Audition Notice
THE MIKADO
Libretto by WS Gilbert Music by Arthur Sullivan
Director: Paul Treasure Music Director: Bayden Adams
Production company: The Gilbert & Sullivan Society of WA
Casting Lead roles and Chorus – all ethnicities welcome!
Audition dates:
• Saturday, 5 July 2025
• Sunday, 6 July 2025
Show season: 30 October – 8 November 2025 (9 performances) at Dolphin Theatre, Crawley.
To express interest or book an audition time contact:
Roger Starbuck – 0428 763 468 – starburj@iinet.net.au
If you are unavailable on the weekend of 5 / 6 July 2025, please send an email to Roger expressing your interest and he will advise further.
Please note the minimum age requirement for auditionees is 15 years of age as at the date of the auditions.
SYNOPSIS
Act I
A year ago, Nanki-Poo (son of the Mikado, in disguise as a musician) met Yum-Yum and fell in love with her. But Yum-Yum is betrothed to her guardian Ko-Ko. When Nanki-Poo hears that Ko-Ko has been condemned to death for flirting, he thinks that he will now be able to marry her.
However, Ko-Ko has instead been raised to the rank of Lord High Executioner. Although Yum-Yum is delighted to see Nanki-Poo again, they cannot marry. So, when a message from the Mikado is received commanding an immediate execution, Ko-Ko persaudes Nanki-Poo to be the victim, on condition that Nanki-Poo can enjoy one month of married bliss with Yum-Yum beforehand.
All agree to this satisfactory solution when Katisha, an older woman who the Mikado has promised can marry Nanki-Poo, arrives to expose Nanki-Poo.
Act II
Ko-Ko discovers that the bride of a beheaded man must be buried alive, so Yum-Yum decides that she will not marry Nanki-Poo after all. It is announced that the Mikado will visit, so Ko-Ko bribes the town dignitary Pooh-Bah to swear that Nanki-Poo has already been beheaded. He then tells Yum-Yum to go off and marry Nanki-Poo to keep him quiet.
The Mikado arrives and is interested to hear that an execution has taken place but Katisha notices Nanki-Poo’s name on the warrant of execution and tells the Mikado. He immediately sentences the culprits to death and the only way that Nanki-Poo can safely come to life again is for Katisha to be married to someone else – so Ko-Ko obliges.
Synopsis courtesy of: English National Opera/The Mikado
Audition notes:
Auditions will take place at the G&S WA Hall, corner Lemana Rd & Ravenswood Court, Nollamara unless otherwise advised.
Please prepare and bring music for at least one piece, preferably in English, which need not be from The Mikado nor even Gilbert & Sullivan. Please bring copies of your music for the accompanist and also for the Musical Director if it is not Gilbert & Sullivan.
Audition Format
Please arrive 10 minutes before your audition time to allow time to register.
– Arrive to register and warm up.
– Individual readings and vocals.
Rehearsals and additional notes:
Rehearsals are scheduled for Mondays and Thursday evenings and Sunday afternoons unless otherwise advised. You may not be required for all of these scheduled times; all cast and crew will receive detailed rosters during the rehearsal period. The first call will be a “Meet & Greet” on Monday, 4 August 2025.
If you would like to volunteer to help out behind-the-scenes i.e. props, costumes, set, bump-in etc. we would love to meet you! Please send an email to Max Page, Production Manager: productions@gandswa.org.au or Roger Starbuck Co-Production Manager to discuss further. Thank you.
Characters:
THE MIKADO (bass): a truly regal and terrifying character. He does not appear until the second act.
KATISHA (contralto): a plain, middle-aged noblewoman. Bitter but regal – not grotesque.
NANKI-POO (tenor): heir to the throne (though we don’t know this initially – disguised as 2nd trombone in the town band)! His thoughtless affability has landed him in trouble with Katisha.
YUM YUM (soprano) – just returned to town with her school-friends. Great soprano role; “The Sun whose Rays…”.
KO-KO (light baritone) – risen in rank from a cheap tailor to the exalted rank of lord-high-executioner but against his will.
PISH-TUSH (baritone) – a noble lord. Sort of a senior public servant.
POOH-BAH (bass-baritone) – a perfect opportunist. Takes all of the credit and palms off all the blame! Venal, an unutterable snob. Lord-high everything-else!
PITTI-SING (mezzo-soprano) – School-friend of Yum-Yum.
PEEP-BO (mezzo-soprano) – another school friend – one of the “three little maids”.
ENSEMBLE (all vocal types) – People of the town – some great choral numbers. Plenty for everyone!