We are looking for 3 male/male-identifying contemporary
dancers for our award-winning show, Small Town Boys.
Find out more about the role below.
Shaper/Caper are on the search for 3 male/male-identifying contemporary dancers with at least 3 years professional experience to join the cast of our award-winning show ‘Small Town Boys’, choreographed by Shaper/Caper’s multi-award-winning Artistic Director and choreographer, Thomas Small, for our performances at Edinburgh Festival Fringe as part of the Made in Scotland showcase.
‘Small Town Boys’ explores the escapism of queer nightlife during the 80s & early 90s AIDS crisis through dance and spoken word. A young man leaves his small hometown to find refuge in the bright lights and warm embrace of the big city; he discovers solace and joy in the city's LGBTQ+ scene but soon finds himself navigating a terrifying unfolding health crisis, almost completely ignored by the government. Small Town Boys won the Creative Arts Award at the 2024 Proud Scotland Awards.
‘Small Town Boys’ explores what life was like for queer communities then, and how we can still see the impact now. Through contemporary dance and verbatim spoken word, ‘Small Town Boys’ gives a voice to the silenced and breathes life back into forgotten memories of the time.
We are particularly keen to receive submissions from dancers who identify as LGBTQ+ alongside allies to the community. We strive to build a team that reflects the diversity of the community and encourage those who often feel underrepresented to apply.
Due to the subject matter of the production, counselling is available during this project.
Attendance at this audition is by invitation only.
Audition Dates:
Auditions will be held in London, England on Friday 4 April 2025 and Dundee, Scotland on Tuesday 9 April 2025.
Fees:
The fee is £720 per week (breaks down as £655 per week plus holiday pay), plus per diems on performance weeks. Shaper/Caper will book travel and accommodation for the full period.
Rehearsals will take place in Dundee, Scotland with performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Contract Dates:
Rehearsal dates: 22 July – 31 July 2025
Performance dates: 1 August – 17 August 2025
We hope to schedule an additional 2/3 rehearsal dates with dancers at mutually agreed time in June.
Requirements:
3+ years professional experience.
Applicants should have a strong contemporary dance technique, physical theatre skills, a willingness to explore text work, and be familiar with a devising-based process. We also wish to work with people who can learn material quickly, work well in a fast-paced environment, and resonate with our values of kindness, respect, collaboration and joy.
Contracted dancers must be comfortable with rehearsing and performing scenes of intimacy including kissing and sexual references. Please note that kissing will not be part of the audition.
One of the roles has been created to be played by a trans dancer so we are keen to meet trans and non-binary dancers for this role.
Where:
Auditions between Dundee and London, rehearsals in Dundee, and performances at Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
How to Apply:
Fill in the Google Form to apply: https://forms.gle/RovQatgtzesHEzzY9
The form will ask you to upload a 2-page CV detailing your professional performance experience, a recent headshot and a showreel link (max 3 mins).
Deadline for applications:
Fri 28 March 2025 at 5pm
More info about the show:
To find out more about the show please check out the Small Town Boys webpage at https://www.shapercaper.com/smalltownboys