The Watsons

By Laura Wade

Directed by Stuart Watson

Performances: Tuesday 21 – Saturday 25 April  2026

Audition dates 

• Sunday 18 January at 6pm
• Monday 19 January at 7pm.

 Recalls - Thursday 22 January at 7pm. 

AUDITION INFORMATION:

Audition pieces will be provided in advance. Familiarity with the material is encouraged, although memorisation is not required.

Please contact the director, Stuart Watson, at ptcwatsons@gmail.com if you would like to audition but cannot attend on the official dates or you have any other queries.

AUDITION FORM

Please fill in the audition form here by Saturday 17th January.

REHEARSALS:

Rehearsals will take place, mainly at Putney Arts Theatre, over evenings and weekends from early January until the performance. Actors should expect to be called for 2 to 4 rehearsals a week. It is assumed that if you audition you are available for all the performance dates.

ABOUT THE PLAY:

What can characters do when their author abandons them?

Nineteen and new in town, Emma Watson has been cast off by her rich aunt and banished back to the family home. Unless she can marry, and quickly, she faces a life of impoverished spinsterhood, dependent on her boorish brother and his ghastly wife.

Fortunately, a ball is being held in town, and she has plenty of suitors to dance with, from debonair but fickle Tom Musgrave to loaded but awkward Lord Osborne. Whose advances should she accept?

But that’s where Jane Austen put down her pen. Two centuries later Emma’s happy ending still hangs in the balance. Who will step in to finish the story?

Laura Wade’s inventive, sparklingly witty play looks under the bonnet of Jane Austen and asks: What happens when the writer loses the plot?

The Watsons premiered at the Minerva Theatre in Chichester in 2018 and transferred to the Menier Chocolate Factory in 2019, earning a handful of five star notices. A West End run was slated to follow in 2020 and the posters were printed, but then the pandemic happened.

It starts as a more-or-less faithful adaptation of the unfinished Jane Austen novel, featuring a cast of characters many of whom are familiar from other Austen stories. The Watson sisters appear to be prototypes of Lizzie and the Bennett girls, there is a caddish Wickham, a Darcy (without the redeeming features), a Lady Catherine de Burgh, and so on.

But about a third of the way through the play Laura Wade’s source material runs out, and she takes the play in an unexpected and brilliantly imaginative new direction as the Regency clashes with the 21^st century and the characters begin to behave in unpredictable and wildly funny ways.

It is a big 19-strong ensemble cast with a mix of highly enjoyable large, medium-sized and cameo characters to play for both male and female actors (9 men, 9 women, one child) of a wide range of ages. Emma and Laura are the largest roles. There will be a couple of dances as part of the action, and a big set piece scene with some physical theatre at the end, but don’t worry, a movement director and choreographer will be on hand to help and guide you.

This amateur production of “The Watsons” is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk

Suitable for audiences above the age of 11

CAST BREAKDOWN:

THE WATSONS

EMMA WATSON: Female, playing age 19. The heroine. Clever, witty and kindly, but also nobody’s fool, and keenly aware of the limited options for advancement and happiness available to a genteel but poor young woman.

ELIZABETH WATSON: Female, playing age 28, the eldest Watson sister, seemingly doomed to a waste what remains of her youth looking after her father.

MARGARET WATSON: Female, 20s, the middle Watson sister. Desperate to find a husband

ROBERT WATSON: Male, 20s-30s, Emma’s older brother. Rather pompous and self-satisfied.

MRS ROBERT (MARY): Female, 20s-30s. Unhappily married to Robert. Selfish and catty.

MR WATSON: Male, 50-plus. The father, an invalid clergyman who spends much of the play unconscious in bed. A small but funny cameo role.

NANNY: Female, 40-plus. The Watsons’ longstanding servant. The play’s “sole representative of the working class.”

THE OSBORNES

TOM MUSGRAVE: Male, 20s-30s. A dashing, roguish young gentleman. One of Emma’s potential suitors.

LORD OSBORNE: Male, 20s-30s. An awkward young lord. Another of Emma’s suitors.

LADY OSBORNE: Female, 45-plus. Mother of Lord Osborne and Miss Osborne. “Terrifyingly grand” and not to be trifled with.

MISS OSBORNE: Female, teens or 20s. Younger sister of Lord Osborne. A small role.

MR HOWARD: Male, 30s-40s. A kindly and decent, but sometimes overly pious clergyman. Emma’s third potential suitor.

CHARLES HOWARD*. Could be played by a male or female child actor, playing age 10. Mr Howard’s nephew and ward. A lively and intelligent child.

*Auditions for the part of Charles Howard will be held separately. We would ask that the parent or guardian email the director directly to express interest so this can be arranged - ptcwatsons@gmail.com

OTHERS

MRS EDWARDS: Female, 40-plus. Emma’s chaperone. A good natured, merchant class townswoman. A smallish cameo role.

MR EDWARDS: Male, 40-plus. Her husband. A small non-speaking role.

BERTIE, male 20s-30s. An officer of the militia. A small cameo role.

OFFICER 2: Male, 20s-40s. An officer of the militia. A one-line role.

OFFICER 3: Male, 20s-40s. An officer of the militia. Non-speaking.

LAURA: Female, 30s-40s. The writer. Determined to do Jane Austen justice and desperate to save her play and career as the characters threaten to develop beyond her control.

Diversity, Inclusion & Casting Vision

PTC is committed to diversity and inclusion. We want a membership that is reflective of the diverse communities within London. We actively encourage all performers to audition for the roles which they feel best suit their skills.

Where ethnicities are not listed against the characters, we would openly encourage actors of all ethnicities to consider those roles.

COSTS

Please note that this is an amateur production. You do not need to be a member of Putney Theatre Company to audition, but actors and crew will need to become a member of Putney Theatre Company to take part in the show. That cost is currently £30 a year.

There is also a show fee of £30 which will need to be paid by all actors in the production, which goes towards the cost of putting on the show and insurance.

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 production to volunteer for Front of House duties at least once a year. Our shows could not go up without our Front of House volunteers.

FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

PTC knows that taking part in a show can be a significant financial burden. We are committed to being as inclusive as possible. So, if you would like to discuss how we can help you, a member of the committee will be able to confidentially assist. Please enquire for more information. Rest assured, if you have requested financial assistance, it will have no bearing on whether you are cast in the show.

OTHER WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

There are always other ways to be involved in the production other than auditioning. If you would like to be a part of the production team please email ptcwatsons@gmail.com

We are looking for people to get involved with the following roles:

• Props
• Costume
• Stage management
• Set builders
• Marketing