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The Edinburgh Makars will present
a rehearsed reading of
Noble Prospects
Thu 28 September 2023
Auditions at the clubrooms,
7.30pm on Mon 15 May
This year, 2023, is the 250th anniversary of the Tour of Scotland in
1773 by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell, and The Edinburgh Makars have
agreed a collaboration with the Royal Society of Edinburgh to
commemorate that episode. This will be an evening event on Thursday
28th September, at the RSE rooms in George Street. The second half of
the evening will be a seminar, with presentations by experts on Johnson
and Boswell, on the context and impacts of the Tour. The first half of
the evening will be a rehearsed reading of a new play written and
directed by Mike Appleby, Noble Prospects, largely based on Johnson and
Boswell’s own written and reported words.
Auditions
Auditions will be held at the clubrooms
(13 Brunswick Street Lane,
Edinburgh, EH7 5JG) at 7.30pm on Mon 15 May. If you cannot attend that
evening and would like to be involved, please email michaelcappleby@yahoo.com .
As well as the two main
characters, there will be a cast of six or more
others, who will get the fun of playing a host of other folk in the
story, without the need to learn all the lines. We expect this to need
just three or four rehearsals. Rehearsal dates will be decided in
consultation with the cast.
Characters
Samuel Johnson
Johnson is
English, 63 years old but robust. He is a famous writer, opinionated
and often portentous. His hearing and sight are weak but perception
acute. Mannerisms sometimes include twitching movements of his head.
Often hearty, his laugh is a ‘good humoured growl.’ Physical
characteristics are less important but he is described by Mrs Boswell,
for his appearance and manner, as a bear.
James
Boswell
A member of the
Scottish landed gentry, with an accent from southern Scotland and
Edinburgh, aged 32. He is a lawyer, proud of his descent, his
appearance and his illustrious friend. Lively and civil, sometimes
imprudently lively in company. Physical characteristics are again less
important but he should preferably look less impressive than Johnson.
Company
There are thirty three other speaking (and some non-speaking) parts.
These will be played by a company of at least three men and three
women, preferably more, of varied age. Characters include English
writers and landowners, Mrs Boswell, Scottish gentry (some with English
accents), lairds, ministers, Flora MacDonald, seafarers, Highland
villagers and servants. It will be helpful if some of the company can
use either English or Scottish accents.
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