MAVIS  - an ex-pro dancer in her 40’s now teaching dance classes.

MRS. FRASER – the pianist, 50+ ish and prides herself on her pessimism. Must be able to play the piano.

DOROTHY – is anxious and birdlike, somewhere between 30-45, needing constant reassurance.  Has an annoying habit of saying the last two words of people’s sentences.

LYNNE – a 19-year-old who is eager to please and very serious about her dancing

MAXINE – is a brassy 40 something who has a clothes shop (the inventory from a dubious source) and is constantly doing a selling job to the class.  She is a passable dancer

ANDY – in her 30’s, is clearly hiding a secret.  She is always anxious about covering herself up.  She is very self-conscious about her dancing ability

GEOFFREY – the only man in the class.   He is in his 40’s, very shy but eager to learn.  Someone who plays the piano would be a big advantage

VERA – aged 35-40, is a neat freak and a busybody, totally unaware how irritating she is.  Wears very expensive clothes and is very self-absorbed.

SYLVIA – is in her 30’s, early 40’s.  She is curvaceous, outrageous and chews gum.  She wears tatty white tennis shoes and is always one or two steps behind.

ROSE – A larger than life Trinidadian in her 40’s.  Wears a large crucifix round her neck suggesting she is very religious.

Please be prepared to stay for the full 3 hours, as auditions will be open (no need to make a reservation) with cold readings from the play.  There will be a dance call at the end of the session so please bring/wear comfortable clothes and shoes (feel free to bring tap shoes if you have them).

English accents will be used for this production.  Please note that accents are NOT mandatory for the audition.   There will be dialect coaching during rehearsals so please do not be deterred!

The Choreographer will also be holding tap classes on some Sundays in October/November.  Again, please do not be deterred if you are not a tap dancer!

Performance Dates: February 7^th – 15^th, 2025

Tech Dates: February 2^nd – 5^th, 2025

Rehearsals are on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7pm and Sundays at 10am and will start November 19^th

All cast must be available for these dates. Performances are at the St. Francis Centre, 78 Church St. South, Ajax and Rehearsals are at the Village Community Centre.

Synopsis:

Eight individuals from disparate backgrounds and with different motivations attend a weekly tap class run by Mavis, an ex-pro dancer, in a dingy North London church hall.  Mrs. Fraser, a “mother figure” to Mavis provides the piano accompaniment for the classes.  Despite the students at first treating the classes as social occasions, and showing little coordination, they later develop a level of skill and cohesiveness.  The dance routines are the background for the focus of the play, the relationships and interactions of different people.  The time is the present.