h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Fingers and other bits crossed...

When do you expect to find out the casting Bad Vid?

Testicle Mump I won't change my nickname, but this *is* an anagram, for, I guess, some Salonista Halloween fancy dress.

I'm only writing this because of Pimms anagram.
Gent goes into fancy dress shop to ask for a fig leaf as he wants to go to a fancy dress party as Adam.
"How about this sir?" The shop owner shows the man a normal sized fig leaf.
"Ooh no, that's not beig enough for my... requirements"
Shopkeeper gets out larger fig leaf.
"Ooh no, that's not beig enough for my requirements either"
Out comes a fig leaf big enough to cover a dustbin.
"Ooh no, that's not big enough for my requirements."
"Then may I make a suggestion?"
"Yes, go on."
"I suggest that sir slings his requirements over his shoulder and goes as a petrol pump."

You must admit that Testicle Mump is the best ever anagram. If I had a realy good anagram, I'd use it. But that's just me. And I don't.

I'm not sure where the Hallowe'en anagram tradition began, but is seems to extend beyond the Salon. Testicle mump is indeed fantastic!

I haven't heard yet. This year, we really are supposed to be hearing by letter (with my Secretary hat on, I made absolutely sure that a non-auditioning person on the committee had up to date addresses for everyone). If not, I'll hear at Friday's rehearsal.

I got the part, but had to turn it down on moral grounds. It feels awful, and it was such a hard call to make.

The short version is that I'd have been playing opposite a minor, and that's not on. I may not be doing the show at all now.

Sometimes we have to stand by our principles. Maybe they will recast her part. It seems like an odd choice to make in the first place. Of course I don't have a clue if this is a normal occurrence or not.

See, if moral decisions were easy there would be no virtue in virtue. I hope that the others understand how much you wanted the part and hence just how difficult that decision was for you!

Hyp, I don't think it's a normal thing for a minor to be cast in an adult role in an adult production - in a school production, alongside peers, it's an entirely different situation.

Morally, I couldn't do it. Artistically, I would be under-performing due to my moral concerns. Legally, I'd be putting myself in a very dodgy position. So in a way, not a hard decision at all - it's obviously the right course of action. So obvious that it's a little insulting that they thought I wouldn't have a problem with it in the first place.

You are not the only one with scruples. A fellow actor I was in Scrooge with, who is a teacher, found it impossible to even watch a show with some of his pupils in. The show was Chicago, and the girls were not, to his lights, in age-appropriate roles for what they had been choreographed to do.

If you are uncomfortable with acting opposite a minor, it was right to make the hard decision to reject the part - yours is the only opinion which matters. Write me off as unprincipled but I think I would have taken the part and just acted the part according to my standards (which I believe are pretty chivalrous in not taking any advantage of younger people).

I would not write you off as unprincipled. You do at least understand my decision, which not everyone does.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry David. Are they planning a lot of 'stuff' for Lois and Bill to do? In our production they didn't really contact at all, it was very demure.

Our group's had younger girls playing the lead in things, but I think they were about 16/17, no younger. And they were playing young innocents (Ann in Half a Sixpence and whats-er-name in Me and My Girl). Lois is a bit more 'been there, done that' isn't she, so it's odd to cast so young.

Sorry you had to make this hard decision, anyway.

Lbclaire

Our group has several precociously talented females who have achieved great success in lead roles It can be difficult to accept that they have acquired this level of confident competence while still at school.