Auditions

The Cottage by Sandy Rustin

Directed by Laurie Mills

Auditions: Saturday, 4 July from 10.00am by appointment.

Rehearsal schedule: Tuesdays & Thursdays at 7.30pm & Sundays at 2.00pm.

Season: 12 September – 3 October 2026

Copies of the script are available upon request from the office.

SYNOPSIS
In a cosy English countryside cottage, Sylvia arrives to confront her lover Beau, determined they come clean about their affair to their unsuspecting spouses. What begins as a carefully planned moment of honesty quickly spirals into chaos when lovers, spouses, in-laws, and unexpected guests begin arriving one after another. Soon skeletons are tumbling out faster than anyone can hide them, and everyone’s carefully constructed version of the truth starts to unravel.

This playful whirlwind of tangled romances and gleeful self-awareness unpicks the ridiculous ways we love and lie, and proves the truth is rarely neat or tidy.

ROLES
(Ages are indicative only. If you feel you may be suitable for a role, you are encouraged to audition.)

Sylvia (Female, 30s – 40s): An impulsive romantic and Beau’s lover. Sylvia believes she has found a perfectly reasonable solution to a complicated situation, and intends to see it through. She is thoughtful and emotionally aware, but her confidence is tested at every turn as the afternoon unravels.

Beau (Male, 30s – 40s): Sylvia’s lover, possibly the best-looking man in Britain and aware of it. Beau is driven by love and a belief that things will work out if approached with sincerity. He begins with confidence, but as the situation grows more complicated, that certainty gives way to confusion and rising panic.

Marjorie (Female, 30s–40s): Beau’s wife and eight months' pregnant. Marjorie is rarely surprised by anything anymore and observes far more than she lets on. She has a clear understanding of the people around her and meets the chaos head on with a reserved calm.

Clarke (Male, 30s – 40s): Sylvia’s husband and a man with a romantic spirit. Clarke carries himself with assurance and is used to being listened to. He expects the world to behave accordingly, and when it doesn’t, his response is measured but never passive. His unexpected presence shifts the balance of the room from the moment he arrives.

Dierdre (Female, 30s – 40s): Pretty, often naïve, and Beau’s other lover. Dierdre arrives with an energy that immediately unsettles the existing dynamic. She follows her instincts without hesitation, often saying or doing exactly the thing others are trying to avoid.

Richard (Male, 30s – 50s): A mysterious figure connected to the unfolding events. Richard appears polite and unassuming, but there is something slightly off in the way he moves through the world. He speaks plainly and behaves simply, yet never quite settles into the tone of the room.

DIRECTOR'S NOTES
The Cottage is a romantic comedy of manners with a mischievous edge, where style, pace, and precision are just as important as character. While grounded in a 1920s setting, the play invites a heightened theatricality, from physicality and movement through to the rhythm of language and the world the characters inhabit.

At its core, this is a piece about people behaving badly, but doing so with complete conviction. The comedy comes not from playing for laughs, but from the seriousness with which each character pursues their desires, no matter how impractical or ill-timed they may be. Characters shift rapidly between emotional states, with physical and character-driven comedy that never tips into farce. 

This requires strong ensemble awareness, clarity of intention, and a willingness to fully commit to both the elegance and the chaos of the play’s world. There is also a strong sense of theatrical play, with opportunities for inventive staging, physical storytelling, and stylised choices that support the heightened tone. Standard British accents will be required for all characters, with Dierdre also sometimes slipping into lower-class British dialect. Accent coaching can be provided during the rehearsal process.

Above all, The Cottage is about timing, relationships, and the delightful collapse of carefully constructed plans.

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR
Laurie Mills has been involved in community theatre throughout his adult life in a variety of creative roles. The Cottage will notably be his 23rd production for Howick Little Theatre, with recent directing credits including The Maltese Falcon in 2022, Love From a Stranger in 2020, and I’ll Leave it to You in 2018.

Nearly all these past seasons have been period pieces of one kind or another, ranging from Agatha Christie to Tennessee Williams to Brian Friel to Tom Stoppard. He readily  acknowledges a love for ‘period’ stories as it combines his love of history with his passion for theatre as an enduring art form.

In addition to directing, Laurie takes on a variety of roles behind the scenes and mentors new directors and production designers. He was also privileged to receive a King’s Service Medal (KSM) in the 2026 New Year’s Honours for services to theatre.

Watch this space for details of upcoming auditions for Fireflies, the final play in HLT's 2026 season. Meanwhile, you can sign up to the HLT emailing list to receive advance information.