Utopia Theatre seeks ensemble cast members from the community for the staging of Death and The King’s Horseman at The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
Utopia Theatre is looking for voluntary local performers to form an ensemble cast. Those interested are able to drop-in to rehearsals now taking place at the Utopia Theatre Creative Hub to get involved.
The theatre company is looking for women of African and Caribbean heritage over the age of 18 for the Sheffield premiere of Wole Soyinka’s play Death and The King’s Horseman. Directed by the theatre’s CEO and Artistic Director Mojisola Kareem and co-produced with Sheffield Theatres, the play will run from Monday 3 to Saturday 8 February 2025 at The Crucible, Sheffield. Priority places will be given to South Yorkshire residents.
The hunt is on for an ensemble to perform alongside a cast of ten professional actors for an extraordinary play set in Nigeria in 1943. The King is dead, and tonight his Horseman, Elesin must escort him to the Ancestors according to the Yoruba custom. Set against the conflict of indigenous and invaders, Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka’s play uses Elesin’s transition from the living to the dead to examine the essence of corruption and the power of the human will.
A thought-provoking resonant physical theatrical experience showcasing music and dance, deeply rooted in the culture and spirituality of the Yoruba people, the piece is heavily reliant on music, dance and movement. Some of the text will be scored into songs and most of the sounds of the world will be live. The ensemble cast, mostly women, will commence rehearsing a repertoire of songs, movement and Yoruba traditional dance sequences about five months before the official start of rehearsals for the production. The plan is that the ensemble is ready to be embedded within the rehearsal process from the start.
Important Dates
Ensemble rehearsals will run weekly on the following dates (all held 6pm-8pm):
- September: 2nd, 10th, 16th, 23rd and 30th
- October: 7th, 14th, 21st and 28th
- November: 4th 11th, 18th and 25
- Dec: 2nd, 9th and 16th
The ensemble cast will then need to be available in Sheffield for:
Show rehearsals: (Mon – Sat) Thursday 2 – Saturday 25 January 2025
Ensemble will rehearse on Thursday 2 January (5pm – 7pm) and then up to 3 times a week (likely 5pm – 7pm) for the rest of the show rehearsal weeks.
The technical run: Monday 27 – Friday 31 January 2025
Ensemble will need to be available for the week of the technical run, the exact dates and times are to be confirmed.
Performances: Monday 3 – Saturday 8 February 2025
Ensemble required each evening Monday – Saturday and matinees on Thursday 6 and Saturday 8 February.
Additional Information
The ensemble is a voluntary cast and local travel expenses will be paid for attending performances.
If you need more information, please contact info@utopiatheatre.co.uk
