Stepping Out

Character specifications  and audition speeches

MAVIS  30s

The teacher, ex-pro dancer with dreams of returning to her former professional career. Attractive, considerate, organised and forever in charge of the group. (* Smokes a great deal)

REQUIREMENT: must be a proficient tap-dancer with choreographic experience. In addition to portraying Mavis, they will have the added duty of working alongside the director and choreographer in theatrically realizing the choreography through the rehearsal period.                  

LYNNE 20s

Eager to please, delicate, pretty, never wears make-up…
A student nurse with great potential.      

DOROTHY  40/50s

Small, anxious, birdlike… uses exaggerated bodily gestures whilst dancing and has the habit of repeating other people’s last words.

MAXINE 40s

Confident, attractive, earthy cockney Jewish business woman, one of the better students.

ANDY 30s

Thin, quiet, timid, bullied by her husband, finds a kindred spirit in Geoffrey.

GEOFFREY  Late 30s/early 40s

Shy, quiet, honest, a widower and sometimes bumbling, has a crush on Andy.

SYLVIA  Late 20s / early 30s

Short, bubbly, flirty cockney… with over-ample-curves! Constantly chews gums.

ROSE  40s/50s

Black, larger than life Trinidadian, wears an obvious wig, Crucifix around her neck and lots of finger rings. Has an infectious laugh.
(Thick Trinidadian accent)

VERA  50s

Neat, proper, snobbish but well-meaning, expensive taste in clothes (but doesn’t quite get it right), immaculate hair and make-up and with a keen eye for cleanliness… aspiring middle-class.

MRS. FRASER  50s / 60s

Yorkshire-born rehearsal pianist, always wears her overcoat and hat, reads women’s magazines, intolerant, sarcastic, grumpy, believes she is doing everyone a favour just by being there. (Straight-laced Yorkshire accent)

AUDITION PIECES

MAVIS

MAVIS: You mean why did I give it up? There wasn’t the work. Not for me there wasn’t anyway. It’s an over-crowded profession, the union’s hopeless and chorus girls of “a certain age” don’t come too high on the shopping list. (She takes up another cigarette but doesn’t quite get round to lighting it as…) Anyway, I was already phasing out – I’d started up a little business with a friend – jewellery – making jewellery – and the business started taking off and then my friend took off, but that’s another story and someone said why don’t you start a class which seemed as good an idea as any – oh, I enjoy teaching, it gives me a real buzz I promise you and you girls are great, really great, I really look forward to these classes.

LYNNE: Did you do any big shows?

A few. In the chorus. I did understudy the lead a couple of times but never went on – nearly, but not quite. It’s the morning you wake up and realize you have no more expectations. That’s when you make the big decision. So… I made it.

LYNNE

LYNNE: One of my old ladies died this morning. I’m in geriatric this week and – well, to be honest, it’s the first patient I’ve seen die. I didn’t realize I’d be so upset, fine nurse I am, aren’t I?! I suppose what really upset me was – well, nobody ever came to see her. And all last night she was trying to talk to me but… we were so busy. Sometimes it’s really quiet but last night we were… so busy.

MAVIS: I’m Sorry

LYNNE:  I’ll have to get used to it, won’t I? And I will, of course I will. Which is somehow worse in a way, isn’t it?

DOROTHY

DOROTHY: I was just telling Lynne – it was so nice this lunchtime I thought I’d go for a walk in the park – I like to go down by the lake and feed the ducks – you know – anyway, I was just feeding them and having such a nice time when all of a sudden these two swans came swimming along, you know the way they do, and before I knew it one of them was coming out of the water, trying to attack me… hissing and spitting it was, I was lucky to get away, it could have broken my arm, couldn’t it, I was terrified.

LYNNE: They must have been jealous I suppose.

DOROTHY: I mean, they’re so beautiful, aren’t they? Why do they have to be so spiteful?!

MAXINE

MAXINE: So I finally crawl home and the neighbours start on me. Wonderboy’s been firing his airgun out of the bedroom window and this Cypriot next door is complaining he’s knocked the eye out of one of his lions. He’s got these two stone lions on the front wall. The whole street is ashamed. Two stone lions and the family crest above the garage – “I live to serve” – We all know he lives to serve, he runs a fish and chip shop. He calls it a seafood restaurant, but it’s a fish and chip shop, believe me.

SYLVIA

SYLVIA: No, don’t you believe a word of it, she’s dotty about him. They’re dotty about each other. He’s quite a good looker for a man of his age.

ANDY: Is he… um…?.

SYLVIA: What – black? Yeah, blacker than she is. But phenomenal bone structure and beautiful nails, I noticed. Not like my Terry’s… hands like the soles of your feet. He was a scaffolder. He’d have to be, wouldn’t he, to get up this lot! We met ‘em for a drink one evening… holding hands they were, looking into each other’s eyes, whispering sweet do- da’s… he even holds the door open for her.

ANDY: That must be – very nice

SYLVIA: Twenty years married and three kids, more like a rotten miracle. Mind you, they’re very religious, I wonder if that’s got anything to do with it?

ANDY: I don’t know. I don’t think so. I’d like to think so but…

SYLVIA: Are you religious then?

ANDY: No. No, not at all

SYLVIA: I’m a Catholic you know. Vaguely. My father’s Irish – he did a bit when he was younger but his heart wasn’t in it, you know what I mean? No, luck of the draw, innit? Sometimes I look at my Terry and I think what are you doing with this person but, then again, I think to myself, Sylv, bearing in mind the gaping holes in your own personality, you are a very lucky girl. I must have a pee, I’m bursting!

