The Stage

Old Vic seeks fresh talent for 24 Hour Plays

Published Tuesday 30 May 2006 at 15:35 by Nuala Calvi

Aspiring actors, directors, producers and writers are being sought by the Old Vic for the second of its 24 Hour Plays: Starbucks New Voices projects, showcasing new talent.

The theatre is keen to increase and diversify the number of applicants for this year’s event, which allows young theatre practitioners to create productions in the space of a day and perform them on the Old Vic stage.

Last year’s project helped participants go on to secure professional contracts with the BBC, the National Theatre, the Lyric Hammersmith and West End theatres. Actor Amit Shah was offered a role in BBC1’s Afternoon Plays and is now performing in The Royal Hunt of the Sun at the National.

He told The Stage: “A casting director saw the performance and brought me in to audition for the BBC and I was offered a part. I’ve been offered more and more work since then.

“The great thing about the 24 Hour Plays is that they don’t just pick 30 RADA students, they go for a real mix - we had people who were studying courses that had nothing to do with acting but had a real talent and passion for it. You get to be seen by industry people and perform on a great stage with a packed-out audience.”

Actor Sam Crane also secured a lead role in And Then There Were None at the Gielgud Theatre after taking part, while Hamish Pirie was offered the role of assistant director on Epitaph for George Dillon at the Comedy Theatre and producer James Blackman gained a managerial position at the Lyric Hammersmith. Meanwhile, Rachel Wagstaff secured a rehearsed reading at the Old Vic of her play Night Sky, starring Christopher Eccleston and Saffron Burrows.

Applications for this year’s event, which is open to 18 to 25-year-olds in Greater London, can be downloaded from www.oldvictheatre.com/24 and must be submitted by June 9.