Casting Kids, Teens and Adult Actors for “James and the Giant Peach” in Westfield NJ

James and the Giant Peach

Location: 215 N. Scotch Plains Ave, Westfield NJ, 07090.

Type: Theater

Casting for a full-length musical theatre production of one of the beloved children’s books from the wacky and wonderful mind of Roald Dahl: “James and the Giant Peach”.

This play is based on the book by Roald Dahl, and adapted for the stage by David Wood. This play tells the story of an orphan boy named James who, after his parents are killed by a rhinoceros, is sent to live with his abusive aunts. James wishes to be accepted and to have happiness and friends. His dream comes true, in a way, when a giant peach grows in the backyard, and he goes on and adventure with giant talking insects who become his friends.

The story of Roald Dahl’s classic tale is faithfully told by James himself and the insect characters. The play begins at the end of the story, when James and his friends are living in the giant peach stone in Central Park, New York.

A tour guide brings a party of tourists (the audience) to see this major attraction, and James and his friends tell the story of how they came to live in New York (which is the story of the book). The epic journey across the Atlantic is acted out with live action, puppetry and storytelling in David Wood’s masterful adaptation of Roald Dahl’s timeless tale.

REHEARSAL AND PRODUCTION DATES and LOCATIONS

Open auditions will be held on Friday, April 28th 2017, Saturday, April 29th 2017, and Sunday April 30th 2017. Auditions will be held from 1pm to 5pm, at 215 N. Scotch Plains Ave, Westfield NJ, 07090.

ROLES

JAMES HENRY TROTTER
(male or female, age 6-12)
The main character and narrator of the story, James is an orphan who is living with his cruel and abusive aunts, Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker, after his parents were killed by an escaped rhinoceros. James’s wish is to be happy and to have friends. His dream comes true, in a way, when the Giant Peach grows and he meets a group of giant friendly insects. Throughout the story, James transforms from a sad, lonely, and miserable kid into a happy, confident, and brave kid. Looking for a young actor who can do a British accent, as the character is from England at the beginning of the story, and should memorize lots of lines. The actor must also be positive, optimistic, cheerful, upbeat, friendly, and kind-hearted.

OLD-GREEN-GRASSHOPPER
(Male, child or adult)
Old-Green-Grasshopper is a giant talking grasshopper, and the oldest member of the group. He is kind, gentle, friendly, and wise. A proper British gentleman. He is also a talented musician who plays the violin. (Don’t worry, I could provide a pretend violin and add music later.) Looking for an actor who can do a proper British accent.

MISS SPIDER
(Female, child or adult)
Miss Spider is a giant talking spider. She is tough and feisty, but she is also kind and decent. She is also a hard worker and a talented spinner of silk thread: this comes in handy when they have to save the peach from sharks! Possibly a British accent.

LADYBIRD
(Female, child or adult)
Ladybird is a giant talking ladybug. She is kind, helpful, proper, and very motherly to everyone. Looking for an actress who can do a British accent.

CENTIPEDE
(Male or female, child or adult)
Centipede is a giant talking centipede. He is mischievous, rascally, and a big pest, but he is really kind. His powerful jaws help to break the peach stem to roll the peach away from Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker. He also has a lot of boots (he says he has a hundred, even though he only has forty-two). Possibly a British accent.

EARTHWORM
(Male character, but can be played a female, child or adult)
Earthworm is a giant talking earthworm. He is blind, because he has no eyes. He is also a pessimist; cranky, whiny, gloomy, and sarcastic, always saying bad things will happen. But deep down he has a kind heart. Throughout the story, he learns to be more happy and optimistic, thanks to James. He also becomes a hero when the peach gets attacked by sharks. He lures seagulls as bait to tie them to the peach so they can fly and escape the sharks. Possibly a British accent.

GLOW-WORM
(Female, child)
Glow-worm is a giant talking glowworm. Strange to say, glowworms are never worms, but lady fireflies without wings. A shy but bright creature, she provides a nightlight in the hollow peach stone room with her tail.

SILKWORM
(Female, child)
Silkworm is a giant talking silkworm. She is a shy, quiet, and timid creature. She loves to take a nap, and she is a talented seamstress. She helps Miss Spider spin silk for the seagulls to save the peach from sharks.

OLD MAN
(Male, adult)
The Little Old Man is a friendly yet mysterious wizard. He only appears in one scene, where he gives James a bag of magic crocodile tongues. Possibly a British accent.

AUNT SPONGE and AUNT SPIKER
(Female, adult)
Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker are James’s aunts. They are cruel, rude, selfish, lazy, mean, abusive, and just plain evil. Aunt Sponge is enormously fat and obese, while Aunt Spiker is taller, and very thin, bony, and creepily lanky. They always abuse James and treat him as a slave. They met their end when the Giant Peach rolls over them. Looking for two actresses who are over-the-top and can do British accents.

MR. and MRS. TROTTER
(Male for Mr. Trotter, female for Mrs. Trotter, adult)
Mr. and Mrs. Trotter are James’s loving and caring mother and father. They only appear in the beginning, and sadly get eaten by the escaped rhinoceros. Looking for an actor and actress who can do a British accent.

CAPTAIN
(Male, adult)
The Captain of a ship known as The Queen Mary. He only appears in one scene, when he sees the Giant Peach flying in the sky. Possibly a British accent.

FIRST and SCEOND OFFICERS
(Male or female, child or adult)
The Captain’s first and second mates. They only appear in the Captain scene, where they think the Captain is ill or insane.

NEW YORK TOUR GUIDE
(Female, child or adult)
The Tour Guide appears when she is giving a tour of New York City. They end up at the Giant Peach Stone, which is now a house at Central Park, and she introduces James to the tourists. Cheerful, energetic, and happy.

TV REPORTER
(Male, adult)
A British television news reporter. He only appears in the scene where Aunt Sponge and Aunt Spiker turn the Peach into a money-making attraction.

CHILDREN’S CHORUS
(group of children, age 4-12)
They play all the extra roles in the story: Tourists, The Rhinoceros, Sharks, Seagulls, The Octopus, Cloud-Men, and New York Citizens.

Open auditions will be held on Friday, April 28th 2017, Saturday, April 29th 2017, and Sunday April 30th 2017.

Auditions will be held from 1pm to 5pm, at 215 N. Scotch Plains Ave, Westfield NJ, 07090.

Payment: Non Paid
Actors will receive credit for their work.

City or Location of call: 215 N. Scotch Plains Ave, Westfield NJ, 07090.
Please submit to: jp@munley.org by 2017-05-01

This casting notice was posted by: Storybook Theater