AUDITIONS
LADIES IN BLACK
Book by Carolyn Burns
Music and Lyrics by Tim Finn
Based on the novel The Women In Black by Madeleine St John
DIRECTOR: Barbara Hughes
MUSICAL DIRECTOR: Janet Provan
CHOREOGRAPHER: Jenny Vincent-Green
Season: 18 November – 5 December 2026
AUDITION DATES:
Sunday 19th July from 11.00am
Monday 20th July from 7.00pm
Calls backs (if required) Wednesday 22nd July from 7.00pm
Venue to be confirmed.
Auditions by appointment only
To book any audition or for any other questions about the show, please call the director, Barbara Hughes, 0417 589 015 or email bhughes@wlt.org.au
ABOUT THE SHOW
It’s 1950s Sydney and the city is on the cusp of becoming cosmopolitan. Young high school graduate Lisa takes a holiday job at Goodes, the most prestigious department store in town. There she is befriended by the exotic Magda and the ladies of the women’s frock department and a world of possibilities opens up to her.
THE CAST
The show requires eight female and three male actors, some of whom are required to play multiple roles. Australian accents are required except for the role of Magda who is Hungarian. The actors playing Stefan and Rudi also require Hungarian accents when in these roles. While this isn’t a dancing show as such, cast members will be required move well.
LISA, (Female, 16-early 20s, stage age of 16)
Lisa is our heroine. To begin with she is a shy bookworm without style who blossoms under the influence of Magda and the ladies at Goodes. Vocal Range: G#3-D5
MYRA/DAWN (Female, stage age mid to late 20s)
A double role. Myra is Fay’s best friend, cheerful and friendly and out for a good time. Dawn is Patty’s sister, forthright, cynical and a bit rough around the edges. Vocal Range: A3-B4.
PATTY (Female – stage age early 30s)
A shop assistant at Goodes. Unhappily married to Frank and a bit cynical as a result. Has a vulnerable side. Needs to be a competent dancer. Vocal Range: G3-Eb5
FRANK (Male, stage age 30s to early 40s)
Patty’s husband. A salesman with low self-esteem and little ambition or vitality, although he can show passion. Needs to be a competent dancer. Vocal Range: G#2-G4
MAGDA (Female, stage age about 40)
Hungarian and exotic, Magda oversees Model Gowns at Goodes. She is worldly, well-educated and stylish. Her forbidding exterior masks her warmth and wit. Vocal Range: A3-E5
RUDI (Male, stage age mid 30s to early 40s)
Rudi is an Hungarian refugee on the look-out for a wife. He is charming, well-read, irrepressible and a genuine lover of women. Should be a competent dancer. Lloyd and Fred are minor roles Vocal Range: C3-A4
MRS MILES (Female, stage age late 30s to 40s)
Lisa’s mother, who dotes on her daughter and wants the best for her but afraid of rocking the marital boat. She eventually finds the courage to support Lisa. Vocal Range: D4-A4
MISS CARTRIGHT/JOY (Female stage age 30s – 40)
A double role. Miss Cartright is the manager of the Ladies Department at Goodes and she takes her role seriously but is not without compassion or wit. Joy is Patty’s older sister and a bit care-worn by motherhood and housework. Vocal Range: A3-C#5 (top note not as solo)
MISS JACOBS/MRS CROWN (Female, stage age 60s)
A double role. Miss Jacobs has worked at Goodes for her whole working life. She lives alone and there is a quiet sorrow about her. Mrs Crown is Patty’s widowed mother, a rough diamond who doesn’t take any nonsense Vocal Range: E3-C5/A3-A4
FAY (Female, late 20s – stage age early 30s)
A shop assistant at Goodes. Pretty and cheerful but unlucky in love. Should be a competent dancer. Vocal Range: G3-Eb5
MR MILES/STEFAN (Male, stage age 40s)
A double role. Mr Miles is Lisa’s father, stiff, conservative and authoritarian. A product of the times and a complete contrast to Stefan, the ebullient Hungarian intellectual and bon vivant. Vocal Range: G2-D4/D2-C4
All age ranges are approximate.
All roles are available.
Audition Requirements
Please prepare one song in the style of the show that demonstrates your range and musical ability. Please bring music in the correct key. No CDs, backing tracks or a capella.
You will be given passages to read at the audition and, although it is not necessary to learn anything, you should familiarise yourself with the show.
Please ensure you have completed the Audition Form, which can be downloaded from www.wlt.org.au/auditions. Please also bring a non-returnable headshot (studio shot not necessary).
Rehearsals will begin in early September. Early rehearsals will be held at venues nearby to Williamstown and the majority of rehearsals will be held at the theatre, 2 Albert St, Williamstown. Rehearsals will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons.
Please check that you are available for all performance dates prior to booking an audition time. There will be 14 performances from 18 November to 5 December, 2026.