COMMUNITY PANTO 

This annual event, held in December and established in 2012, involves a cast and crew of over 120 and attracts audiences of over 900 people in its 3-day run. Every year, the tickets sell out earlier and earlier.

Script Submission
If you fancy writing a script for Crowborough's Community Panto, please sent your outline submission with a sample script element to  hello@thecrowboroughplayers.com  by 15th April in the year of production.
Please read the submission advice here first  to find out what is involved.
Background Information
​Weekly rehearsals
Weekly rehearsals are held on Thursday evenings, 7.30-9.30pm (Adult cast only) and Sunday afternoons, 3-6.30pm (Youth cast and Adult cast). All rehearsals are at Crowborough Community Centre. A 'call sheet' will be created which sets out when each scene will be rehearsed, and which actors are needed for each rehearsal.
 
Guide to cast key dates
(in addition to weekly rehearsals)
* Run-through (3 Sundays before production 1.00 - 7.00pm - under 12yrs youth cast called for 3 hours maximum)
* Tech rehearsal (2 Sundays before  production 1.00 - 8.00pm - under 12yrs youth cast called for 3 hours maximum)
* Dress rehearsal 1  (1 Sunday before production  1.00 - 7.00pm  - under 12yrs youth cast called for 3 hours maximum)
* Line Run (Thursday before production 7.30 - 9.30pm - under 12 yrs cast not called)
* Dress rehearsal 2 (Friday before production 7PM - 9PM (ish) - under 12 yrs  cast optional)
* Productions (Fri  - eve, Sat - afternoon & eve, Sun - afternoon - times tbc )

Crew
Want to get involved as a member of the crew? Everyone is welcome, new friends and old. If you’re interested in joining the team that puts on Crowborough’s biggest annual show, get in touch. Find the ‘essential reading’ document here , and an online survey to let us know you’re interested here. If you have any questions, drop us a line at hello@thecrowboroughplayers.com
Cost
  • Membership of The Crowborough Players (all cast members) costs £10 for under 18s and £20 for adults (other memberships are available).
  • Members of the Adult Cast, and Senior Youth Cast, and Junior Youth Cast pay a performance fee of £10.
  • Cast members need to provide some items of costume.
Commitment
It looks like a lot of fun on stage, and it is, but that's the culmination of months and months of work - work which is also fun! You can't be part of a show this large without a lot of commitment.

All:
  • It should probably go without saying, but we get some queries every year, that ALL cast and crew members are needed for ALL performances AND the key dates above (Tech and Dress rehearsals). Crew members are required for additional dates in the run-up to the show, depending on their role.
Cast:
  • Adult Cast (16+) and Senior Youth Cast (age 12-16) with 'adult rehearsal parts'  rehearse every Thursday evening (7.30PM to 9.30PM)  and Sunday afternoon (3PM to 6.30PM) from the beginning of September until the show in December. Most Adult and Senior Youth Cast members are involved with crewing too.
  • Junior Youth Cast (age under 12) rehearse on Sunday afternoons from the beginning of September until the show.
Crew:
​Depending in their role, crew work around the rehearsals but need to be present:
  • From 1PM to 7PM every Sunday from Run-through rehearsal (3 Sundays before production until the end of the show's run).
  • At  Dry Tech Rehearsal and Lighting (LX) rig  - all day for the two Saturdays before the production.
Crew is also responsible for set build and painting, lighting rig, and get-out. 
Directors, DSM, Sound Op:
These crucial roles are the present at  every single rehearsal, first in and last out.
They are also present at Dry Tech and Lighting (LX rig).
2019 - A Christmas Carol
Dickens’ Christmas classic gets the Crowborough panto treatment, as the Crowborough Players return for their eighth year at the Community Centre. Of course, the heart-warming story of human redemption is there, but it’s also a fun-filled treat for all ages, packed with laughs, songs and panto magic.
Production
Friday 13th December - evening
Saturday 14th December - afternoon & evening
Sunday 15th December - afternoon
Important documents
* See Key dates information (Gdoc)
* See Character list (Gdoc)
* See Crew roles (Gdoc)
* See Audition info (Gdoc)

