Actor Auditions at Munster Castle, Cumbria – UK

Audition / Call Type: General Performers

OVERVIEW

Muncaster Castle’s Halloween Week is its most popular event of the year, and this time we aim to be bigger, better and more frightening than ever. This will include extended openings, a Halloween Train from Carlisle to Ravenglass (Cumbria), additional events, and more frights. We are seeking proposals from actor-entertainers who are able to provide themed entertainment as part of the festival.

WHERE

Primarily in the grounds and buildings of Muncaster Castle in Ravenglass, Cumbria, with a return train journey between Carlisle and Ravenglass on one of the days.

DATES AND TIMES

• 25th October – 3rd November 2024
• Daily: 12pm – 8pm (times will vary depending on requirements and team members)
• 29th October (Halloween Train): 9am – 10am; 8pm – 9pm
• 31st October – 2nd November (Scarecaster): 6pm – midnight

REQUIREMENTS AND SPECIFICATIONS

Theme: Vampire/Dracula/Transylvania

General requirements: To provide spooky ambience and atmosphere as part of Muncaster’s Halloween Festival, with high-quality entertainment that is suitable for adults and children alike. (Scarecaster is adults only). There will be a number of other performers providing entertainment in the vicinity. All performances must be adaptable to suit changing audiences. We would like you to apply with suitable ideas based on this specification, whilst remaining open to adaptations to ensure cohesion with the entire event.

Halloween Family Festival

You will be stationed in an area of the Muncaster grounds/buildings to provide entertainment throughout the day. These performances should be spooky and/or scary, but adaptable based on age of the current audience (e.g. family groups or adults only).

Halloween Train

Approximately two hours of family-friendly ambience-building entertainment on a return train journey between Carlisle and Ravenglass for up to 400 travellers across 8 carriages (one day only). There are additional stops at Workington and Whitehaven, and passengers will be in different carriages based on their point of boarding, so entertainment can be repeated in different carriages based on the schedule. Entertainment will be shared with other performers, though each will perform primarily independently.

Scarecaster

This adult-only section of the festival will involve mini-performances within the castle, to be developed in partnership with the organisers. They could potentially be adaptations of performances used in the Family Festival.

Examples and ideas of entertainment:

• Train passengers are on their way to Dracula’s castle, with villagers and servants of Dracula building a jumpy atmosphere of anticipation throughout the journey.
• In a mysterious room of the castle, a raving man tells of his experience living with the Prince of Darkness.
• A village person wanders the woods desperately seeking their missing daughter. They are convinced she has been taken by a mysterious man in black.
• A dark and mysterious shadow watches from the woods, stalking and hunting their human prey.
• A previous year’s performance involved a witch ‘casting a spell’ on children so that they could perform their own magic (which were basic science experiments).

PERFORMER REQUIREMENTS

• Applications from professional performers only, please.
• Volunteers will be available to support certain aspects of the on-site performances if required.
• Performers should be comfortable interacting safely with members of the public, and have strong improvisation skills in order to respond to changing situations and audience groups.
• Applications will be shortlisted based on proposals and then invited to a virtual audition.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

• Food is provided free-of-charge. 1 hour lunch break daily.
• Accommodation may be available upon request.
• Payment: Paid
• City or Location of call: Online / Cumbria

Please submit to: by 09/30/2024 11:30 PM

Please provide brief details of your proposed entertainment for the Train and Family Festival, along with brief details of your experience and a quote.

This casting notice was posted by: Kimberley Brough