We are looking for a company of singers and actors of all ages and ethnicities. Those cast in this production will have strong vocal abilities and be able to portray the emotional intent of the character to the audience. A high competency in choreographed movement will be an advantage but not essential. Most roles have solo parts as well as company singing. 

 

Dave (NB: This role has already been cast)

Dave is 48 years old, a middle management type who has been working the best part of 25 years. He has a Bachelor of Commerce degree and has had a very successful career. In his earlier days, he was an accomplished sportsman but had to give it away through a knee injury. He now struggles to stay fit and keep in shape. His current job is National Sales and Marketing Manager for a large FMCG company. It’s a job he’s excelled in at a company he loves. He’s been married nearly 18 years and, to the outside world, is probably very successful in his own middle-class way. He loves his family and works hard but, deep down, he feels trapped inside his own world. He’s not sure about his relationship with his wife and has really felt the pressure of the recession. He and Sharon are comfortably off and don’t go without but they still need to watch their finances. With all the pressure and responsibility in his life, along with the onset of middle age, Dave is starting to succumb to the charms of the black dog of depression. He doesn't actually realise this at first and is quite confused as to why he feels so down and out, grumpy at times, ambivalent about his marriage and inclined to just stay in bed. So he keeps it to himself as he tries to be a master of the universe. Dave is very good at his job and gets a lot of fulfilment out of it. In many ways, it’s been his sanctuary from the aspects of his life that he can’t face up to; along with this he has a lot of friendships in the workplace that fill some of his inner loneliness. Lately though, he’s been off his game from time to time. The team he manages are performing well and they don’t rely on him as heavily as they used to and in some ways he’s been struggling to stay focused as the black dog that stalks him with greater intensity takes its  toll. Above all else in his life, Dave loves his kids, Sam and Emma. He gets on very well with them both and keeps involved in all their activities. Dave is a good, honest and family loving man but he’s on a bit of a journey and needs to face up to a few things.

 

Age 35-55 (will consider other ages)

 

Sharon (NB: This role has already been cast)

Sharon trained as a teacher but stepped down from her role as Deputy Head of the local intermediate school when Sam, their first child was born. When Emma was old enough to go to daycare she went back to part time work which she still enjoys. Sharon is very smart and practical and keeps family life on the straight and narrow. She absolutely adores Dave and the kids and, by all intents and purposes, is the model of a happy, middle-aged woman. But she is getting to the stage where she wants more. As the kids grow up and need her less and less, she is missing the challenge and stimulation of her old job and has started looking at her options which include finding another fulltime, senior role or going back to university for more study. Sharon is 43 years old and still hot; she takes very good care of herself and likes to stay fit and healthy. While Dave is having a struggle with his middle age existence and questioning the marriage relationship, Sharon is steadfast in her belief that they will grow old together. But the changes in Dave have not gone unnoticed and Sharon has had cause to become worried and insecure at the times when Dave gets grumpy or distant. She’s also confused about what is going on and doesn't fully understand the notion of depression. Sharon is a rock. She’s the go to person when her friends are having issues, she is extremely good at her job, she keeps the show on the road on the home front and is trying to give Dave his space. But she has her limits and the more Dave sinks, the more confused she becomes and eventually she starts looking for answers.

 

Age 35-50 (will consider other ages)

 

Emma

Emma is the older of the two children in the household. She is 12 years old and is a wise soul for her age. She is the voice of reason at times in the house and has a lot of influence on her father. She also bosses her brother around who is very fond of her but would be the last person to admit it. She loves her parents and is her Dad’s girl and, although she is trying hard to live the life of a certified pre-teen, she is still a girl who feels most comfortable in the family unit.

 

Age 10-16 (will consider other ages)

 

Sam

The baby of the house. 10 years old and loves being the youngest. He’s most comfortable either winding up his sister or playing video games. He idolises his father and loves his doting mother. A very typical young boy who loves the security of his family unit; beyond this, he has very basic needs.

 

Age 10-16 (Will consider other ages)

 

The Black Dog of Depression

The black dog is a metaphor for depression. He walks the earth in search of prey and, once he locks them in his gaze, torments them indefinitely. The black dog is a mixture of the sleazy,  the charming and the sinister. He sneaks around and appears from dark places. He’s a cross between a great salesman and an axe murderer; very, very smart and therefore very, very dangerous. The black dog’s intensity and menace increases with every encounter he has with Dave. He is visible to no one else and grows in confidence as his victim falls deeper into depression. While human in every physical aspect, the black dog is a mythological creature whose stature increases as his myth grows, but becomes a mere shadow of himself when he is named and shamed. But, because he has such a thick skin, he never gives up and keeps coming back to inflict pain and misery. The successful applicant will demonstrate with confidence, a physical interpretation of a mental state.

