Beth - Young Girl (played by adult actor with playing age of 16-25)

 

Any ethnicity

 

Beth is kind, clever and creative. She is Daisy’s best friend, and often helps her stay on track and stay out of trouble. 

 

Beth is deaf, and we are only auditioning deaf actors for this role.

 

Communication style: So far in this role, we have worked with 2 brilliant deaf actors who use both voice and sign language to communicate, but we are open to adapting the show in order to work with whoever is the best fit for the role. The role is mostly performed using Sign Supported English (as the show is predominantly aimed at neurodivergent young audiences), with some BSL. You do need to be a confident signer to perform this role*. 

 

Required Skills/ Experience - these are skills we need to see demonstrated in order to offer you the role, they are not flexible: 

 

• High energy performance style - expressive, fun and animated

• Confident movement skills 

• British Sign Language skills* 

• Confidence in performing for young audiences

• Confidence in learning lines for a 30 minute show, where you are a supporting character, but appear in almost every scene, in 4 rehearsal days (we can provide a support worker to run through lines prior to rehearsals for neurodivergent/ disabled candidates) 

 

Preferred Skills/ Experience - these are skills we would be interested in hearing about on your application, if you have them. We do not need these skills in order to offer you the role:

 

• Puppetry experience 

• Confidence performing in a relaxed performance setting** - every Zoo Co performance is Relaxed As Standard

 

*BSL is currently not taught on the UK curriculum, and tuition can be expensive. Due to financial barriers to training, we will not ask for proof of formal qualifications. 

 

However, we expect artists to be able to sign at around a Level 2 standard - this means you will have Deaf Awareness skills, can confidently introduce yourself, hold basic conversations, fingerspell, and are familiar with BSL grammar and structure. 

 

We may make allowances for lower level of signing for neurodivergent/ deaf performers, who may have experienced additional barriers to learning, and where additional training may offer a valuable professional development skill for a marginalised actor. We unfortunately do not have capacity to take on a complete beginner in the timeline of this project.

 

** A relaxed performance is when the normal, uptight rules of being in a British theatre audiences are relaxed, so that if audiences need to stand up, sit down, wriggle round, make noise, tic, fidget, leave or come back, that’s absolutely fine, and the play will continue as normal. Relaxed performances can be a bit noisier than non-Relaxed shows!

 

• Rehearsal Dates: 16th-18th and 22nd February

• Tour dates: 23rd - 27th Feb; 5th-6th March; 12th-13th March

• Potential other dates to be added so please let us know your March availability

• Venues include Lyric Hammersmith, Theatr Clwyd and Pound Arts

• Paid at ITC rates 

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