Three unlikely friends take control of their office and learn there is nothing they can't do, even in a man's world.
9 to 5 The Musical, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton and book by Patricia Resnick, is based on the seminal 1980 hit movie. Set in the late 1970s. this hilarious story of friendship and revenge in the Rolodex era is outrageous, thought-provoking and even a little romantic. Pushed to the boiling point, three female coworkers concoct a plan to get even with the sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot they call their boss. In a hilarious turn of events, Violet, Judy and Doralee live out their wildest fantasy – giving their boss the boot! While Hart remains ‘otherwise engaged,’ the women give their workplace a dream makeover, taking control of the company that had always kept them down. Hey, a girl can scheme, can't she?
Queanbeyan Players is a community theatre group based in Queanbeyan, NSW. We are seeking adult performers across all ages, backgrounds and levels of experience to audition to be a part of our production of 9 to 5 The Musical. We encourage everyone to audition, including performers who identify as a person with disability, BIPOC, First Nations, gender diverse, LGBTQIA+, neurodiverse and from any and all cultural backgrounds.
Performers must be 18 years or older to audition for this show.
Audition information
Character requirements
| Role | Audition Song/s | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Violet | Around Here - Bars 1-47 plus a song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 1 - Violet, Hart and Judy
Reading 2 – Violet and Joe |
| Doralee | Shine Like the Sun - Bars 19-49 plus a song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 6 – Doralee and Hart
Reading 1 – Violet, Hart and Judy |
| Judy | I Just Might - Bars 1-38 plus a song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 5 – Judy and Dick
Reading 1 - Violet, Hart and Judy |
| Franklin Hart | Here For You - Bars 5-38 and 87-103 plus a song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 1 – Violet, Hart and Judy
Reading 4 – Roz and Hart |
| Roz Keith | Heart to Hart - Bars 1-22 plus a song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 4 – Roz and Hart |
| Joe | Let Love Grow - Bars 26-47 plus a song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 2 – Violet and Joe |
| Josh | A song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 3 – Josh and Violet |
| Ensemble/all other roles | A song of your choice in the style of 9 to 5 The Musical | Reading 1 - Violet, Hart
and Judy
Reading 5 – Judy and Dick |
Singing and acting
Please refer to the below table for singing and acting requirements for each role. Character breakdowns can be found here.
Please bring a backing track (we will have a Bluetooth speaker available) or sheet music for your audition. In addition to the Bluetooth speaker, an accompanist or our MD will be available to accompany you. You are also welcome to bring your own accompanist. Singing acapella is not acceptable.
As this show is set in the late 1970s in the United States of America, please be prepared to audition with an American accent.
There is no expectation that you memorise the reading/s for your audition, but please familiarise yourself with them ahead of your booking.
Please find the readings and required audition song selections here or in this Google Drive.
Please note, the audition panel may interrupt you at any point during your song. This does not mean you are doing a bad job, we may have already heard what we need. If you are singing a song of your own choice, please consider which part of the song you really want the panel to hear.
Movement and dance
Each auditionee will also need to book a 25-minute group movement and dance audition. The purpose of this audition is to see how you move and perform. We do not expect you to learn the choreography perfectly but ask that you do your best.
Readings and audition song selections
Important dates, times and venues
Auditions
Auditions will be held at Queanbeyan Uniting Church, 13 Rutledge St, Queanbeyan
Saturday 26 July 9:30am – 4:30pm
Sunday 27 July 9:30am – 4:30pm
More audition slots may be made available if required
Callbacks
Callbacks, if required, will be held on Monday 28 July from 7:00pm
Rehearsals beginning: Sunday, 3 August
Queanbeyan Uniting Church, 13 Rutledge St, Queanbeyan
Sundays 10:00am – 5:00pm
Mondays 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Thursdays 7:00pm – 10:00pm
In Theatre – Production week
The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW 2620
Sunday 26 October 9:00am - Bump in
Monday 27 October 6:30pm – 11pm (Technical rehearsal)
Tuesday 28 October 6:30pm – 11pm (Dress)
Wednesday 29 October 6:30pm – 11pm (Dress)
Thursday 30 October 6:30pm – 11pm (Dress)
Performances
The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre, 253 Crawford St, Queanbeyan NSW 2620
Friday 31 October - Opening Night
Saturday 1 November - 2 show day
Sunday 2 November - Matinee performance
Wednesday 5 November
Thursday 6 November
Friday 7 November
Saturday 8 November - 2 show day
Sunday 9 November - Matinee performance and bump out following
Cast obligations
Cast members will be required to read our relevant policies and sign a code of conduct. Our aim at Queanbeyan Players is for everyone to have fun when doing a QP production and provide a welcoming and safe environment.
