Pinole Community Players is delighted to announce auditions for The Mystery of Edwin Drood, the five-time Tony Award-winning musical version of Charles Dicken's final, unfinished novel. Among 11 nominations, Drood won for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, Best Original Score for a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical and Best Director.

Synopsis:

The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a hilarious, interactive whodunit mystery musical that allows the audience to enter the action and become the ultimate detectives. The show is based on Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel of the same name. In small town of Chesterham, England, the young and charming Edwin Drood has been mysteriously murdered. But by whom? His leering romantic rival, John Jasper? The infamous purveyor of opium and vice, Princess Puffer? The mysterious Landless twins, newly arrived from Ceylon? Or someone else even more dastardly and villainous? Dickens passed away before he was able to reveal the culprit. Rupert Holmes’ award-winning musical solves this predicament by asking the audience to choose which character is the killer by putting it to a vote. Staged in metatheatrical manner by the Music Hall Royale, a traveling Victorian theatre troupe full of just as many colorful characters as the roles they play, this charming and inventive musical is sure to intrigue and entertain any musical or mystery lover.

All actors play two parts. Each plays an actor of the Music Hall Royale and also the character he or she plays in Music Hall’s production of The Mystery of Edwin Drood. British accents must be employed by all, though variations (Cockney, Scottish, Welsh, Irish, etc.) are permissible, based upon the director’s discretion.

Auditions:

Saturday, June 7, 2025 - 3:00 pm - 6:00pm

Sunday, June 8, 2025 - 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Call Back:

Saturday, June 14, 2025 - 11:00 am

Rehearsals:

Rehearsals begin in August (Monday-Thursday evenings; Some weekends)

Performances:

October 3-19, 2025

Fridays - 8:00 pm - 10/3/25, 10/10/25 & 10/17/25

Saturdays - 8:00 pm - 10/4/25 & 10/18/25

Saturday - 2:00 pm - 10/11/25

Sundays - 2:00pm - 10/5/25, 10/12/25 & 10/19/25

All Auditions, Call Backs, Rehearsals and Performances will take place at:

Community Playhouse, 601 Tennent Avenue, Pinole, CA 94572

Kindly Prepare:

• 32 Bars (1-2 min) of a song in the style of the show. Songs from the show are acceptable

  • Please bring sheet music IN YOUR KEY (Accompanist provided, MP3s ok).

• Additionally, prepare a short joke or humorous story or anecdote to exhibit your comedic/improv skills.

  • You may also be asked to complete a short dance combination; please dress for movement.

To schedule an audition appointment, please use this link:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084BACAA2EA1F9C61-56727639-auditions

Character Breakdowns

YOUR CHAIRMAN or CHAIRWOMAN, MR. WILLIAM CARTWRIGHT (baritone, mezzo). The emcee and host of the Music Hall Royale. The Chairman sets the scenes and keeps the pace of the show moving.The Chairperson carries the majority of the dialogue and must be quick with a joke and able to improvise. Frequently jokes with the audience and is the guide through the mystery. Doubles as the comic role of Mayor Sapsea. A seasoned showperson. Age: 30’s -50’s.

JOHN JASPER (tenor or bari-tenor). The opium addicted choirmaster of Cloisterham Cathedral. He is madly in love with his music student and his nephew’s fiance Rosa Bud. Madness lurks beneath his smooth exterior. Played by Clive Pagett, the charmingly egotistical leading man of the Music Hall Royale. Candidate for murderer and lover. Age: 20’s-40’s. 

EDWIN DROOD (mezzo ). John Jasper’s cocky nephew who goes missing on Christmas Eve. He has been engaged to Rosa Bud since they were very young. Played by the quite temperamental Alice Nutting- London’s premier male impersonator.  Must command the stage. Age: 20’s -30’s.

ROSA BUD (lyric soprano). A sweet and innocent young lady who is uneasy about her music tutor’s (Jasper) passions towards her. Engaged to Edwin Drood, Rosa is unhappy with the arrangement. Played by Miss Diedre Peregrine, the ingénue of the Music Hall Royale. Candidate for detective, murderer, and lover. Age: 20’s -30’s.

THE PRINCESS PUFFER: (alto). The down on her luck proprietress of the opium den that John Jasper frequents. Played by the bawdy Grande Dame of the Music Hall Royale, Miss Angela Prysock. A strong comedienne. Candidate for murderer and lover. Age: 30’s -60’s.

HELENA LANDLESS (mezzo soprano). The mysterious young woman from Ceylon with a “somewhat untraceable geographical accent.” The fiery, temperamental twin sister of Neville. Played by the lively Janet Connover, Candidate for detective, murderer, lover.. Special consideration given to actors of South Asian descent. Age: 20’s -30’s.

NEVILLE LANDLESS (baritone). The other half of the mysterious family from Ceylon. Neville has a very hot temper and immediately falls for Rosa Bud. He is the main suspect after Drood’s disappearance. Played by Victor Grinstead, the newest member of the Music Hall Royale. Candidate for detective, murderer, and lover. . Special consideration given to actors of South Asian descent. Age: 20’s -30’s

THE REVEREND CRISPARKLE (tenor/baritone). The sweet and kind minister at Cloisterham Cathedral who watches over the Landless twins. He once was in love with Rosa’s mother. Played by Cedric Montcrieffe- a character actor of the Music Hall Royale. Candidate for detective, murderer, and lover. Age: 30’s -50’s

BAZZARD (baritone/tenor). Aspiring playwright and assistant to Reverend Crisparkle. Played by Phillip Bax, the understudy for John Jasper and bit player waiting for a big break. Age: 20’s-40’s. Candidate for detective, murderer, and lover. If played correctly, a guaranteed audience favorite.

DURDLES: (baritone/tenor). The drunken stonemason who inscribes and oversees the crypts at Cloisterham Cathedral. Played by Nick Cricker, the clown prince of the Music Hall Royale. Candidate for murderer and lover. Age: 30’s -60’s

DEPUTY: (tenor/baritone) A young street urchin and apprentice to Durdles. Played by a relative of Nick Cricker who is just starting off in show business. The youngest member of the company. Candidate for lover. Age: Teens-20’s.

STAGE MANAGER, MR. JAMES THROTTLE (non-singing). Tries to keep the show on task. Age: 20’s – 60’s

Ensemble Characters (2-5): Citizens of Cloisterham; Ages 18-60 to play Townspeople, opium den customers, dancers, servants, police, street vendors, mob, etc. All ensemble members require a great deal of improvisation as they are responsible for joking with the crowd to warm them up and for tallying the hand votes for their designated section of the audience.