We’re looking for actors for our 107th season of quality local theatre in Huddersfield, which will run from October 2026 to June 2027.
Expressions of interest should be sent to casting[@]huddersfieldthespians.co.uk by 5pm on Sunday 10 May 2026. Let us know: 1) your name and 2) which production(s) and part(s) you’re interested in.
2:22 – A Ghost Story
Playwright: Danny Robins
Venue: Lawrence Batley Theatre
Dates: 14-17 October 2026
Synopsis
Jenny and Sam – and their baby Phoebe – have recently moved into their new home. But something feels frightening and wrong. Very wrong. Over the baby monitor, at 2:22 every night, Jenny hears footsteps around her daughter’s cot. Could the house be haunted?
When their friends Lauren and Ben come round for a housewarming dinner, they drink wine, relive their pasts, and argue about the existence of ghosts. They decide to stay up until 2:22, to discover the truth. Over one adrenaline-filled night – as the foxes scream outside – secrets will emerge, and ghosts may appear…
| Character | Playing Age | Gender | Additional Information |
| Jenny (Lead) | 30s | F | The emotional core of the play, Jenny is a new mother whose instincts are screaming that something is wrong in the house. She’s warm, open, and loving – but frayed, exhausted and increasingly terrified. The actor must deliver truthful vulnerability, rising panic and a fierce protective streak. Key qualities: emotional availability, grounded naturalism, ability to escalate tension believably. |
| Sam (Lead) | 30s- early 40s | M | Confident, rational, sceptical, Sam is Jenny’s husband: charming, clever, and utterly convinced he can explain everything. His certainty is both funny and infuriating. The actor needs sharp comic timing, intellectual swagger, and the ability to reveal the cracks beneath the bravado as the night unravels. Key qualities: charisma, verbal agility, emotional restraint that slowly fractures. |
| Lauren (Supporting) | 30s-early 40s | F | Elegant, intelligent, quietly troubled, Lauren is Sam’s old friend — socially polished, successful, and carrying unresolved emotional weight. She tries to mediate but becomes increasingly drawn into the tension. The actor must balance warmth with subtle inner conflict, revealing layers beneath the composed exterior. Key qualities: nuance, emotional shading, ability to shift from social ease to psychological unease. |
| Ben (Supporting) | Late 30s-mid-40s | M | Straight‑talking, instinctive, emotionally honest, Ben is Lauren’s partner – practical, laddish, and open to the supernatural. He brings humour, tension, and surprising sincerity. The actor needs strong comic instincts, a grounded presence, and the ability to play both bravado and genuine fear. Key qualities: authenticity, warmth, comic timing, emotional directness. |
| PCs Miller & Stirling (Cameo) | 60s+ | M/F | These are police officers who appear towards the climax of the play. The roles are very small cameos, with very few, short lines. |
The Way Old Friends Do
Playwright: Ian Hallard
Venue: Longwood Mechanics Hall
Dates: 9-12 December 2026
Synopsis
In 1988, two Birmingham school friends tentatively come out to one another: Edward as gay; Peter, even more daringly, as an ABBA fan.
Nearly thirty years later, they meet again – and take a chance by forming the world’s first
ABBA tribute band in drag. It’s a riot of platform boots and dodgy beards, ‘Waterloos’ and ‘Chiquititas’, and they couldn’t escape if they wanted to. But can Edward and Peter’s friendship survive the tribulations of a life on the road?
Ian Hallard’s The Way Old Friends Do is a tender, laugh-out-loud comedy about devotion, desire and dancing queens, offering all the ingredients to give audiences a great night out.
