Open auditions for local community cast to take place for China Plate & Birmingham Hippodrome’s new concert musical

China Plate and Birmingham Hippodrome are searching for exciting local talent to take part in their new concert musical To The Streets!

Over the weekend of 10–12 June, the creative team will hold open auditions at the Hippodrome, with a view to finding strong singers and dancers from the local community, particularly those that represent the wide diversity of Birmingham and the West Midlands. The community cast will perform alongside the principal cast at three parks in Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton in August as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival.

To The Streets! is an uplifting new musical by Roy Williams and Tim Sutton inspired by the 1963 Bristol Bus Boycott, a pivotal moment in the UK’s civil rights history. To The Streets! follows the story of Paul Stephenson, an idealistic youth worker who takes to the streets to stand up for equality in Bristol where tensions are running high as the Omnibus Company refuse to employ Black or Asian drivers or conductors. Lorraine, a teenager newly arrived from Jamaica, joins the fight and in so doing, finds her voice and becomes part of a movement that changes history. 

The special performances will take place at Handsworth Park in Birmingham, Windmill Hill in Coventry (University of Warwick Campus) and West Park, Wolverhampton. Successful auditionees will be required to commit to rehearsals from week commencing 18 July and all performances across the three sites in August. Travel expenses will be offered, and access support costs are available to those that need them.

Auditions are open to anyone aged 16+, with the aim of building a community company that is representative of the city and region’s diversity. For full details on the auditions, please click here.