Auditions called for next Margaret River theatre show

Auditions for the Margaret River Theatre Group’s next production will be held next week, with a range of adult roles ready to be filled by local actors keen to take part in the gripping play.

Director Nicky Nolan said the play, Other Desert Cities, would open in September at the HEART Studio Theatre.

It is the second production from the MRTG in 2025, with the sold-out musical Oliver! closing this weekend.

“I’ve chosen this script because it explores family secrets and how far we will go to keep the truth hidden, not only about the events that have happened in our lives, but about who we really are,” Nolan explained.

“I think we reach a point in adulthood where we say – ‘I don’t want to live inauthentically anymore’, and part of that awakening is seeing the role each member in our family truly plays in our lives and a deep desire to expose what has been hidden and bring it to the surface.”

‘I’m auditioning for people who want to sink their teeth in and explore theatre as therapy; and hopefully we’ll be welcoming back some people to the stage who haven’t trodden the boards in a while.’

Nicky Nolan, Director

Other Desert Cities received five Tony Award nominations, was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and winner of the Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding New Off-Broadway Play.

The family drama follows Brooke Wyeth, a liberal-leaning writer, as she returns home for the holidays with a memoir that threatens to expose a long-buried family secret.

Her revelation forces a reckoning with her parents, Lyman and Polly – staunch Republicans whose carefully constructed world begins to fracture.

Nolan said living at such a politically-charged time, Other Desert Cities provided audiences with a fresh look at both Republicanism and conservatism.

“Jon Robin Baitz’s themes become more relevant than ever – particularly in exploring the idea that what brings us together can ultimately also be what tears us apart,” she said.

Nolan said she was looking forward to directing the “gritty, real and highly relatable” play.

“I’m auditioning for people who want to sink their teeth in and explore theatre as therapy; and hopefully we’ll be welcoming back some people to the stage who haven’t trodden the boards in a while,” she said.

As well as performers, Nolan said the theatre group was always seeking people to help with staging, sound and lighting, costumes, props and more.

“I’m looking for some crew roles so I encourage anyone who is interested in working behind the scenes to reach out.”

Available acting roles range from adults in their 30s to a couple in their 60s/70s.

Auditions will take place on Tuesday 1 July at 7pm.

To request an audition pack prior to the auditions, email otherdesertcitiesmr@gmail.com.