Theatre In The Square

Auditions

The Good Doctor
by Neil Simon and Anton Chekhov

For performance 29 November to 2 December 2023
at Incognitos Theatre, 
                        106A Holly Park Road , Friern Barnet, London N11 3HB. 

                               

Initial read-through Sunday 2 July 2023
Auditioning on 4, 7 & 9 July 2023
At East Finchley Methodist Church, High Road, East Finchley, London, N2 8AJ 
Sunday at 3 pm and Tuesday & Friday at 8 pm. 

The Good Doctor is a comedy by Neil Simon. It consists of a series of short plays, based on short stories and other works by writer Anton Chekhov, framed by a writer making comments on them.

The Writer (obviously Chekhov) suffers from writer's block and his own artistic temperament as he narrates several of his stories:

• "The Narrator" - (1M) The narrator welcomes the audience and explains his predicament. 
• "The Sneeze" - (2M, 2F) A government clerk over-apologizes and has a nervous breakdown after accidentally sneezing on a general during a night out at the opera.
• "The Governess" - (2F) A mother attempts to cheat her children's governess out of her pay by making up offenses and damages for which the governess must "compensate" but then tells her it was a test to see if she would stand up for herself, she didn't.
• "Surgery" - (Narrator, 1M) A sexton visits the dentist complaining of a toothache, but the dentist's zeal for his profession begins to frighten his patient.
• "Too Late for Happiness" - (1M, 1F) An older man and woman contemplate making time for each other in song.
• "The Seduction" - (Narrator, 1m, 1F) A renowned seducer of married women sets his sights on his best friend's wife, using his friend as an unwitting accomplice in the ploy.
• "The Drowned Man" - (Narrator, 2M) An entrepreneurial tramp pretends to drown himself to make money, calling what he does "maritime entertainment".
• "The Audition" - (Narrator, 1F) An actress who walked four days from Odessa to Moscow to audition for the Writer's next play uses most of her audition time to gush over the Writer.
• "A Defenseless Creature" - (2M, 1F) A woman with a nervous disorder harasses an ill banker to extort money for her injured husband.
• "The Arrangement" - (Narrator, 1M, 1F)In flashback, the Writer's father takes his shy 19-year-old son to a brothel to make him a man.
• "A Quiet War" - (2M) Two retired military commanders meet in the park to debate what makes the perfect five-course lunch.

There are 26 characters (although the Narrator plays some of these). The cast is flexible and can be played anywhere between 13m, 9F and 6m, 5f. 

American playwright Neil Simon is widely regarded as one of the most successful, prolific and performed playwrights in theatre history. This a delightfully funny play with plenty of scope and opportunity to develop characterisation and comedic skills. Anton Chekhov and Neil Simon’s comic fantasy is irresistible. 

This was first performed 50 years ago on Broadway. 

If you would like to audition please email us for further details - info@theatreinthesquare.org

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General Auditions

As one of the options available to becoming a Full (acting) Member of the group, we hold General Auditions. These are held every other month (or as needed) by Zoom.

                                            Click here for details

Last updated: 11 May 2023