ANDY / GEOFFREY

A: Do you live in Hartington Road?

G: Ellesmere – it’s just off Hartington.

A: I ask because I saw you walking up there the other evening – Tuesday I think it was.

G: I go round that way from the station – up Hartington and round the crescent – it’s just that little bit quicker than… Do you live that…?

A: No, no, we’re in Parkside. I was going that way to collect one of my old ladies – I help out at the blind club every month – just fetching and carrying really – it’s not much but at least it gets them out of the house – some of the older ones are completely alone, you know – it seems so awful, they never speak to a living soul from… (she realizes she’s going on a bit and - with a smile as though making light of it) I almost offered you a lift. Perhaps next time.

G: Yes, that would be –

ROSE

(all in a thick Trinidadian-tinged accent…)

ROSE: Half-past nine he finally rolls in. “Where’ve you been,” I say… “We’ll discuss that later,” he say… “in the meantime, dearly beloved, where’s my dinner?”

SYLVIA: Watcha do – throw it at him?

ROSE: It was already in the bin – so I threw that at him. (giggling) Holy Jesus and Mary, the look on that man’s face! (and then, like a roll of thunder) Next time, I’ll kill him!

ROSE: Don’t worry ladies – if the worst comes to the worst, I’ll take the class.

SYLVIA: I thought you lot could move.

ROSE: Sure we can move. The problem being in my case that it all move in different directions!

SYLVIA: Careful, you’ll knock your wig off!

MAXINE: Is it growing out yet, Rose?

ROSE: My old man say it’s like sleeping with a Brillo pad.

MAXINE: You should always read the instructions on the bottle. If it says “professional use only”, it means –

ROSE: Jesus Christ don’t preach! I got enough trouble. (she does a few more steps) Look at me – if the bloody wig isn’t falling off I’m knocking myself senseless with the crucifix!

VERA

VERA: (in reference to Geoffrey) He’s very brave, isn’t he, Andy? Being the only one with all us girls. I mean, he must feel very awkward at times, mustn’t he?

ANDY: I’ve never really…

VERA: I wonder why he comes?

ANDY: Perhaps you should ask him.

VERA: I did – he says he enjoys it.

ANDY: Well then.

VERA: Yes, I suppose so. (confidentially) His wife’s dead, you know. (she mouths, rather than says the word) Cancer. Forty-two.

ANDY: And his son is in Canada, yes I know.

VERA: Vancouver. I expect that’s it then, he enjoys the company. Oh yes, I hope you don’t mind but I’ve been meaning to ask you – what is Andy short for?

ANDY: It’s not short for anything – it’s long for Ann.

VERA: Oh.



VERA: He’s a lot older than me of course – I was only nineteen actually but we had an amazing time, amazing. It was him who taught me all about dress and everything – well, he has a lot of entertaining to do, a lot of people from Italy and places they know about these things, don’t they? And he sent me to cookery classes and, oh, everything really. He said, “I don’t want to be ashamed of you, do I?” He says some terrible things sometimes but it’s only his sense of humour – you know – very dry. We went everywhere together, he looked after me so well and he was a wonderful lover, wonderful. I’d only been with my husband before and he was – well – he wasn’t very delicate. But Lionel was wonderful. Of course, he’s nearly sixty now, so it’s not so… you know. And he thinks the world of Louise. Lionel says she’s exactly like I was when he first met me. They go everywhere together, theatres, concerts, everywhere. I don’t mind, I’ve got plenty to do and I enjoy making a nice home for them anyway. They talk about things I don’t really understand. She wants to work abroad but Lionel isn’t sure, he really worries about her. Well, she’s only a child really, isn’t she?


MRS FRASER

MRS FRASER: You should be selling encyclopedias.

MAVIS: I’ve done it.

MRS FRASER: There’s not much you haven’t done, is there?

MAVIS: If I don’t sell these classes, we’d both be out of a job, wouldn’t we?

MRS FRASER: I don’t think you need to worry about me.

MAVIS: I’m not worrying about you, Glenda, I’m just reminding you.

MRS FRASER: In my opinion it’s about time that so-called man of yours got himself a job.
(a beat) I suppose you know she gives him a lift home.

MAVIS: Gives who a lift home?

MRS FRASER: Geoffrey, who d’you think?

MAVIS: Andy, you mean?

MRS FRASER: That’s right, Andy.

MAVIS: So she gives him a lift home, so what?

MRS FRASER: Always the quiet ones.

MAVIS: You’re a wicked old bird at times.

MRS FRASER: We’ll see.




MAVIS: What we’ll do is go right in where we finished last week, yes? (to MRS. FRASER) “Let’s Face The Music and Dance”.

MRS. FRASER: I should have been told about this.

MAVIS: I’ve only just found out about it myself.

MRS. FRASER: Nevertheless, I should have been consulted.

MAVIS: OK everyone, let’s have you in two lines.

MRS. FRASER: (a sudden fierce announcement) I don’t suppose that any of you know, and I don’t suppose that any of you care, but today is Irvin Berlin’s birthday and I for one do not intend to let the occasion pass without tribute.

She plays and sings a spirited version of “Happy Birthday to You… Happy Birthday to You… Happy Birthday Dear Irving, Happy Birthday To-oo You”.

DOROTHY: It’s my birthday next Tuesday.

MRS. FRASER: Are you starting or what?