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The Market Theatre in Hitchin, Hertfordshire is auditioning for the title role in their upcoming Adult Panto - Puss & Dick.

The Market Theatre’s Adult Panto is unique in its format, with three actors playing multiple parts. It is more of a fast, farcical play delivered at a rapid pace with lots of energy than a traditional panto style production. There is audience participation, but it is never indulgent and doesn’t interfere with the pace of the play. There isn’t any nudity and the swearing is not gratuitous. Past shows can be viewed online to give a better idea of the show. Actors need to live within 60mins travelling distance from Hitchin. Having a car is an advantage, unless living within a bus ride of Hitchin.

Dates

REHEARSAL DATES:
November 2026
Tues 17th, Wed 18th, Thurs 19th, Fri 20th, Mon 23rd, Tues 24th & Wed 25th (10.00am – 3.00pm)

PERFORMANCE DATES:
November 2026:
Thurs 26th-Sat 28th(4 shows)

December 2026:
Thurs 3rd-Sat 12th
Tues 15th-Sat 19th
Mon 21st-Wed 30th (23 shows)

January 2027:
Fri 8th-Sat 23rd
Fri 29th-Sat 30th (9 shows)

February 2027:
Fri 5th, Sat 6th, Fri 12th, Sat 13th, Fri 19th & Sat 20th (6 Shows)

Roles

Roles Details

Title

Dick

Content

Dick is Innocent, sexually confused, prone to fits of madness, has an imaginary friend called Henry and carries a dead cat on her shoulder. Requires lots of energy and an ability to hold the stage in short solo pieces. Great sense of comedy timing required and a strong singing voice. Please look at past shows online for more information of the style.

Generally we are looking for English as native accent. Needs to possess an excellent sense of comedy, energy and ability to handle fast moving farcical plots, sexual innuendo and be able to work quickly and professionally within a small group of performers. Able to create believable, well-defined characters. A strong singing voice and previous pantomime experience would be an advantage. An ability to be flirtatious with the audience, audiences are not invited on stage, so the flirtation is verbal only. We do not work with scripts in hand, but scripts are sent out at least four weeks before the first rehearsal, and all words need to be learnt off by heart, verbatim for day one! Although the audience are led to believe otherwise, the show does not contain nudity! Neither does it contain gratuitous swearing. It is fast, farcical, slick and full of skimpy costumes and sexual innuendo. Please look online at previous Market Theatre Adult Pantos to gain an idea of the style of show.

Successful applicants will first be sent a short speech from the show to learn off by heart, film themselves reciting it to camera, upload it on to youtube and send through a link. Successful applicants from this stage will then be invited to a further audition at the Market Theatre on Monday 24th August.

Salary

The fee is £3,990. This includes 75 hours of show time (Broken down into one hour show time and one hour arrival time) and 35 hours of rehearsals. This equates to a total of 110 hours at £36.27 per hour. No other fees for travel or accommodation will be covered. This job would suit someone living within an hours driving distance from Hitchin, or closer.

Gender

Female Only

Age

22 - 33