Open Call for White

Jan 30 2019 | By Thom Dibdin More

EUTC to stage UK premiere of James Ijames’ comedy

The Edinburgh University Theatre Company has put out an open call for its UK premiere of James Ijames’ White, a comedy about race, gender and the place of art in an absurdly divided society.

Auditions will take place this weekend, Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 February 2019, with the show playing four performances in St. Cecilia’s Hall, Sat 23 – Mon 25 March.

Publicity image for White

The production is being directed by Nathaniel Brimmer-Beller, who promises to: “entertain, ruffle feathers, and push the boundaries of theatrical performance”.

White follows the increasingly outrageous chain of events after a white artist attempts to lampoon political correctness by hiring a black actress to present his work as her own — what follows is hilarious, absurd, and at times, surreal.

Auditions will take place at the University Old College on South Bridge on Saturday 2 February at 2pm in Teaching Rooms 3 and 4, and on Sunday 3 also at 2pm, in teaching rooms 5 and 6. Entrance is through the first set of double doors on the right when entering from South Bridge.

Brimmer-Beller is looking for a four-strong cast of two female and two male:

GUS: a white male artist in his 30s;
VANESSA: a black female actress in her 20s or 30s
JANE: the curator – a white female in her 30s.
TANNER: the boyfriend, Asian male in his late 20s or early 30s.

He adds: “The play is funny, but with a razor sharp edge. No preparation is necessary for the auditions, just come on down and take a monologue and take as much time as you need in advance of auditioning.”

There is a feature with background to the play from a production by the Shotgun Players in Berkley in July 2018, including some of the script and details of the case which inspired Ijames, here.