Gary Barlow is to search Manchester for a star for his new musical, based on hit film Calendar Girls.
The Girls, created by Take That star Gary and his childhood friend Tim Firth, is to get its premiere at The Lowry in Salford in January.
Now, Gary and Tim have decided to hold auditions at The Lowry to cast the role of Tommo, the 17-year-old son of Miss September in the show,
Tommo is described as a “great lad, a sportsman, good looking, cocky and girl mad - but still a virgin”.
Gary, Tim and producers of the show are hoping to find just the lad to play the role here in the city on Thursday, when Take That also return to town to play their final Manchester Arena gig on their latest tour.
The first auditions will all be filmed for Gary and Tim to watch - who will then select actors to attend a second audition before the final actor is chosen.
Gary said: “We want a proper Northerner to play this role and where better to look than Manchester where there is such an enormous wealth of talent - best of luck lads!”
Thursday’s auditions will be taken by the show’s director, Roger Haines, and its producer, David Pugh.
David, the multi award-winning West End and Broadway producer, whose shows include Equus starring Daniel Radcliffe, said: “This is an incredible opportunity for a young actor to play such a smashing part that Tim and Gary have written in this wonderful new musical.”
The Girls is inspired by the true story of a group of ladies, who decide to appear nude for a Women’s Institute calendar in order to raise funds to buy a settee for their local hospital, in memory of one of their husbands.
This musical comedy shows life in their Yorkshire village, how it happened, the effect on husbands, sons and daughters, and how a group of ordinary ladies achieved something extraordinary.
Gary revealed news of the musical at a rehearsal for the show, attended by the original Calendar Girls, at the village hall in Burnsall in Yorkshire in March.
Gary and Tim grew up in the same village of Frodsham in Cheshire and have been friends for 25 years.
With Take That, Gary has written and co-written 14 number one singles, has sold over 50 million records worldwide and is a six times Ivor Novello Award winner.
Tim has won the Olivier Award and UK Theatre Award for Best New Musical, and the British Comedy Awards Best Comedy Film for Calendar Girls.
Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research will receive monies from the musical, which premieres at The Lowry from January 13-30, 2016.
The auditions will take place at The Lowry theatre from 10am to 2pm on Thursday 18 June, and interested parties should email the casting director, Rebecca Jenner, on rebeccajennercasting@gmail.com or telephone on 020 7292 0390 for an audition script and appointment time.
