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Colour is Too Sweet
“Enny: Three women walked hand in hand.
Celia: I see now how young we were, only just out of girlhood but a head full of dreams.
Enny: They weren’t dreams, it was revolution. Dreams are naive by nature.
Celia: We dreamt of revolution then?
Enny: No, we fought for change�
Amahle: We three women walked hand in hand�”

It’s 1976, we meet three women from very different backgrounds, who, together with their husbands, are comrades in the African National Congress (ANC). We are taken through the events in the weeks before the Soweto Uprising and see the physical and emotional scars they bear from fighting against the brutal Apartheid Regime. This play explores the strength of relationships between these resilient women and their unyielding devotion to the movement they sacrifice so much for.

We are looking for a group of actors to collaborate with on the first presentation of this script. We need actors who work well as an ensemble, are comfortable with dance/movement as well as musicality (although not compulsory, please specify any instruments when applying). We will be using elements of traditional tribal songs and dance, alongside Western sixties movement and music, to capture the spirit of the movement in South Africa.

The show will run on the 8th and 9th July 2019 at the King’s Head Theatre, London. Rehearsals will be mostly weekends throughout June with all actors required from the 1st to 7th July inclusively ahead of opening night.

The Team
Maya Pillay (Writer)
Maya is an actor and writer currently based in London. Maya trained at E15 and then completed her postgraduate degree from DSL in 2018. She also studied at the National Theatre’s Young Writers Programme where she became interested in her family’s history, particularly her father’s life as a South African freedom fighter. ‘Colour Is Too Sweet’ is Maya’s debut play.
Her acting credits include Hermia in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “Vicerine” in ‘The Heresy of Love” and Anya in “The Cherry Orchard”.

Layla Madanat (Director)
Layla is a Jordanian-Palestinian director currently based in London. Layla trained in Directing with Lee Lyford in conjunction with the Bristol Old Vic in her second year at Bristol, culminating in a showcase performance of Carly Wijs’ Us/Them at the Bierkeller Theatre. Most recently, Layla directed Popcorn Productions’ Into the Deep, touring Bristol, Manchester and Camden over the Spring/Summer of 2018.
Other credits include:
Things We Do Not Know (Process Theatre), Leicester Curve
Half/نص by Eleanor Nawal (GEMA Collective), Tristan Bates
Noura by Heather Raffo (Global Arab Female Voices), Rich Mix
Sweeney Todd (LSESU Drama), The Old Theatre

Lauren (Producer)
Lauren is an actor and theatre producer from London. She runs her own theatre company, Forked Theatre, and continues to work on their nationwide verbatim project MOTHERLOGUES. She also founded Shakespeare Out Loud! - a playreading group for actors in conjunction with Samuel French at The Royal Court. Her most recent credits includes Friday Night Love Poem for Crossline Theatre at The Brighton Fringe and she is currently working on her first short film, Polyamory.

Casting Breakdown
Enny (F, Black, mid-late 20s)
Enny is a Xhosa woman, an ardent member of the African National Congress (ANC). She is married to Alfie, a fellow member, and is pregnant with their first child. She is pragmatic, kind and loyal with a quiet determination. She remains cool under pressure and understands the need to pick her battles wisely.

Please note we require an actor that is confident to perform in a South African accent and is prepared to learn and play with the Xhosa sound.

Suliman Karathy (Bobby) (M, South African of South Asian descent, Late 20s/Early 30s)
Engaged to the feisty Amahle, a kind hearted & gentle man with a drive for change. A member of the African National Congress (ANC) and the South African Indian Congress. He’s protective, sensible and airs on the side of cautious, relatively to his peers.

This actor must be able to do a South African accent or be prepared to learn one!

Alfie (M, Black, Late 20s/Early 30s)
Enny’s husband, a defiant member of the ANC and Umkhonto We Sizwe. He has been imprisoned and tortured. He’s charismatic, charming, warm and instantly likeable despite the brutality he has endured.

Please note that this character requires a South African accent and the actor must be comfortable to be shirtless for a small section of one scene.

Celia Glynn (F, White, Early 30s)
A fiery British woman, proudly and openly a member of the ANC. The wife of a diplomat who is not happy with her involvement. Putting herself in danger by joining the fight, a strong believer in what is right and wrong. Forthright with natural leadership qualities.

British/R.P accent required.

Freddie/Officer (M, White, Early 20s)
Freddie - A member of the British Foreign Press. Educated at a top University, Freddie went against the trend of his classmates who went to work in the city to become a journalist, following his passion. Young and largely inexperienced, but with a keen desire to do justice and tell stories that matter.

Officer - A brutal symbol of the apartheid regime. Please note that a South African accent is required for the role of Officer (not Freddie) and there is one line in Afrikaans.

Please submit a self-tape of ONE of the attached two extracts. We would love to see you attempt a South African accent in your chosen extract. If you feel this restricts your performance however, feel free to self-tape two versions of the SAME extract, one in your own accent and one in a South African accent. Please submit the self-tape to ColourIsCasting@gmail.com by 12PM on MONDAY 27TH MAY.

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