THAT FACE by Polly Stenham

Directed by Evie O’Connell

Audition Dates:

• Tuesday   17 November 2026 7.45pm         in The Studio
• Thursday  19 November 2026 7.45pm       in The Studio

Rehearsals: Mondays and Wednesdays

Performance dates: Tuesday 26 January to Saturday 30 January  2027

That Face is a dark, funny and unsettling show about a family on the edge of collapse. When 16-year-old Mia is suspended from boarding school after a dangerous initiation prank on a younger student, her estranged father comes home from Hong Kong to tackle the chaos at home. Her 18-year-old brother has abandoned his future by staying home to look after his mother whose alcohol dependency has left the family suffering. As tensions rise and buried issues appear, the relationships begin to unravel.

Character breakdown:

• Martha (35-55) – an unhealthily addicted, heavily medicated and alcoholic mother. She mistreats her two children and manipulates their lives. She has a peculiar relationship with her son who she has wrapped around her little finger.
• Henry (playing age 18-21) –  the teenage son who has dropped out of school to look after his mother. He is very easily manipulated by his mother who holds a lot of emotional power over him.
• Mia (playing age 15-17) –  a troubled teenage girl who is suspended from boarding school for drugging a younger girl with her mother’s prescription drugs. She has a bad relationship with her mother and father as she is away from them which causes great stain on both relationships.
• Hugh (35-55) –  an absent father who moved to Hong Kong and started a new family. He doesn’t have a good relationship with either of the kids and seems to try to solve all his problems with money.
• Izzy (playing age 15-17) – she is the bad influence friend of Mia but thinks that nothing she does has consequences. She is very charismatic and flaunts around without a care in the world.
• Alice (playing age 15-17) –  a young year 7 who gets drugged at the start of the play. She is a non-speaking part and is only seen at the start of the play.

Audition sections are noted below.

Scripts will be available at the theatre by Monday 19^th October. If you borrow one, please make sure to return it within 3-4 days, so that others can see it.

Audition pieces:

• Martha + Henry: Pg 12 – 15 / Pg 37- 40
• Mia + Henry + Martha: Pg 19- 21
• Mia + Izzy: Pg 6 – 9 / Pg 44- 46
• Mia + Henry: Pg 49 – 51
• Hugh + Mia: Pg 64-68
• Martha + Hugh + Henry + Mia: Pg 83 – 89

For any questions regarding auditions, please contact Evie O’Connell on evielouoconnell@gmail.com

Audition Dates

Rehearsals

Monday and Wednesdays