A couple of weeks ago we held auditions for Blonde Bombshells of 1943 which opens in April. Blonde Bombshells is ‘a play with music’ by Alan Plater whose other work for the stage includes Close the Coalhouse Door which was recently revived and updated for a UK tour last year and also contained a great deal of songs. Plater also gained recognition as a TV writer with credits including Z-Cars, Softly Softly, The Beiderbecke Affair and A Very British Coup.
Blonde Bombshells is subtitled as a ‘play with music’ which differentiates itself from a musical. This particular production is a play with songs and music which are all part of the story rather than someone spontaneously bursting into song to convey emotion. Up on the Roof was the same – a play about an a capella singing group meant lots of excuses for songs to be part of the narrative rather than additional to it.
Some of you may recognise the name from the BBC film The Last of the Blonde Bombshells which starred Judi Dench and Ian Holm. The film was about the band in the present day with one of the characters reminiscing and attempting to get the group back together. When Plater adapted it for stage he decided to look back and see what the Bombshells were like in their hay day. Of course- you don’t need to have seen the film to enjoy the play.
Back to the auditions for Blonde Bombshells – these were a little more complicated than the usual audition process which involves the auditionee reading a scene with another actor. Sometimes there might be singing involved as well if the play has songs in it but when it comes to casting actor musicians that’s a whole other kettle of fish.
It’s a cast of eight and all of them will need to be able to act, sing and play a particular instrument including a saxophone, clarinet, double bass, piano and trumpet. Some of the characters play more than one instrument each and finding the right actors who tick every box isn’t as easy as it sounds. For example, one character plays both the saxophone and a ukulele which are two very different instruments and most people either learn how to play string instruments or wind instruments not both. Of course there are scores of musicians that could easily play both but they also need to act and sing to high standard.
Nevertheless there were some exceptionally talented people who auditioned and it will be a fantastic cast.
See you at the theatre.
Kevin Shaw
Artistic Director
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