each member society to the following statement:
“Collectively, we commit to take constant steps to be more inclusive and attract members and audiences reflecting London’s diversity.
“We will identify and remove barriers to create a safe and inclusive environment. We want everyone to feel empowered to participate, on stage or off. We want stories to be told authentically.”
Member benefits
- Reduced ticket prices on all Sedos shows
- Reduced rate for Sedance and Simprov
- Members’ events
- Audition for shows without putting down a reservation fee (find out how the fee works)
In addition, members have the right to stand for election to the trustees and management committee and to vote at General Meetings.
More about auditions, rehearsals and show week
What will be in the audition?
This will depend entirely on the show and the production team and will be detailed in the audition notice, as well as casting information and any specific requirements for the roles on offer. But it will probably be along these lines:
MUSICALS: You will be sent material to prepare in advance for both dialogue and singing, or you may be asked to prepare a song of your own choice in the style of the musical. There may also be a dance section where you learn a routine. Recalls may take a workshop format interacting with other potential cast members or may be done individually.
PLAYS: You will be sent dialogue to prepare in advance for the part(s) you are interested in. Recalls may take a workshop format interacting with other potential cast members or may be done individually.
How long is the rehearsal period?
We prefer a short but intensive rehearsal period of about 8-12 weeks.
When are rehearsals held?
Weekday rehearsals (generally two per week, but not everyone is called to all rehearsals) are usually 6.30/7-9.30/10pm. Weekend rehearsals are generally held on a Saturday or Sunday from 10/11am-4/5pm. The whole cast may not be called to all rehearsals or to the whole rehearsal. Rehearsals are scheduled as far as possible around people’s availability, but we ask you please to be honest about your availability when auditioning to help us set schedules.
Where are rehearsals held?
We try to find free/cheap rehearsal space within easy reach of central London. Most of our auditions and rehearsals are currently at Theatre Deli Leadenhall Studios, 107 Leadenhall Street, London EC3A 4AF.
Where do performances take place?
We are the resident theatre company at the Bridewell Theatre, just off Fleet Street in London, and most of our shows take place there..
We also perform at other venues from time to time, including at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Minack Theatre.
How long is the performance period?
Either a one- or two-week production period is usual. Plays are generally one-week (though we have also done two-week plays), while we stage both two-week and one-week musicals.
Who is in the audience?
All the friends, family and colleagues that you have sold tickets to! Yes, we do rely on a level of ticket sales from the cast to cover our expenses. However, there are also long-term enthusiastic supporters of Sedos and past performers that come regularly to our shows, there is some interest from talent-spotting agents, and there are even a few general members of the public that have seen our publicity, picked up a flyer, or were just passing by (we know about them because they ask to join our mailing list afterwards).
Are the cast required to help with the get-in and get-out?
All cast, production teams and crew are required to help with the get-out. The cast are sometimes asked to help with the get-in, but not always. Production teams and crew are required to help with the get-in.
