Audition for Riverside Center

THE MOUSETRAP AUDITION ANNOUNCEMENT

Please read all provided information.

Production details, audition details, character breakdowns, sign-up information, and links to relevant materials are listed below.

Production Details

Producing Company: Riverside Center for the Performing Arts

Production: The Mousetrap

Director: Andrew Foote

Producing Artistic Director: Patrick A’Hearn

Rehearsal Dates: To begin on or about Sunday, June 21st, 2026

Typical Rehearsal Schedule: Sun: 6:30-10pm, Mon-Tues: 12- 4pm, 6-10pm, Weds: 6-10pm, Thurs: 12-4pm

Technical Rehearsal Dates: July 6th- July 14th, 2026

Performance Dates: July 15th- August 23rd, 2026

Typical Performance Schedule: Weds: 1:30pm, Thurs-Sat: 7:30pm, Sun: 3:00pm

Audition Details

Location: Riverside Center for the Performing Arts,

95 Riverside Pkwy, Fredericksburg, VA, 22406

Date: Monday, March 23rd, 2026

Time: 1:00- 5:00pm, 6:00- 9:00pm

Callbacks (Invitation Only): Tuesday, March 24th, 6:00- 10:00pm

Preparation: Please prepare the sides provided below for the character you feel fits you best. You may be asked to read additional sides. If you are invited to callbacks, you will be provided with additional materials. Bring headshot and resume. Please be prepared to list all rehearsal and performance conflicts.

To register for auditions, sign-up for a time slot using the link below. Reserve only one (1) time slot. Please plan to come and stay for the hour you signed up for. You may be asked to return for invited callbacks on Tuesday, March 24th.

Sign-Up Genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0B4CABA922ABFBC25-62299241-themousetrap

Audition Sides: https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1Ka5bryp43ilZQ59S144ORBprOUQ6jLML

CHARACTER BREAKDOWNS

Directors Note: As is true with the bulk of Agatha Christie’s mysteries, all of the characters in The Mousetrap are hiding their own individual secrets, therefore the bulk of these descriptions are what the characters initially choose to show us. When approaching the sides, it is helpful to remember that for all of these characters there is almost always something else going on.

MOLLIE RALSTON

Female presenting; Age mid 20s to early 30s. The pleasant young co-owner of Monkswell Manor; anxious about hosting the inn’s first guests; married to Giles for one year. She has “an ingenuous air,” which is to say she comes off as innocent and often unsuspecting. At the beginning of the play the audience sees the other characters through Mollie’s eyes so there should be an instantly winning and relatable aspect to her. Standard British dialect Archetype: Denee Benton (Gilded Age), Jenna Fischer (The Office)

GILES RALSTON

Male presenting; Age 20s to early 30s. Solid, strong, masculine. Owns Monkswell Manor with his wife Mollie, whom he loves. Somewhat arrogant and jealous of the other guests’ attentions toward Mollie, he may come across as stern and arrogant throughout with flashes of a quick temper. Standard British dialect Archetype: Matt Smith (The Crown) Colin Firth (Love Actually)

CHRISTOPHER WREN

Male presenting; Age 20s to 30s. The first guest to arrive at the hotel, Wren is a hyperactive young man who acts in a very peculiar manner. A bit flighty and somewhat neurotic. He is both quirky and vulnerable. At times throughout the play he enjoys antagonizing the other guests with inappropriate jokes and ill timed pranks. Traditionally played in what only can be called a “mid-century flamboyant” manor which, is somewhat supported by the text. However, there are other aspects of of him can be explored to great effect-Impishness, petulance, childlike wonder, mischievousness, etc. Standard British dialect Archetype: Paul Reubens (Pee Wees Big Adventure), Martin Short (Clifford) ,

MRS. BOYLE

Female presenting; Age 40s to 60s. Mrs. Boyle is an imposing woman in a bad temper; she complains about everyone and everything. She is disapproving of every effort that Mollie and Giles produce to make her comfortable. She is instantly suspicious of everyone she encounters, particularly those younger than she. She is retired, ancient, grumpy, unpleasant. If there’s a kind bone in her body, she hides it well. Standard British dialect Archetype: Christine Baranski (Gilded Age), Maggie Smith (Downton Abbey)

MAJOR METCALF

Male presenting; Age 40s to 60s. Major Metcalf is a middle-aged, typical, retired, square-shouldered, British military officer. He is friendly and very polite, and serves as a good counter to Mrs. Boyle during the play’s first act. Underneath his gruffness… is more gruffness. Standard British dialect Archetype : Jonathan Pryce (The Crown) Danny Glover (Lethal Weapon)

MISS CASEWELL

Female presenting; Age 20s to 30s. An edgy, aloof, somewhat tomboyish woman who stylishly wears men’s clothing. Similar to Christopher Wren in that she doesn’t necessarily conform to traditional rules of behavior. She speaks offhandedly and frankly about the horrific experiences of her childhood. She keeps her cards close to the vest and remains aloof… and a little mysterious. Standard British dialect Archetype Tilda Swinton (The room next door) Kari Russell (The Americans)

MR. PARAVICINI

Male presenting; Age 30s to 50s. A man of unknown origin and age who turns up claiming his car has overturned in a snowdrift. He appears to be artificially aged with make-up. He is a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma… with an indeterminate accent. Described in the play as a taller version of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. Indeterminate European dialect Archetype: Frank Langella (Dracula)Kayvan Novak (What We Do in the Shadows)

DETECTIVE SGT. TROTTER

Male presenting; Age late 20s to early 30’s. Detective Sergeant Trotter is a cheerful, common-place person who arrives at Monkswell Manor on skis to investigate a murder. Dogged in his pursuit of the truth, he is determined to get to the bottom of things. The course of the play will require him to plumb the depths of his emotions. Standard British dialect Archetype: Andrew Scott (Ripley) Toby Maguire (Great Gatsby)