Cover yourself in glory '“ step forward for role in new show

Glorious! is on in Harrogate later this year

Not only are their scouts always on the look-out for competent actors. They also now want to find competent musicians. Or one competent actor who is also an accomplished musician.

The society will be staging the hilarious play by Peter Quilter Glorious! in June.

It tells the extraordinary but true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, who earned the dubious title of the world’s worst singer .

The play premiered in the West End in 2005 with Maureen Lipman in the lead role, to be followed by a cinema feature film version starring Meryl Streep and Hugh Grant in 2016.

The predicament for the aociety is that while they have an abundance of actors to fill the various parts, what they do not have is an actor who can play the piano as her accompanist.

When Florence Foster Jenkins warbles her way through Adele’s Laughing Song by Johann Strauss or Mozart’s aria Queen of the Night’s Vengeance, the pianist/actor must stay faithful to the score even if the singer cannot.

Director Stuart Kellett said: “We are holding a reading of the play at our rehearsal rooms next week and we’re hoping a young male pianist, around 30 years old who can also act, can be chosen as Florence’s accompanist Cosme.”

Like the audience, whoever is cast will also need a sense of humour.

Madame Jenkins believed she had a wonderful voice although few shared her high opinion of herself.

One comment at the time said “she couldn’t carry a tune in a bucket”.

Others said “she would have been more at home in a fish market” or that “she sang like a million pigs”.

Glorious! will be performed at Harrogate Studio Theatre from Tuesday June 25 to Saturday June 29.

Performances are daily at 7.45pm plus a Saturday matinee at 2pm.

The society is happy to welcome any musician/actors at the first reading at the Regent Parade rehearsal rooms, on the corner with Westmoreland Street, Harrogate, on Wednesday January 23 at 7.30pm.

Tickets for Glorious are available now and can be bought in person from the box office or by calling 01423 502116 or via email: [email protected] or on line.