audition schedule for the 2025-26 season

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Additional details about the auditions will be provided nearer to the audition dates.

AUDITION DATES & TIMES

Sunday, Sept. 7th at 2:00PM-5:00PM (2025)

Monday, Sept. 8th at 7:00PM-9:00PM

*Callbacks: Yet to be determined.

LOCATION

Steve Forrester Lounge at The Belleville Theatre Guild- 256 Pinnacle St, Belleville, ON.

PRODUCTION DATES

Preview: Tuesday, Dec. 2 nd

Opening Night: Thursday, Dec. 4 th

Closing Matinee: Sunday, Dec. 21 st

*Productions run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m.

SYNOPSIS:

Dear Santa by Norm Foster is about how Santa Claus tries to fulfill a child's special Christmas wish while his staff attempts to overcome a supply shortage at the North Pole. This is a laugh-filled holiday play

innocent enough for the youngest boy or girl, and entertaining enough for adults. It is a bonus that it is written by one of Canada’s most popular playwrights.

Note from the playwright, Norm Foster: The inhabitants of the North Pole are ageless, whether they have worked there for fifty-eight years or three hundred years.

CASTING BREAKDOWN:

(a flexible cast of men, women, and children):

• Santa Claus: needs no description
• Algernon Gladstone: Santa’s Chief of Staff, age is flexible. Easily frazzled.
• Kit Bishop: A young girl in mid to late teens.
• Bozidar: Santa’s foreman, speaks with a thick accent.
• Octavia: Santa’s housekeeper. Romantically interested in Algernon.
• Lou Flapdoodle: High-pressure sleigh salesman, talks a lot.
• Elves: Approximately 10 elves of various ages (minimum age 8). Some elves have dialogue, and a small group of elves form a chorus so singing ability is required.

There is a possibility of other non-speaking roles for both adults and children.

The Belleville Theatre Guild is open all interested members of the community. Experience is not

necessary. In addition to actors, we are always looking for volunteers in other capacities: house, back

stage, technical booth, etc. Cast and crew are expected to become members of the BTG for the season. Membership season starts on July 1 and ends on June 30 of the following year. Membership fees are as follows: Individual $25, Student $20, Family $50.

The rehearsal schedule will be decided after auditions. The schedule is flexible depending on the cast

and crew. Generally, there will be 3 or 4 rehearsals per week including Sunday afternoon. For school-

age children, school-night rehearsals will end by 9:00. Not everyone will be needed for every rehearsal

for approximately the first month.

For more information contact the director, Jeremy Alarie: text or phone 613-661-5023.

AUDITION DATES & TIMES

Sunday, Nov. 9th at 2:00PM-5:00PM (2025)

Monday, Nov. 10th at 7:00PM-9:00PM

*Callbacks: Yet to be determined.

LOCATION

Steve Forrester Lounge at The Belleville Theatre Guild- 256 Pinnacle St, Belleville, ON.

AUDITION DATES & TIMES

Sunday, Nov. 22nd at 2:00PM-5:00PM (2025)

Monday, Nov. 23rd at 7:00PM-9:00PM

*Callbacks: Yet to be determined.

LOCATION

Steve Forrester Lounge at The Belleville Theatre Guild- 256 Pinnacle St, Belleville, ON.

AUDITION DATES & TIMES

Sunday, Jan. 4th at 2:00PM-5:00PM (2026)

Monday, Jan. 5th at 7:00PM-9:00PM

*Callbacks: To be determined following auditions.

LOCATION

Steve Forrester Lounge at The Belleville Theatre Guild- 256 Pinnacle St, Belleville, ON.

PRODUCTION DATES

Preview: Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Opening Night: Thursday, April 2, 2026

Closing Matinee: Sunday, April 19, 2026

Productions run Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings

at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday afternoons at 2:00 p.m.

SYNOPSIS:

Based on A Servant of Two Masters, Carlo Goldoni's 18th century tale of mistaken

identity and daft confusions, this adaptation by Richard Bean has been re-

imagined in 1960s Beatles-era England.

