Calliope Auditions: Strictly Murder
a Thriller by Brian Clement

It’s April 1939. In an idyllic farmhouse in Provence, English couple Peter and Suzy live a seemingly peaceful life. But when Suzy discovers Peter is not who he claims to be, their fragile existence unravels. Secrets, betrayals, and wartime intrigue collide as unexpected visitors — a menacing stranger, a determined investigator, a troubled eccentric, and a calculating outsider — shatter their isolation. With war looming, Suzy must confront the truth about Peter and decide who she can trust before it’s too late.

Cast

  • 3 presenting as male
  • 2 presenting as female

Actors for roles in this production will be selected on the basis of the demonstrated performance skills, regardless of their gender identity/expression, ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, age or disability.

 

Director

Matthew Carr

Stage Manager

tba
 

Rehearsals

Rehearsals will be Sundays at 2:00 pm; Tuesdays/Thursdays at 7:00 pm, beginning on December 15, 2026.
 

Location

All rehearsals and performances will be at Calliope Theatre, 150 Main Street, Boylston, MA
 

Performances

March 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20, & 21 (Thu. – Sat. at 7:30 pm; Sundays at 2:00 pm)

Audition Dates

  • Tuesday, December 1 at 7:00pm
  • Thursday, December 3 at 7:00pm

Auditions will consist of short dialect exercises (full group), followed by sides (small groups). Dialect exercises will be available at auditions. Audition sides are included in this packet.

All actors are encouraged to audition in a credible RP (Received Pronunciation) British dialect. (If you are cast, along with your script you will receive dialect instruction/practice materials.)

Actors auditioning for Ross and Miriam will also be asked to attempt a German dialect. (If you are cast, along with your script you will receive dialect instruction/practice materials.)

Please review the side(s) below for the role(s) for which you are reading. Stage directions are included for context but need not be performed literally.

 
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Characters

Peter Meredith – Mid-30s to 40s. Charismatic, strong, but haunted by scars (physical and emotional). Guarded, defensive, quick-tempered. Needs range between tenderness and desperation.

Suzy Hinchcliffe – 20s to 30s. Spirited, loyal, romantic, yet vulnerable. Torn between her love for Peter and suspicions about his identity.

Ross – 30s to 50s. Cold, intelligent, manipulative. Enjoys control and unnerving others. The interrogator type.

Josef – Older man, 60s+. Eccentric, childlike at times, but sly and unsettling. A mix of comic quirk and quiet menace.

Miriam – 30s to 50s. Calm, intelligent, probing, persuasive. The voice of logic and reason, but with hidden steel.