 

Age Any

 

Helen Wheeler - High powered woman

Helen was hired by the board of the company to shake things up and make the hard calls. There was a general feeling that the old guard were getting tired so Helen, fresh from her success at another major FMCG company, was headhunted to undertake the big restructure. Helen is extremely smart and driven. She studied for an MBA at Melbourne University and has had a stellar career since graduating 7 years previously. She is very hot and uses this to her advantage in the boardroom and, while she is absolutely ruthless, keeps a smile on her face at all times as she goes about her work. Firing people does not phase her as she is on a mission to get to the top. The dangerous part about Helen is that she will keep a smile on her face as she puts the knife in wherever she goes.

 

The person cast in this role will also play one of Sharon's friends.

 

Age 20-40

 

Company males:

Benny (NB: This role has already been cast)

Benny is Dave’s best mate and closest confidant. They met at university and have been best mates since. They were each other’s best men and have followed similar career paths. More recently, Benny was recruited by Dave to take on the role of second in charge of the team. They were at first reluctant to work together but it’s been working out very well. Benny is a lot like Dave in terms of his commitment to family and work but he’s managed to keep the demons at bay as he navigates his own path through middle age. He’s married with 3 kids and lives in Grey Lynne. His passion in life is fishing and he takes every opportunity to get out on the water. Dave and Benny look out for each other. And lately Benny has noticed a change in his mate. Dave has, at times, been drinking heavily, getting aggressive and appearing totally distant and miserable. This has not gone unnoticed and Benny has had occasion to have a word in Dave’s ear. But they are totally loyal to one another and there is nothing that will undermine their friendship.

 

Age 30-55

 

Phil (NB: This role has already been cast)

Phil and Dave met at work and, while Dave is the boss, they get on very well and are able to separate work from friendship. Phil is your classic sales manager who has reached the top of his career progression. He absolutely loves it and is very good at it, but it’s as far as he’s going to get. Being slightly bumptious means he is often the butt of everyone’s jokes and is the guy most likely to be wound up and pranked. And because he has a heart of gold always enters into the spirit of it. Phil is constantly tripping over himself on the home front. He does the wrong thing, says the wrong thing, forgets anniversaries and has regular visits to the dog box. But he does try and realises the error of his ways most of the time. Phil is loyal to a fault and would do anything for Dave.

 

Age 30-55

 

John (NB: This role has already been cast)

John is the least on to it of the mates but loved nonetheless. Unlike his side-kick Phil, John has absolutely no idea. He’s very competent at his job in sales logistics and fulfils an important role but his more black and white brain means he is hopeless at handling relationships, let alone a marriage. He is constantly saying the wrong thing but doesn't actually realise why people would get upset so he’s amusing but frustrating to watch. He and Phil are very close friends and like to one-up each other as often as they can. The one area where John always comes out on top is in how much trouble he can get in at home. Like Phil, John loves Dave and would do anything for him.

 

Age 30-55

 

Company females:

Anna

Anna is Sharon’s best friend. They’ve been friends since school. Anna trained as an accountant and works part time for a local business as their head of admin and accounting. She has two kids as well who are similar ages to Sam and Emma so she and Sharon have a lot in common. Like all good female friends they tell each other everything so they both know what’s going in their respective lives. On the surface, Anna is as straight as a di, but she loves to kick up her heels and have a big night out every once in a while. As Sharon goes through her journey, Anna is there at every step – encouraging her and supporting her. She’s close to Dave as well but her loyalty to Sharon is rock solid.

 

The person cast in this role will also play one of Dave's work colleagues.

 

Age 30-55

 

Gail

Gail is an absolute larrikin. She has been married twice and has had trouble holding down relationships her whole life. In her professional life she has done very well as a sole practising lawyer. Gail LOVES to party and is the ring leader among the female friends. She’s close to Sharon but hasn’t had as much to do with Dave so she is all for Sharon taking the plunge into single life and forgetting about Dave completely.

 

The person cast in this role will also play one of Dave's work colleagues.

 

Age 30-55

 

Julia

Julia works at the local newspaper as the Sales Manager. She got married very young and her kids are nearly off her hands as she gets on with the next stage of her life. She met Sharon through Anna and they’ve been friends for about 10 years. Because Julia has to do a lot of networking, she loves a drink but actually can’t handle it that well. So EVERY time the girls get together, she gets rolling drunk and makes a bit of a fool of herself in a very humorous and harmless way. Julia is a bit on the self-centred side so, while she sympathises with Sharon, she is more focused on herself and her career… and networking.

 

The person cast in this role will also play one of Dave's work colleagues.

 

Age 30-55