Please note: the actors cast as Peter, Edward & Christian must be comfortable with playing a gay character, with dressing as a female member of ABBA and with being intimate with another male actor. In addition, the main characters must be comfortable with singing live, which will form part of the immersive experience for the audience.
| Character | Playing Age | Gender | Additional Information |
| Peter (Lead) | 40s-50s | M | Warm, witty, nostalgic, emotionally guarded, Peter is a lifelong ABBA fan whose teenage friendship with Edward shaped who he became. He’s gentle, thoughtful, and quietly lonely, with a dry sense of humour. The actor must balance lightness with emotional depth, revealing the ache beneath Peter’s calm exterior. Key qualities: subtle emotional range, warmth, comic understatement, queer sensitivity. |
| Edward (Lead) | 40s-50s | M | Charismatic, dramatic, wounded, larger-than-life. Edward is the spark in every room – flamboyant, funny, and fiercely protective of his past. Beneath the bravado lies a deep vulnerability and a fear of being forgotten or replaced. The actor must deliver both camp humour and raw emotional honesty. Key qualities: bold presence, emotional volatility, comic flair, ability to shift from big to intimate. |
| Sally (Supporting lead) | 40s-50s | F | Practical, warm, no-nonsense with a big heart. Sally is Peter’s friend and emotional anchor – grounded, funny, and unafraid to call out nonsense. She brings stability to the chaos around her. The actor needs strong comic timing and the ability to land heartfelt moments without sentimentality. Key qualities: natural humour, emotional grounding, strong rapport with Peter. |
| Jodie (Supporting lead) | 20s-30s | F | Bright, enthusiastic, slightly chaotic, Jodie is the eager newcomer to the ABBA tribute world – full of energy, optimism, and a desire to belong. She’s funny without trying to be, and her innocence often exposes the absurdity around her. Key qualities: youthful energy, comedic instinct, charm, sincerity. |
| Mrs Campbell (supporting lead) | 60s+ | F | Sharp, dry, unexpectedly moving, Mrs Campbell is the older member of the group whose blunt humour masks a lifetime of experience. She brings surprising emotional weight in her quieter moments. Key qualities: dry wit, emotional subtlety, strong presence in limited stage time. |
| Christian (Supporting) | Late 20s-30s | M | Charming, slightly smug, socially polished, Christian is the kind of man who always seems to be doing well — confident, smooth, and occasionally insufferable. He adds tension and humour in equal measure. Key qualities: charisma, comic poise, ability to play charm with an edge. Australian accent a must. In addition to playing Christian, the successful actor would play a cameo as a waiter at the beginning of the play. |
| Nan & Radio Host (Voiceovers) | – | – | These are pre-recorded, and are available for expressions of interest. |
The Rise and Fall of Little Voice
Playwright: Jim Cartwright
Venue: Longwood Mechanics Hall
Dates: 17-20 March 2027
Synopsis
Blown fuses, real and metaphorical, punctuate the action with flashes of pent-up energy in this acclaimed play. The diminutive heroine frequently plunges the dilapidated house she shares with her alcoholic mother into darkness by playing her dead father’s records at a volume matched only by the soulful power of her vocal impressions.
Little Voice has a hidden talent: she can emulate every chanteuse from Judy Garland to Edith Piaf. She hides in her room, crooning and dreaming of love, while her dishevelled mother mistakes a seedy agent’s interest as affection rather than enthusiasm for the gold mine buried in her daughter’s throat. This is an engaging fairy tale of despair, love and finally hope as LV finds a voice of her own.
Please note: the part of LV has been cast following a pre-emptive audition call.
