The Canterbury Tales
by Geoffrey Chaucer, adapted by Lindsay Price

Directed by Frances Bodiam

To be performed in the gardens at the Hurlingham Festival with other dates and outdoor locations in September to be confirmed

30 August – 2 September 7.15pm Wednesday-Friday, 2.30pm matinee Saturday

Part of The Hurlingham Festival at The Hurlingham Club, Fulham

Inspired by Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales but re-written into modern day English with hilarious effect, this fun version loses none of the charm of the original tales that have had such an enduring legacy on popular culture.

Brought together by the Hostess of the Tabard Inn, here are our group of travellers on the way to Canterbury, among them the Wife of Bath with her bawdy manners, the Pardoner and his relics, the anxious Cook, and the Prioress with her dog.

It’s a delight for the senses with the cast performing in promenade style with lots of physical theatre, dancing and singing.

Actors should be happy to improvise and take on multiple roles.  Physical theatre, dancing and singing will also be required.

AUDITION DATES

You can audition on Monday 22 May at 7.30pm or Thursday 25 May at 7.30pm. If successful, you will be asked to attend recalls on Sunday 28 May at 7.30pm.

CHARACTERS

8 Characters: 4 M, 4 W

The actors will play one key part and a number of other characters as listed below.  This is play full of fun with many roles to be played by each actor.

The Hostess
She is a loud, merry and larger than life character and is the owner of the Tabard Inn, where the pilgrims gather to meet. She travels with them to Canterbury. With doubling also plays:

Fox (Prioress’ Tale)
Queen (Wife of Bath’s Tale)
Eveline (Franklin’s Tale)
Agnes (Pardoner’s Tale)

The Wife of Bath
An expert in marital affairs and all things related (!), she has been married five times and is searching for husband number six. She is from Bath. With doubling also plays:

Hilde (Reeve’s Tale)
Bertha (Wife of Bath’s Tale)
Avaline (Franklin’s Tale)
Waitress (Pardoner’s Tale)

The Cook
The cook at the Tabard Inn, working for The Hostess and accompanying the travellers, she is a young, inexperienced and nervous orator. With doubling also plays:

Pertelote (Prioress’ Tale)
Maude (Reeve’s Tale)
Eve (Wife of Bath’s Tale)
Joanne (Franklin’s Tale)

The Prioress
The Prioress runs a priory. She is modest and quiet with dainty manners.  She has a small dog that she is very fond of.  With doubling also plays:

Allison (Miller’s Tale)
Mary (Wife of Bath’s Tale)
Dorigen (Franklin’s Tale)
Old Women (Pardoner’s Tale)

The Reeve
The’ manager of a regional manor. On the outside he is respectful of his position and his masters but is fond of lining his own pockets. With doubling also plays:

John (Miller’s Tale)
Arviragus (Franklin’s Tale)
Jacob (Pardoner’s Tale)

The Pardoner
The Pardoner is a fraud, selling religious forgiveness and fake relics for his own gain, With doubling also plays:

Nicholas (Miller’s Tale)
Simekin (Reeve’s Tale)
Aurelius (Franklin’s Tale)

The Miller
A drunken, brawling and loud pilgrim who upsets the others. With doubling also plays:

Knight (Wife of Bath’s Tale)
Astrologer (Franklin’s Tale)

The Franklin
A Franklin is a property-owner, but not of noble birth. He is a connoisseur of food. With doubling also plays:

Chanticleer (Prioress’ Tale)
Allain (Reeve’s Tale)
King (Wife of Bath’s Tale)
Harold (Pardoner’s Tale)

To receive an excerpt of the script and to register to audition please email the director, Frances Bodiam at frances@flametreepublishing.com

PLEASE NOTE

We are committed to improving diversity in our casting and, unless stated for artistic reasons, we aim to actively adopt an inclusive casting policy.

This is an amateur production. You do not need to be a member of PTC to audition, but actors and crew will need to become members for £30 a year by direct debit*. A £25 show fee will also need to be paid by all actors in the production. We encourage you to become a member of PTC anyway, even if not cast.

Our company is run by volunteers and we expect all actors cast in a play to volunteer for Front of House duties at least once a year. Our shows could not go up without our Front of House volunteers.