Express & Star

Auditions open to find actors for new Duncan Edwards play

A new play telling the life story of Black Country footballing legend Duncan Edwards is looking for budding actors to take part in an audition.

Published
Rose Cook Monk of the Duncan Edwards Foundation

The production will tell the life story of the former Manchester United player who was one of the victims of the Munich air disaster on February 21 1958.

Born and raised in Dudley, he was only 21-years-old when he died, and the new play will depict his life through the eyes of his parents Sarah and Gladstone.

Rose Cook-Monk, who founded the Duncan Edwards Foundation in 2018, came up with the idea for this play as a way of keeping his legacy alive and keeping young people in the Black County interested in theatre and their heritage.

She said: "I wanted to put his story out there in a different medium and decided on this play.

"We want local actors to play all the parts, we don't want black country accents being done by people not from the area, as if often comes through as Birmingham.

"Authentic accents from budding actors coming through is ideal and gives them a chance to learn about the history of it.

"We're looking for young and old characters, to play younger and older versions of Duncan and his family and friends.

"We only need around 10 actors and it will be a minimalistic stage that will use some fabulous photos of the people themselves appearing on a screen when the actors playing them come onto the stage."

The production will start in February 2020, in time for the anniversary of the Munich air disaster and will first play here in the Black Country.

Rose added: "The aim is to debut in Dudley and then take it to Manchester before hopefully getting sponsorship to take it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

"It's his life story through the eyes and thoughts of his loved ones.

"The anxiety his parents went through when he went off to Manchester as a kid, to the heartbreak of his death and the people he left behind.

"It's important for people to know about him, and also to get young people into the theatre, that's what we want.

"People are really looking forward to seeing it, Duncan still has a huge fan base in the area from both young and older people.

"It's much anticipated by myself and Duncan's family."

Auditions will take place in early July and people interested can contact Rose on 07701092994 or by emailing rose@duncanedwardsfoundation.co.uk.

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