12 Years+ Open Auditions & Crew Meets
Auditions for Adults (age 16yrs+) and any Senior Youth Cast (12-15yrs) who want an 'adult rehearsal part'* will be held on:
  • Sunday 15th September, 3.00-6.00pm
    OR
  • Thursday 19th September, 7.30-9.30pm
Initial chat at 3.00 or 7.30, followed by group or individual auditions. You can leave after your audition, but there may be some waiting around.  

These roles include evening rehearsals until 9.30PM.
Crew Meet: anyone interested in crewing - please come along at any time. 
 
* A parent or guardian must attend the first 10 minutes of the audition to be briefed on rehearsal commitments and sign a permission form.

Under 12s Panto Workshop
Junior Youth Cast (6-11yrs) and any under-16s who want Sunday-afternoon-only panto rehearsals should come along to the:
  • Panto Workshop on Sunday 29th September, 3.00-5.00pm
This isn't an 'audition' - we workshop scenes and roles and discuss in small groups or pairs what role every junior actor wants to do. Everyone who turns up and wants to be in the panto is guaranteed to be in it! This workshop may overrun slightly depending on numbers.
These roles do not have evening rehearsals.
Note: Parent or guardians, please come to the parent information session at 3pm for 15 minutes. There will be permission forms to complete there.
  
All auditions and workshops are at Crowborough Community Centre, Pine Grove, Crowborough, TN6 1FE. We hope to see you there!
If you’re interested in being involved, but can’t make any of those dates, please contact us :)

2018 - Cinderella
Production
Saturday 15th December - 2.00pm & 6.00pm
Sunday 16th  December - 11.00am & 3.00pm

* See: Rehearsals, crew meets and key date information (GDoc)
* See: Character list (GDoc)
* See: Crew roles (GDoc)

​12 yrs+ Auditions and Crew Meets
Thursday, 6th September 7.30 to 9.30 PM
OR
Sunday, 9th September 3 to 5 PM
at: Crowborough Community Centre
Actors: auditions for Adults (age 16yrs+) and any Senior Youth Cast (12-15yrs) who want an 'adult rehearsal part'*.
Initial chat at 7.30, followed by group or individual auditions. You can leave after your audition.
​These roles include evening rehearsals until 9.30PM.
There's no need to prepare an audition piece - just come along!
Crew Meet: anyone interested in crewing - please come along at any time.

* A parent or guardian must attend the first 10 minutes of the audition to be briefed on rehearsal commitments and sign a permission form. No signed permission form, no role.
NOTE: Everyone is welcome to come along, old friends and new. Our writers and directors get everyone into the panto!

Under 12 yrs Panto Workshop
(+ under 16s who want Sunday-afternoon-only panto rehearsals)
Sunday, 16th September 3 to 5PM
​at: Crowborough Community Centre
No auditions - we workshop scenes and roles and discuss individually what role every junior actor wants to do. These roles do not have evening rehearsals.
Note: Parent or guardians, please come to the parent information session at 3PM for 15 minutes. There will be permission forms to complete there.

2017 - Casting

The cast list for 2017's Jack and the Beanstalk:
Download the cast list here:
jack_and_the_beanstalk__casting_.pdf
File Size: 43 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Important information for Jack and the Beanstalk 2017 - shared at auditions:
important_information.pdf
File Size: 375 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2017 - Important documents

Rehearsal documents - Rehearsals are underway!
2017 Rehearsal calls - Google doc
2017 Cast by scene (and song) - Google doc
Audition documents
Plot precis - Google docs version here
jack_and_the_beanstalk_plot_precis.pdf
File Size: 43 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File
Character notes - Google docs version here
panto_2017_-_character_notes.pdf
File Size: 1378 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File