An outrageously broad comedy, this is a high-energy show employing physical

humour, farcical and commedia del’arte elements, improv, slamming doors,

breaking the fourth wall, fast-paced dialogue, and more.

Francis Henshall is looking to make his mark. Fired from a skiffle band and in

search of work, he finds himself employed by small-time gangster Roscoe Crabbe,

in town to collect a fee from his fiancee’s gangster father. But Roscoe is really

Rachel posing as her own dead brother, herself in love with Stanley Stubbers (her

brother’s killer) who, in turn, becomes our hero’s other “guvnor”. Fighting a

mounting sense of confusion, Francis goes out of his way to serve both bosses.

But with the distractions of a pneumatic bookkeeper, a self-important actor, and

select members of the criminal fraternity (not to mention his own mammoth

appetite) to contend with, how long can he keep them apart?

CHARACTERS: 

7 men, 3 women, additional characters needed in walk-on, non-speaking, set-changing roles.

Francis Henshall: 30s-50s (flexible). The “one man” central character. Roguish,

confident, charming, desperate for money and perpetually hungry. Argues with

himself. Must have the ability to improvise some lines with audience members,

and also to make scripted dialogue sound like it’s improvised.

Stanley Stubbers: 20s-40s (flexible). One of the two “guvnors”. Privately

educated, toffish but also a killer.

Rachel Crabbe: 20s-40s (flexible). The second “guvnor”. Disguised as her dead

twin brother for most of the play. In love with Stanley.

Charlie “The Duck” Clench: 50s+. Father to Pauline. Cockney. Runs a shady

scrap metal business. Spent time in prison.

Harry Dangle: 50s+. Charlie’s crooked solicitor. Father to Alan. Tries to be posh

at times by using Latin phrases.

Pauline Clench: 20s. Charlie’s daughter. Hopelessly naïve and innocent. Ditzy.

Nearly everything goes over her head. Formerly engaged to Roscoe, but now

engaged to Alan.

Alan Dangle: 20s-30s. Harry’s son. Engaged to Pauline. An aspiring actor, but

probably not a very good one.

Lloyd Boateng: 50s (flexible). Charlie Clench’s friend. Spent time in prison.

Dolly: 30s-50s (flexible). Charlie Clench’s vampish, outspoken bookkeeper.

Immediately attracted to Francis. Frequently shares her thoughts with the

audience.

Alfie: An aging waiter who should have retired years ago. Bad heart. Bad

balance. Falls downstairs, but keeps going. The subject of much physical humour

and pratfalls. Not many lines, but a scene-stealer.

Additional Characters Needed:

There are other opportunities for a flexible number of non-speaking walk-on parts

of various ages (waiters, busboys, porters, street scenes, policemen, etc.). These

characters will also assist with set changes and props.

Depending on the cast, there is also an opportunity for a skiffle band to entertain

the audience during scene changes. If we decide to go that route, some singing

and instrumental ability will be required.

The Belleville Theatre Guild is open to all interested members of the community.

Experience is not necessary. In addition to actors, we are always looking for

volunteers in other capacities: house, back stage, technical booth, etc. Cast and

crew are expected to become season members of the BTG for a nominal fee.

Auditions for One Man Two Guvnors will consist of cold readings from various

scenes from the script. If call backs are needed, we may introduce some improv

activities for actors interested in specific characters.

REHEARSALS:

The rehearsal schedule will be decided after auditions. The schedule will be as

flexible as possible depending on the needs and availability of cast and crew, but

generally speaking, there will be 4 rehearsals per week including Sunday

afternoon. Not everyone will be needed for every rehearsal for approximately

the first month.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

Call, text, or email:

Producer: Phil Bowerman, 613-970-1488, philbowerman21@gmail.com

Director: Dave Henderson, 613-920-2648, david.henderson60@gmail.com

For ideas on the characters, check youtube for clips from past productions

including the Broadway version starring James Corden as Henshall.