Directed and Choreographed by Louise Denison - Musical Direction by Jim Lunt

Audition Information

Following the great successes of School of Rock The Musical, West Side Story and Oklahoma!, Wakefield Youth Music Theatre will stage EVITA at Theatre Royal Wakefield in August 2024.

EVITA is a smash-hit musical with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. The story follows young Eva Duarte as she sets her sites on the big city and ultimately rises to power in, a politically turbulent, Argentina. Marrying Juan Peron, she is the driving force that sees him become President and Eva become an icon.

The musical began as a rock opera concept album released in 1976. Its success led to productions in London's West End in 1978, winning the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Musical, and on Broadway a year later, where it was the first British musical to receive the Tony Award for Best Musical. This has been followed by a string of professional tours, worldwide productions and numerous cast albums, as well as a 1996 film adaptation, starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas.

With many famous songs such as, ‘Oh What a Circus’, ‘Another Suitcase in Another Hall’, ‘You Must Love Me’ and ‘Don’t Cry for Me, Argentina’, we can’t wait to bring this dramatic show to the stage.

This document outlines everything you will need to know about the EVITA audition, rehearsals and performances. Make sure you fill in our ONLINE AUDITION REGISTRATION FORM before the audition so that we have all your details (see link later in this document).

Preparation materials can be found later in this document.

So, get preparing. Research the show itself, its musical numbers and characters. Think about how a particular character might sing and move and keep checking your inbox for further information and preparation material. Although not exactly the same, the EVITA film would be useful research, as well as previous West End and Broadway productions.

Please be aware that the story of EVITA includes some adult themes and some mild adult language.

PERON AND MALE ENSEMBLE AUDITIONS:

We are hoping to audition young male performers from across Yorkshire.

You must be aged 16-22 years old to take part. That means you must be at least 16 by 21 August 2024 and no older than 22 by 31 August 2024.

Auditions will be held onin April at Theatre Royal Wakefield (date tbc).

Once we have a few people signed up our Participation Officer, Janine, will be in touch about audition dates and next steps.

When are rehearsals and performances?

Click here for all EVITA dates.

If I’m successful, do I have to pay to take part in the show?

The fee to take part in this production is £195.

If you are successful a non-refundable deposit of £97.50 or the full fee should be paid by Tuesday 30 April 2024, with the outstanding balance of £97.50 being due by Friday 31 May 2024. Further details will be available in the cast information pack.

As ever, financial support is available for those who may have a genuine difficulty in paying the fees, but these places are limited. Please contact Janine Heseltine (01924 330 065) or email janine.heseltine@theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk to find out more about financial support.

Tickets

We encourage you to tell family and friends about the show. Tickets for EVITA are already on sale and are available from Theatre Royal Wakefield’s Box Office on 01924 211 311 or at

https://www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk/events/evita-2024

What do I need to do to attend the audition?

If you would like to attend an audition, then please fill in the web form linked below by Friday 5 April or let Janine know if you need the form sent as a Word document in good time for you to be able to return it by Friday 5 April.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE AUDITION REGISTRATION FORM.

You can contact Janine by email if you have any questions at janine.heseltine@theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk

What are we looking for?

You must be aged 16-22 years old to take part. That means you must be at least 16 by 21 August 2024 and no older than 22 by 31 August 2024.

We are looking for young people with dedication, stage presence and personality.

A complete commitment to the rehearsals and performances is essential.

This is a large-scale production and its success depends on everyone dedicating themselves to its delivery.

EVITA is a ‘sung through’ show so we are particularly looking for fantastic singers who can act and dance.

We will be looking for our cast to represent the Global Majority.

For PERON, we need someone who can take on a vocally and physically demanding role. PERON was a man of the people; an impressive, charismatic politician. We need a performer who can be authoritative, persuasive, charming and physically imposing on stage.

We are also looking for male performers with mature voices to join our ensemble as Peron’s military staff.

When will I know the outcome?

We will endeavour to let people know casting choices as soon as possible but some decisions may be unavoidably delayed. We may decide to hold further auditions if specific roles cannot be cast on the day.

What do I need to prepare in advance?

Please fill in the ONLINE AUDITION REGISTRATION FORM by Friday 5 April.

Preparation material is available on the WeTransfer link below but please fill in the registration form as well as accessing these.

https://we.tl/t-p2BncUcYRN

What if I am under 18 years old?

If you are under 18 years then we will need your parent/carer to fill in the permission section of the AUDITION REGISTRATION FORM and sign it for you to be able to take part.

Children aged between 14 and 17 can leave on their own as long as a parent/carer has made this clear on the ONLINE AUDITION REGISTRATION FORM.

Please make sure you research the show and speak to an adult about anything you’re not sure about.

What if I am a parent?

Please ensure that you and/or your child have filled in the ONLINE AUDITION REGISTRATION FORM including any necessary permissions and have sent it back to Janine Heseltine by Friday 5 April.

We ask all parents to be contactable during the day and that they are available to pick up their children when required.

Children aged between 14 and 17 can leave on their own as long as a parent/carer has made this clear on the AUDITION FORM. Timings can vary.

Please read the form carefully and tick all relevant boxes in the permission section.

PLEASE CLICK HERE FOR ONLINE AUDITION REGISTRATION FORM.

• What if my question hasn’t been answered here?

If you require any more information then please contact Janine Heseltine by phone: 01924 330065 or by email: janine.heseltine@theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk

Directions

Theatre Royal Wakefield, Drury Lane, Wakefield WF1 2TE

You can visit our website here for directions

https://www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk/visiting/getting-here

You can also find out more about access to our building by clicking this link:

https://www.theatreroyalwakefield.co.uk/visiting/accessibility-information