Northanger Abbey

Auditions Northanger Abbey By Jane Austen Adapted by Matthew Francis Directed by Carissa Teeling Season: 9th July - 20th August 2011 Preview night 8th July Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm Sunday matinée at 4.30pm There will be a reading of the play at the Genesian Theatre at 7pm on Wednesday 6th April. Auditions will be held on Saturday the 9th and Sunday the 10th April Please email northanger@genesiantheatre.com.au to book an audition or for more information. Northanger Abbey Characters Mr Morland: Catherine's father Mrs Morland: Catherine's mother Miss Catherine Morland: 17-early 20s, the protagonist - naive, honest, Mr James Morland: Catherine's older brother - his love interest is Isabella, loyal and persuaded easily Mr Henry Tilney: late 20s, the younger son of the wealthy Tilney family. Catherine's love interest. Kind, chivalrous, respectful General Tilney: Father of Henry, Frederick and Eleanor, 50+. Eleanor Tilney: Henry's sister, 20s (kind / caring nature) Frederick Tilney: Henry's older brother, 30s+ (confident / nonchalant) Mr John Thorpe: early-mid 20s (arrogant / cocky / deceptive in nature) Miss Isabella Thorpe: early 20s (a stand out beauty / manipulative, vainglorious) Mrs Thorpe: 40+ (mother of Isabella and John - ostentatious, a braggart) Mrs. Allen: 40+ (wealthy friend of Morland family - Catherine's chaperone to Bath) Gothic characters. The cast will probably only consist of 8-10 actors. There are quite a few gothic characters that will be played by various other characters. e.g. Mr Tilney will play the gothic character of The Count de Vereza. General Tilney will play Montoni. With the exception of Catherine & Isabella all other actors will have two-three parts to play. e.g. Mrs Allen will play Annette. James Morland will play Second Actor & Mr Morland. Most actors will be required to do mask work. All actors will be required to dance in the period style. Northanger Abbey Synopsis Northanger Abbey is about a young girl called Catherine Morland who enjoys reading gothic novels. Her kind neighbour Mrs Allen decides to travel into Bath and invite Catherine to accompany her. While partaking in the social events of Bath, Catherine makes the acquaintance of a young man and his sister, Henry and Eleanor Tilney. She is also introduced to the daughter of Mrs. Allen's friend. Isabella Thorpe, who knows Catherine's older brother James, and introduces Catherine to her brother John when he arrives in Bath with James. John is quite taken with Catherine and wants to monopolize all her time, even if it means lying to keep her from seeing the Tilneys. Catherine, despite John's efforts, still spends time with the Tilneys. Isabella and James become engaged and James leaves for home to inform his parents. While he is gone, the oldest Tilney son, Captain Tilney, arrives in Bath and flirts with Isabella. She does little to discourage him. Catherine is invited to stay with the Tilneys by General Tilney under some false pretenses that John Thorpe orchestrated. Due to her active imagination, Catherine begins to think that General Tilney murdered his wife and is ashamed when Henry reprimands her. Catherine receives a letter from her brother saying he's broken off his engagement with Isabella because of her continued attention toward Captain Tilney. In a surprising turn of events, General Tilney sends Catherine home with very little warning and no explanation. Catherine is home a few days later when Henry arrives with an explaination: John Thorpe lied to General Tilney about the extent of Catherine's inheritance. The General intended to have her marry Henry but, when John later informed him that she was penniless, he sent her from the house in anger. Henry, against his father's wishes, proposes to Catherine anyway and they are married. In the midst of all this drama Catherine floats in and out of her gothic world of Udolpho, imagining characters and scenarios quite different to that of her world at Bath.