An Englishman Abroad

Beaumaris Theatre will be staging a one act play to be performed on July 10th and 11th at Beaumaris Theatre, then entered in three-four One Act Play Festivals around Victoria. Auditionees must be available and prepared to travel to country venues each weekend till August 16th 2009. There will be a "read through" at the theatre on Sunday April 5th at 5pm, then the auditions will be held at the theatre on Sunday April 19th. For all enquiries and to book an audition please contact the director. Audition bookings are essential. SYNOPSIS: In the 1930's, a number of young men at Cambridge University were recruited as Soviet spies. They became known by the KGB as the 'magnificent five' but were better known in England as the Cambridge spy ring. They were not motivated by financial gain, but by the belief that capitalism was corrupt and that the Soviet Union offered a better model for society. They all managed to obtain jobs in the English civil service in very important positions, as diplomats and even, in the case of the informal leader of the ring Kim Philby, as Head of ‘anti-Communist counter espionage’ and Secretary of the British Embassy in Washington. They spent their working lives passing valuable information to the Soviet Union. They were clever men but also had the connections and class to get them into these jobs and they also had absolute belief that what they were doing, was right. However, it should not be forgotten that they were traitors and responsible for the torture and deaths of many Western agents. Alan Bennett’s play is about a chance meeting in Moscow in 1958 between the actress Coral Browne and one of the Cambridge Spies of the Cold War era, who was Guy Burgess. He was a British Diplomat/traitor who defected to Russia with one of his fellow traitors, Donald McLean in 1951. Although they did not work together and did not like each other particularly, they were forever yoked together by the Press and became infamously known as ‘Burgess and McLean’. The play is more about Burgess the exile than Burgess the Spy. CAST Guy Burgess: Age: 50-ish. Tall-ish. Dark hair. Good posture, must be able to sing. It is absolutely essential that there is no Australian or any other dialect evident. The diction/pronunciation impeccably English. Think Dirk Bogarde, Trevor Howard, Stewart Granger, George Sanders etc. Guy was charming, eccentric, a homosexual, a snob, adored gossip, London, theatre and all the good things in life. Coral Browne: Age: 40’s-50’s. Tall, slim, striking, brunette, wonderful posture. Although born in Melbourne, she left Australia at the age of 23 to further her acting career in London. Her accent is, like Burgess’s, impeccably English. Think Deborah Kerr, Celia Johnson, Jean Simmonds etc. She was known and well loved for her dry wit, wonderful sense of humour, direct approach and honesty and integrity in her work. She has appeared in many English and American films. Tolya: Age: late 20’s to late 30’s. Guy Burgess’s Russian lover. He is described in Bennett’s directions, as a ‘young Russian’. He has two lines in English and three in Russian – must be able to sing. Tailor: Age: middle aged. Well spoken English – no dialect. Good posture, smart, neat, confident.. He has eight lines. Shop Assistant: Age: middle aged. Well spoken English – no dialect. Good posture, smart neat, confident . He has nine lines. Tolya, the tailor and the shop assistant will also help backstage/props and with costume changes for Burgess when and if necessary. Coaching in Russian will be provided if required. The play lasts about one hour.