AUDITION CALLOUT

Strategic Love Play by Miriam Battye — Winner of the Edinburgh Fringe First Award 2023

A Drama Mavericks CIC Production directed by David Lester

Audition date: November 26 and 27

Performances: March 2026 at Norwich Puppet Theatre

Rehearsals begin early January 2026 (Wednesdays and Thursdays) and several pub previews in early March.

Overview

Strategic Love Play is a sharp, two-character piece set in a pub. A man and a woman meet for what appears to be an ordinary date arranged on a dating app. It very quickly, it becomes a game of truth-telling, challenge, and control. Both are searching for something real, yet neither can drop their armour. What follows is a brutally funny and painfully honest look at intimacy, loneliness, and modern expectations.

The play’s rhythm moves from flirtation to confrontation to vulnerability — an emotional tennis match where silence and subtext matter as much as dialogue. Actors should be confident working with naturalistic performance, subtle shifts in tone, and tension within confined space (audience close, energy live).

This One Act play lasts about 80 minutes.

NOW CASTING

Character: HER

Gender: Female

Acting age: 25–40ish

Personality & Traits:

  • Fearlessly direct, witty, and observant.

  • Frustrated by surface-level interaction — she wants authenticity but fears what that might expose.

  • Uses humour and provocation as armour.

  • Capable of sudden tenderness when she lets her guard down.

  • Intellectually sharp; emotionally unpredictable.

Background (implied, not literal):

She’s dated enough to recognise the patterns — the safety nets, the expectations, the polite performances — and she’s tired of them. Tonight, she’s testing both him and herself: can she find something real if she deliberately removes all filters?

Vocal/Physical Notes:

  • Quick changes of pace and tone; not monotone cynicism.

  • Use stillness powerfully — she often controls space by being unflustered.

  • Flashes of vulnerability hit harder when unexpected.

Audition Extracts:

  • Opening scene when they first meet.

  • Where she challenges HIM to “cut the crap” and tell her what he actually wants.

  • Moment where her defences falter and she admits she’s “not good at this anymore.”

Character: HIM

Gender: Male

Acting age: 25–40ish

Personality &Traits:

  • Polite, thoughtful, and socially aware to a fault.

  • Overthinks interactions; often apologises even when unnecessary.

  • Wants to connect but fears rejection and missteps.

  • Struggles between wanting to impress and wanting to be honest.

  • Gradually finds courage to push back and assert his own truth.

Background (implied):

He’s had his share of near-relationships — each one leaving him slightly more careful, slightly less

spontaneous. He’s here because he’s lonely, but he’s not sure how to risk being authentic without feeling foolish.

Vocal/Physical Notes:

  • Naturalistic delivery - less “performing” the date, more living it.

  • Subtle humour works best when it’s understated.

  • Build a slow arc from caution to raw honesty.

Audition Extracts:

  • Scene where he confesses what he actually fears about dating.

  • Final sequence where he and HER test whether this could be real.

AUDITIONS

Audition date: 7pm on Wednesday 26 & Thursday 27 November

Apply by: 20 November 2025

Send to: info@dramamavericks.co.uk

Previews will be performed in selected Norwich Pubs: 15 minutes from opening – prearranged with Pub Manager – several already given consent – since it does take place in a Pub!

Audition Preparation

  • You’ll receive selected extracts from the play to prepare (approx. 2–3 pages each).

  • No need to memorise, but familiarity will help with timing and chemistry.

  • Be ready for a paired read — we’re looking for natural connection, not polished delivery.

  • Feel free to bring your own interpretation; these roles live in nuance and contrast.

Style & Tone:

  • Genre: Contemporary realism / dark comedy

  • Setting: A pub table — but with subtle changes – not seated whole time!

  • Tempo: Conversational rhythm, often fast but grounded

  • Emotional landscape: Fluctuates between awkward humour, tension, and quiet poignancy

  • Influences: Fleabag, Constellations, Look Back in Anger (reimagined through dating culture)