Cardboard Citizens is co-producing a new show in partnership with Alphabetti in Newcastle and Theatre503 in London. 

Faun, is written by Vinnie Heaven and will be directed by Debbie Hannan.  The play was commissioned by Cardboard Citizens to explore the issue of high rates of homelessness in the LGBTQ+ community – especially for trans and non-binary people. 

We’re inviting Cardboard Citizens Members who fit the character briefs to apply to audition, alongside other actors. 

Character Briefs 

Please note: the cast will be made up of three performers, two of which will multi-role (Paige/Doe and Ant/Stag/Plant). While some roles are cis, the cast will consist entirely of trans/non-binary/non-cis actors. 

CAST MEMBER 1: 

Ace: They/He – Trans masculine, non-binary, early 20s. Charming to the point of people pleasing. Secretly sarcastic and line by line is more dry than earnest. 

CAST MEMBER 2: 

Paige: She/Her – Cisgender female, early 20s. Social media marketer, high status, bold and strong. Loves candles and tea and is pretty good at doing life. 

Doe: She/Her – Early 30s. A blunt and honest trans/gender non-conforming/non-binary person. Says it how it is. Takes all who need support under her wing and fiercely defends them. She practices tough love because they know that life requires it.   

NB: this performer must be comfortable playing a feminine cis woman and a more visibly queer, gender non-conforming/trans character in Doe. 

CAST MEMBER 3: 

Ant: He/Him – Cisgender male, mid 20s. A loveable idiot, bar manager who likes video games. Kind and gentle to the best of his abilities. 

Stag: He/They – A strong presence with lashings of femme, mid 30s. A pair of glitter antlers and a dazzling glitter beard. High heels, long nails and probably a cape. A comic. Sarcastic and thinks on their feet, he oozes charisma. A born master of ceremonies. 

Plant: A giant plant with pleasing leaves like a Monstera/Calathea type. Comforting but poised to be cheeky. Non-verbal. Big enough to both hug a person and give them a good, necessary slap. 

NB: this performer must be comfortable playing a masculine cis man for Ant, an extrovert trans masc character who is femme for Stag, and a physical comedy character in Plant. 

If you have any questions about the roles, please contact jack@cardboardcitizens.org.uk  

Schedule and Fee

Rehearsals, production and touring will take place between Monday 20 February – 14 May 2023. Actors’ fees will be in line with ITC/Equity rates, plus relocation fees and touring allowance for time spent in Newcastle. If a fee will interfere with any benefits you’re receiving, please let us know and we can ensure you receive advice and support to help you make an informed decision if you’re offered a role. 

How to apply

To apply to audition please send the following to jack@cardboardcitizens.org.uk: 

  1. A recent photo of yourself 
  2. Your contact details
  3. Which role(s) you’re applying for 
  4. An acting CV/list of relevant experience  
  5. Confirmation you’re available for the entire rehearsal and production period (20 Feb 2023 – 14 May 2023) 

 Deadline is 6pm on Tuesday 15 November

If you’re a good fit for one or more of the roles we’re casting for, we’ll invite you to come to an in-person audition at Cardboard Citizens HQ, Greenfield Road.  

We aim to let all candidates know if they have been invited to an audition by 6pm on Friday 18 November 2022. 

The auditions will take place on: 

Monday 21 November 2022, 10am – 6pm 

Tuesday 22 November 2022, 10am – 1pm 

Thursday 24 November 2022, 10am – 6pm 

Audition

Ahead of the audition, you’ll be sent two scenes to familiarise yourself with. In the audition, we’ll discuss the characters, look at both scenes, and try some re-direction/notes. It’s quite a physical play, so think about the character’s physicality and how they express themselves. We won’t expect you to have learned the scenes – you can read them off the page. 

The audition will be with the Writer, Vinnie Heaven, the Director, Debbie Hannan and one of the Cardboard Citizens team. 

If your audition is successful, we’ll aim to let you know by Friday 2 December (at the latest) and will give all candidates feedback on their audition if requested.