Brighton Beach Memoirs auditions

Information about the Brighton Beach Memoirs auditions has now been released – the pre-audition workshop is open for registration and you can sign up for an audition slot.

The show plays 8-12 September at the Bridewell Theatre.

PRE-AUDITION WORKSHOP

Meet the creative team, explore the material and get a feel for the show ahead of auditions.

Where: King Square Community Centre, Blackwell House, Pankhurst Terrace, London, EC1Y 8DY
When: Sunday 24 May, 2-4pm

Sign up to attend at membership.sedos.co.uk.

AUDITIONS: KEY DATES

First rounds: Monday 8 and Wednesday 10 June, 7-10pm
Vibast Community Centre, 167 Old Street, London EC1V 9NH

First rounds: Sunday 14 June, 1-7pm
King Square Community Centre, Blackwell House, Pankhurst Terrace, London, EC1Y 8DY

Recalls (by invitation): Wednesday 17 June, 7-10pm
King Square Community Centre, Blackwell House, Pankhurst Terrace, London, EC1Y 8DY

FULL AUDITION NOTICE

ABOUT THE SHOW

Set in New York City, 1937, Brighton Beach Memoirs is Neil Simon's semi-autobiographical portrait of the writer as a young teen living with his family in a crowded, lower-middle-class Jewish Brooklyn household.

Eugene dreams of baseball and is trying to get his head around his growing fondness for girls. But on top of that, he has to deal with the daily routine of his family life, which includes endless trips to the local store for his mom.

Rifts appear as the family feels the pressure of surviving the Great Depression and facing the threatening political ideologies growing in Europe and America. Can the family stick together during these troubling times, or is the pressure too much?

Reinforced by Neil Simon’s quick-witted dialogue, with his customary humour and pathos, this bittersweet coming-of-age comedy captures the day-to-day life of a struggling household in late 1930s New York.

DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Sedos is committed to diversity and inclusion. Our commitment is to build and sustain a membership that is reflective of the diverse communities within London. We actively encourage all performers to audition for the roles which they feel best suit their skills.

We welcome actors of all gender identities and ethnicities to audition. However, we are not able to modify any of the text of the script, including changing the genders of characters, so you would need to be comfortable portraying these as written.

Where an age range is listed in the character breakdown, we will be aiming to cast age-appropriately, with some flexibility. We are unable to cast anyone under the age of 18, so adult actors will portray children, which is common practice with the play (e.g. Matthew Broderick was 21 years old when he played a 15-year-old Eugene Jerome on Broadway).

As the play is set in New York, American accents are required. A dialect coach will be attending rehearsals to help actors with their accents. As the play is about the early life of Neil Simon, who comes from a Polish Jewish family, there are references to the American Jewish community and traditions. None of them are derogatory, and all are essential to the play.

The script portrays life in the 1930s, so some references and terminologies expressed by some characters are relevant to that period. We are not able to modify any of the text of the script, but the company will be addressing the language and references during the rehearsal period to ensure that it is depicted in an appropriate manner.

This production is recommended for audiences aged 15+ and contains themes relating to adolescence and sexual awakening which some may find sensitive. The play follows a teenage boy navigating puberty, identity, and early attraction, including references to bodily changes, relationships, and sexual curiosity. The script includes comedic references to masturbation, infatuation, voyeuristic behaviour, and adult magazines, all presented within the context of the character’s coming-of-age journey. There is no nudity or depicted sexual contact within the production.

Sedos is committed to approaching all material thoughtfully and sensitively throughout the rehearsal process. We will consider performers with a disability for any role and would actively encourage disabled performers to audition. Please note that our rehearsals are located at level-access venues, but the Bridewell Theatre, which is a converted Victorian Bathhouse, is not level-access for the cast. The main playing space and dressing room area are level access, but the dressing room bathroom facilities are only accessible via a short stairway within the dressing room.

If you have any access requirements for the audition process, rehearsal process, or performances, please let us know, and we will seek to work with our venue providers to make reasonable adjustments. If you have any further questions about accessibility on our production, please do not hesitate to contact us; we’d be happy to do our best to assist.

The rehearsal schedule will be based on the cast’s availability. We are aware that July and August is a popular time to go on holiday with family. We don’t want those of you who have booked a sunny getaway to feel as if you have missed out on the opportunity to be in a play. Please be honest about your availability and let us know on your pre-audition form of any absences which are relevant.

FULL AUDITION NOTICE

MORE AUDITIONS

Information about all our London auditions.