CASTING CALL
We require all auditionees to be 18-years-old as of 1 September 2026.
Gender: Male presenting
Age range: 18-25, as long as you’re youthful, our character is a teenager.
Role: '2' (Yep. That’s his name. Like the number!)
Description: 2 is a teenaged boy who has been raised by robots. 2 cannot walk - a central point through the show. 2's central conflict is that he doesn't know the world around him and is one of only a small handful of humans left on the planet.
There is something recognisable in 2, though he is young, we as an audience recognise him as curious, he acts as a representation of who we as humans in an ever-changing world are. 2 is witty, energetic, and curious... though at times this character can get quite emotional about the situation he finds himself in and can often struggle to contain his emotions.
What we're looking for: We're on the hunt for a young, energetic, keen performer who can embody a character from scratch and who holds confidence commanding a space.
The cool aspect of this play is our use of puppets, meaning that whoever we cast to play '2' will be the only human character/actor on stage.
Whoever we cast will need to have the ability to play toward inanimate objects with conviction, and emotion. We're looking for someone who can collaborate effectively, can take a production process seriously, and someone who is interested in developing their skills in a practical field, while being part of a production that means something to us, and to all.
We're looking for someone youthful, but who has attained the age of 18-years-old. We want someone who could convincingly pass for a young teenager who is living in a dying world.
We're particularly interested in young actors who demonstrate:
Strong naturalistic acting
Excellent listening and scene-partner skills
A strong sense of curiosity and play
The ability to handle emotionally demanding material
Physical expressiveness and confidence on stage
An ability to work collaboratively within an ensemble
A willingness to explore character through movement and improvisation
This play requires a performer to interact with large puppets. There are no other physical human characters.
This show will require a strong young actor who can command the space and interact with these puppets as though they were human.
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MERV will involve a highly collaborative rehearsal and development process. Because 2's relationships with the inanimate characters are central to the production, we will spend time in rehearsals workshopping and exploring these relationships alongside the director and creative team.
This may include character conferences, group discussions, improvisation, movement exploration, scene work, and experimentation with different approaches to the characters and their relationships. Performers will be encouraged to ask questions, bring ideas to the room, and explore different possibilities before settling on what feels truthful for the production.
We’re looking for someone who is passionate about collaboration, open to experimentation, and willing to engage seriously with the creative process. You don't need to arrive with all the answers, we’re interested in a performer who is curious, receptive to direction, willing to take creative risks, and excited to help shape the character alongside the wider team.
The process will require a willingness to listen, discuss, experiment, revisit choices, and build the character over time, rather than simply arriving at rehearsals with a fixed interpretation.
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The show itself is light-hearted, it overall is a light comedy between a young boy and a robot, though some of the themes presented may affect some people:
MERV explores themes of death, grief, loss, disability, abandonment, and the end of human civilization. The production can at times contain emotionally challenging material and discussions surrounding end-of-life experiences, and we are looking for someone who can tackle these themes with maturity, and respect.
This play is fundraising for Motor Neurone Disease NZ, as well as providing educational opportunities for cast, crew and the wider community – it's important to JCR that the subject matter and themes dealt with in the show be handled with the respect they deserve
Audition material may engage with some of these themes.
Previous theatre experience is not essential.
We are interested in finding the right performer for the role and strongly encourage emerging actors to audition.
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HOW TO AUDITION?
Email us: jcrproductionsnz@gmail.com
All you have to do is tell us you’re keen to audition and we’ll send you the details!
All audition submissions must be received by 11:59 PM on Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
Late submissions may not be considered, so please ensure your audition tape and completed application form are submitted before the deadline.
If you have any issues or concerns, feel free to reach out whenever and we'll get back to you ASAP!
Good luck, and we look forward to seeing your auditions!
[Please note that due to the current funding position of MERV, this is an unpaid acting role. Anyone auditioning for the production must do so with the understanding that, if selected, the role will be unpaid and no performance fee or salary will be provided. We want to be transparent about this from the outset so that all prospective performers can make an informed decision before submitting an audition.]