The Audition

The Audition is a complete one act play set in 1850 colonial India exploring cultural identity and bardology. It features a Harry, a young English boy born in India, as he prepares to deliver a excerpt of Shakespeare’s Henry V to his parents and their visitors. Set against the backdrop of the rise in aggressive Christian evangelism, Harry discusses identity with his Indian tutor Singh whilst his parents debate the merits of religious freedoms with their austere guests. The Audition was written by Royal Holloway undergraduate Edward Johnson with the guidance from his lecturers Mike Punter and Dan Rebellato.