| Character | Playing Age | Gender | Additional Information |
| Mari Hoff (Lead) | Late 40s-50s | F | Chaotic, brassy, heartbreaking, Mari is LV’s mother – loud, messy, self absorbed, and desperate for affection. She’s funny, tragic, and infuriating, often in the same breath. The actor must balance big comedy with raw emotional collapse. Key qualities: bold comic energy, emotional volatility, strong physical presence. |
| Ray Say (Lead) | 40s-50s | M | Charming, manipulative, fading dreamer, Ray is a small-time talent scout who sees LV as his last shot at success. He’s smooth, persuasive, and increasingly desperate. The actor must play charm that curdles into exploitation. Key qualities: charisma, emotional slipperiness, ability to shift from warmth to menace. |
| Billy (Supporting) | 20s-30s | M | Gentle, awkward, quietly romantic, Billy is the shy telephone engineer who sees LV for who she really is. He’s sweet, patient, and emotionally open. The actor must bring sincerity and a soft, understated charm. Key qualities: warmth, gentleness, naturalistic acting, soft comic timing. |
| Sadie (Supporting) | 40s-50s | F | Soft-spoken, loyal, deeply kind, Sadie is Mari’s long suffering friend – timid, supportive, and often the butt of Mari’s jokes. She brings quiet humour and unexpected emotional resonance. Key qualities: subtle comedy, tenderness, strong listening skills. |
| Mr Boo (Supporting) | 40s-60s | M | A showbiz relic with a big personality, Mr Boo runs the local club – a flamboyant, slightly tragic entertainer who lives for the spotlight. He’s camp, theatrical, and full of patter. Key qualities: comic bravado, stage presence, ability to command a room. |
The Girl on the Train
Based on the bestselling novel by Paula Hawkins and DreamWorks film, adapted by Rachel Wagstaff & Duncan Abel
Venue: Lawrence Batley Theatre
Dates: 9-12 June 2027
Synopsis
Rachel Watson longs for a different life. Her only escape is the perfect couple she watches through the train window every day, happy and in love. Or so it appears. When Rachel learns that the woman she’s been secretly watching has suddenly disappeared, she finds herself as a witness and even a suspect in a thrilling mystery in which she will face bigger revelations than she could ever have anticipated.
This stage adaptation, based on Paula Hawkins’ international bestseller and the blockbuster film, The Girl on the Train is a gripping mystery suspense thriller.
| Character | Playing Age | Gender | Additional Information |
| Rachel Watson (Lead) | 30s-40s | F | Unstable, vulnerable, obsessive, emotionally raw, Rachel is an alcoholic whose life has collapsed — job gone, marriage over, memory unreliable. She’s desperate to piece together the truth about what she saw from the train window. The actor must deliver intense psychological realism, shifting between fragility, determination, and spiralling confusion. Key qualities: emotional depth, volatility, subtle physical acting, ability to play unreliable perception. |
| Tom Watson (Lead) | 30s-40s | M | Charming, controlling and deceptive, Tom is Rachel’s ex-husband – outwardly calm, supportive, and reasonable, but hiding a darker, manipulative core. The actor must play warmth that slowly reveals a controlling menace. Key qualities: charisma, emotional duality, ability to shift from gentle to threatening. |
| Anna Watson (Supporting) | 30s-40s | F | Polished, defensive, quietly resentful, Anna is Tom’s new wife – protective of her family, suspicious of Rachel, and determined to maintain control. She’s elegant on the surface but simmering underneath. Key qualities: poise, emotional tension, ability to play passive aggression with truth. |
| Mean Hipwell (Supporting) | 20s-40s | F | Restless, magnetic, troubled, Megan is the woman Rachel becomes obsessed with – glamorous, mysterious, and carrying deep emotional wounds. The actor must balance free-spirited allure with vulnerability and a sense of a life lived on the edge. Key qualities: complexity, emotional layering, ability to play charm and pain simultaneously. |
| Scott Hipwell (Supporting) | 30s-40s | M | Intense, volatile and grieving, Scott is Megan’s husband – passionate, jealous, and devastated by her disappearance. The actor must bring emotional weight and a simmering unpredictability. Key qualities: intensity, physical presence, emotional honesty. |
| The Psychiatrist (Supporting) | 30s-50s | M | Calm, enigmatic, emotionally perceptive, Megan’s therapist is composed, intelligent and quietly intense. He carries an air of mystery that makes him both compelling and suspicious in the eyes of others. The actor must balance professional detachment with flashes of genuine empathy, while maintaining an undercurrent of ambiguity about his motives and past. Key qualities: stillness, emotional subtlety, controlled presence, ability to play complexity without signalling it. |
| DI Gaskill (Supporting) | 30s-50s | M/F | Calm, methodical, sceptical, the detective investigating Megan’s disappearance is grounded, observant and quietly authoritative. The actor must bring clarity and stillness amid the chaos of the other characters. Key qualities: composure, precision, understated strength. |
If you require any further information, please also contact casting@huddersfieldthespians.co.uk before the closing date for expressions of interest.