Be New is casting six performers for the workshop development of two original Australian works—both rich in emotional depth, and each offering something bold, timely, and deeply human.

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Workshop Details

• Rehearsals: Saturdays from 6 July – 16 August 2025

• Time: 10:00am – 1:00pm

• Location: Hawthorn Library, Melbourne

• Showcase: Friday 23 August 2025 at The Lawler Theatre, Southbank

 

Compensation

A stipend will be provided to all participants in recognition of your time and contribution.

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Characters

Actors will be asked to provide voices for other characters in each show, though will be asked to focus on their primary character during the workshop

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Knowing How to Love

• Charlie: (Mezzo/Sop) Messy, magnetic, and emotionally avoidant, Charlie is a young woman searching for love in all the wrong places—mainly dating apps. Hiding a vulnerable heart behind mismatched op-shop fashion, witty comebacks, and a curated social media feed, she craves validation but fears being truly seen. Underneath it all, she’s just trying to work out who she is—and if that’s enough.

• Ben: (BariTenor) Middle-child energy in full flight—Ben is the guy who waters your plants when you’re away and won’t talk about his feelings unless he’s absolutely cornered. He’s used to fixing things, not feeling them. He wants the stable life his brother has, but his idea of romance comes with coffee deliveries, not love songs. He’s learning that not every problem has a neat solution—and that sometimes, vulnerability is the bravest thing of all.

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Children of the Air

• Madison Nealy is a fiercely committed mother, community leader, and advocate for rural education, who carries the weight of others on her shoulders. She is deeply empathetic, grounded, and capable, but struggles to ask for help—even as burnout quietly creeps in. Her strength lies in her unshakable belief in her people, even when her own world begins to fracture. (Mezzo)

• Ellen Skellery is a sharp, calculated bureaucrat whose polished exterior masks the country roots she’s tried to bury. Driven by survival in a cutthroat political system, she’s torn between her ambition and a past she’s never fully reconciled. She’s not a villain—but a woman doing what she thinks she must, until the cost of that becomes impossible to ignore. (Mezzo)

• Female presenting swing (Mezzo/Sop). This track covers a range of female-identifying roles across city and country, including Jess (a tough, straight-talking rural woman with a tender core), various ICPA members, CWA elders, and government staffers. 

• Male presenting swing (Tenor/Baritone). This track covers a range of rural and urban characters, including Nigel (a rugged but soft-hearted father), JT (a no-nonsense yet deeply empathetic boarding house master), and Jim (a well-meaning city kid learning what real community looks like).

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