If you are unable to comply with QP’s policies and code of conduct, you may be asked to leave the cast.
Bump in will be on Sunday 26 October. Performances will be 31 October - 9 November. Attendance at rehearsals during production week and at performances is mandatory.
A full-length stage production is demanding, both in time and effort. It can be both physically and mentally stressful. If you have a medical condition, please communicate this to the production team or a committee member so we can support you during the rehearsal and performance periods and have an action plan in place.
If you are accepted into the cast, you must become a financial member of The Queanbeyan Players Inc. This is primarily related to insurance purposes. The Membership Secretary will be present at the first read-through/rehearsal to accept membership dues. Information about the cost of this and any additional costs will be sent to you if you are accepted into the cast.
We run our shows on a very small budget. We are therefore unable to provide items such as shoes or make-up for cast members. You will be provided with costumes, and we are always happy to see people who can either make their own costume or can find someone to sew it for them. You may be requested to help make and/or paint scenery, and are required to help move the sets in and erect them at bump-in. If there are any reasons preventing you from helping with set building, such as existing injuries, please communicate this to the production team.
Please note that Queanbeyan Players Inc. pursues an alcohol-free policy during both rehearsals and performances.
You will be informed whether you are successful in the auditions by email or phone call as soon as possible after we finish auditions and call-backs. If you do not hear from us before the first rehearsal, please contact auditions@queanbeyanplayers.com.
Please fill out and bring the audition form to your audition.
Other rehearsal information
Being in a Queanbeyan Players show is both fun and rewarding; however, in order to have a quality production, we do require a certain amount of commitment from cast members. Queanbeyan Players invests significant cost, time and effort to stage a show and to also run the company during the year, therefore we must charge people money for tickets. Because we are charging audiences money, we need to provide as high a standard of community theatre production as possible. Please read these notes carefully and decide whether you can provide this level of commitment before you audition.
All Auditions and rehearsals will be held at Queanbeyan Uniting Church Hall, Rutledge St Queanbeyan – some rehearsals may be held at Gowrie Primary School or Chifley Health and Wellbeing Hub when required however that will be confirmed and communicated prior to rehearsal dates. 7
Rehearsals are every Monday and Thursday 7:00 - 10:00pm and Sunday 10:00am - 5:00pm commencing Sunday 3 August.
Both in rehearsal and during performances members of the Production Team are in charge and you will be expected to work to their direction. You may not be called for every rehearsal, or for the whole time, but you must attend every rehearsal you are called. We cannot halt rehearsals over school and public holidays. If you know you will be unavailable on these or any other dates, please let the team know at auditions. (We will not consider you ineligible for the cast, but we do need to know absences so that rehearsals can be structured accordingly.)
If you accept an offer for 9 to 5 you will be expected to be available for rehearsals and performances on the schedule. Please list any conflicts with these dates on your audition form. A rehearsal schedule is produced at the beginning of the rehearsal process but other dates may be included in the schedule from time to time in consultation with cast
Creative team
Sarah Hull - Director
9 to 5 The Musical is Sarah’s third time directing with Queanbeyan Players. In 2018, she codirected The Wedding Singer with Amy Kowalczuk and in 2022, she directed QP’s sold-out run of Keating!. Sarah also co-directed High Fidelity with Nathan Patrech for Phoenix Players in 2015.
In 2024, Sarah played Big Stone in Eurydice at the Mill Theatre at Dairy Road, Eunice in Free Rain's A Streetcar Named Desire and Diana in Queanbeyan Players’ Next to Normal. For her performance of Diana, Sarah was awarded Best Actress in a leading role in a musical at the 30th CAT Awards. Sarah previously won Best Actress in a featured role in a musical at the 29th CAT Awards for playing Vi in Queanbeyan Players’ Footloose in 2023.
Other performance highlights include playing Naiad Mother in crouching giraffe and Paper Moon Theatre's The Penelopiad (2021), Helen in Canberra Rep’s Australia Day (2017), Pam Lukowski in Supa Productions’ The Full Monty (2019 and 2006) and the Sour Kangaroo in Ickle Pickle’s Seussical the Musical (2014). You can also hear Sarah barking orders in The Hideaway escape room at Riddle Room in Mitchell.
Jen Hinton - Musical Director
Not born, but Canberra bred, Jenna has been involved in the Canberran professional and community music scene for almost 20 years.
