Dumfries & Galloway Actor-Musician Casting Call - Tam: A New Scottish Musical
Burns’ iconic tale as you’ve never experienced it before.
Tam: A New Scottish Musical brings Robert Burns’ legendary poem to the stage through live music, storytelling, light and shadow. A new story surrounds the familiar tale, inviting audiences to see Tam, Kate and Nannie in a whole new light.
Tam is created and directed by Ellie Jay Stevens, with book and music by Finlay and Jack Avison, the brother duo behind the successful Godfather Death: A Grimms’ Musical. Produced by Arts D&G and Dark Skies Ensemble with support from Creative Scotland’s Expanded Festivals Fund, the production will premiere as part of Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival 2027.
We want artists with a connection to the region to be at the heart of creating Tam. This first casting call is therefore specifically for actor-musicians who are from, based in, or have a strong connection to Dumfries and Galloway.
Who are we looking for?
At this stage, we are open in terms of gender, race and age, and are interested in hearing from a broad range of performers.
Applicants must:
● Be a strong and confident singer
● Play at least one musical instrument to a high standard
● Be able to perform successfully with a Scottish accent
● Be comfortable working collaboratively as part of an ensemble
The production will involve acting, singing and playing instruments, alongside physical and visual storytelling. Company members will also work collaboratively to create the production’s shadow work.
We are particularly interested in performers who enjoy being part of the creative process. The roles will continue to develop through rehearsals, and we are looking for collaborative artists who are excited by the opportunity to help shape the production.
We hope the 2027 performances will be only the beginning of Tam’s life, so we would particularly welcome applications from performers who may be interested in continuing with the production in the future.
Dates
Rehearsals:
26 April – 27 May 2027, full time
Performances:
28 & 29 May 2027
3, 4 & 5 June 2027
All rehearsals and performances will take place in Dumfries and Galloway.
Applicants will ideally have access to accommodation within commuting distance of Dumfries during the rehearsal and performance periods, although this is not essential and should not prevent you from applying.
Fee
Paid at ITC rates
How to apply
Please complete our online application form. As part of your application, we will ask you to provide:
● A short example of your acting work. This can be existing footage or a short self-tape of a speech or scene of your choice.
● An example of you singing.
● An example of you playing your instrument(s).
These recordings do not need to be made specifically for this application. Existing showreels, self-tapes, performance recordings or material available through your Spotlight profile are all welcome.
We are not assessing the production quality of your recordings. If you do choose to record something specifically for the application, a simple phone recording is absolutely fine.
Please make sure any links you provide will remain accessible throughout the casting process. Do not use WeTransfer or other file-sharing services where links will expire.
What happens next?
After the closing date, we will review all eligible applications and invite selected performers to audition.
Full audition material and information about the audition process will be provided to those invited to the next stage.
Please note: This initial casting call is specifically for performers with a connection to Dumfries and Galloway.
We want to discover the breadth of actor-musician talent connected to the region before opening casting more widely across Scotland at a later date.