Having studied at the ANU School of Music, with tutelage from Gary France and Dave Goodman, she has played in a variety of ensembles including professional cover bands, big bands and with well-known community ensembles such as the award-winning Canberra City Band, Canberra Brass and Spectrum Big Band. She has been a rank-and-file member of the Australian Wind Symphony. Jenna is passionate about promoting women in music and founded and directed the CW (Canberra Women’s) Big Band. She is a member of Canberra City Band Inc’s artistic staff, and is musical director of the organisation's development and leisure ensembles John Agnew Concert Band and Prism Jazz Ensemble.
Jen has been involved in Canberra’s professional and community music scene for over 20 years as a drummer & percussionist, sharing the stage with artists such as Aria award winner Emma Pask, jazz legend Ed Wilson, The Idea of North, Marina Prior and others. She has been involved in the Canberra musical theatre scene as a musician for over a decade and performed in or musically directed over 25 shows for QP, Canberra Philharmonic, Free Rain Theatre, Dramatic Productions and others. She has played in professional cover bands, big bands and orchestras. She is the current musical director for John Agnew Band (Concert), Prism Jazz Ensemble for CCB Inc as well as the CW (Canberra Women’s) Big Band.
In her spare time, Jen has a career as a Project Manager delivering complex IT and Systems Integration Solutions for Government and private entities including but not limited to the Department of Defence, Australian Tax Office and Home Affairs.
Lauren Chapman - Choreographer
Lauren has been dancing since toddlerhood- training, competing, and choreographing in a multitude of styles including ballet, tap, jazz, Irish, and contemporary with Classical Ballet Centre Canberra. In recent years Lauren has also expanded into styles such as dance hall, samba and commercial. In 2017 Lauren became involved in musical theatre, performing in Queanbeyan Players’ Guys and Dolls.
Lauren has continued to perform since then, most recently seen in American Idiot (Queanbeyan Players, 2024). She debuted as a choreographer for Queanbeyan Players’ Kiss Me Kate!, going on to win 2 CAT Awards for her choreography and the number Too Darn Hot. More recently, Lauren also choreographed Downtown, The Mod Musical (Queanbeyan Players, 2023) and Little Shop of Horrors (Dramatic Productions, 2024).
Character breakdown
Violet
The company's Head Secretary and Mr. Hart's Administrative Assistant, she is a single mother and typically stands up for what she believes in. Strong and ambitious.
Gender: Female
Playing age: 40 to 50
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: F3
Judy
The ‘new’ girl at the firm, she has been burned by her husband's affair and is searching for personal empowerment. Insecure, determined, and hopeful.
Gender: Female
Playing age: 30 to 35
Vocal range top: F5
Vocal range bottom: Ab3
Franklin Hart
One of the firm's executives and a notorious chauvinist. He is capable of faking charm but usually shows his true colours as an arrogant, self-absorbed boss.
Gender: Male
Playing age: 45 to 50
Vocal range top: Gb4
Vocal range bottom: C3
Roz Keith
The attentive office gossip queen and snitch. She has an unrequited love for Mr. Hart and will do anything she can to win his approval.
Gender: Female
Playing age: 35 to 45
Vocal range top: C5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Doralee
A young spitfire who works at Mr. Hart's office. She is proof that there is more to a woman than just her looks.
Gender: Female
Playing age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: E5
Vocal range bottom: G3
Gender: Male
Playing age: 25 to 35
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: B2
Joe
A charming, young office accountant. Genuine and nice, and smitten with Violet.
Gender: Male
Age: 25 to 30
Vocal range top: G4
Vocal range bottom: E2
Dwayne
Doralee's loving husband. He is very supportive of her professional pursuits.
Missy
Franklin Hart's wife, clueless to her husband's true nature.
Gender: Female
Playing age: 20 to 40
Dick
Judy's soon-to-be ex-husband. An average guy, he is not as charming as he was ten years ago.
Gender: Male
Playing age: 35 to 45
Maria
A young and vibrant secretary in Hart's office. *We are seeking auditions from people with a Hispanic or Latinx background for the role of Maria.
Gender: Female
Playing age: 20 to 30
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: F4
Josh
Violet's awkward teenage son.
Gender: Male
Playing age: 15 to 18
Gender: Female
Playing age: 30 to 40
Vocal range top: D5
Vocal range bottom: G4
Kathy
A secretary in Hart's office with a tendency to gossip.
Margaret
A secretary in Hart's office with a tendency to drink.
Gender: Female
Playing age: 30 to 40
Tinsworthy
Franklin Hart's boss and Chairman of the Board. A good man, who may be wiser to Hart's ways than he lets on.
Gender: Male
Playing age: 50 to 65
Ensemble
Office employees, police officers, hospital employees.