"We're looking for people who can perform and enjoy themselves on stage."

That is the message from the musical director ahead of the band casting for a major show coming to Kenilworth's Talisman Theatre this year.

Singer-songwriter Dan Barrie is part of the team set to bring Rock Of Ages to life at the Barrow Road venue in June, in what promises to be one of the biggest shows of the year.

While there are still months to go until the curtain comes up for the opening night, the team are already putting preparations in place.

And with auditions for the band coming up on April 11, Dan is reaching out to local musicians to come and get involved.

"We're looking for two guitar players, a bass guitarist, a drummer and a keyboard player, so we're looking for five musicians in the band," he told Nub News.

"As well as getting to perform, there is a paid element."

He continued: "What's quite interesting about this show is the band is really part of the production.

"So rather than being in a band pit, separate from the stage, they will be on stage for the whole production.

"They'll be the only cast members who are on stage the whole time and that's going to bring a new kind of element to the fact that they can express themselves more as musicians.

"It's fun, it's upbeat, it's high energy."

Set in 1980s Hollywood, Rock Of Ages tells the story of rocker Drew and small-town girl Sherrie as they chase their dreams at the legendary Bourbon Room, while trying to save the venue from being replaced by a strip mall.

Featuring iconic rock anthems of the decade, Dan says the show promises to be a fantastic spectacle for both performers and audiences.

"[I love] the use of the amazing 80s rock songs," he continued.

"It's a funny, upbeat show.

"It's high energy for about two hours and it's a brilliant show."

The team has already started casting the actors and are hoping that as many people turn out as possible for the band auditions next month.

Each performer will be given ten minutes to perform one of the numbers from Rock of Ages and then a song of their own choice to show off their abilities.

And with the musicians staying on stage throughout the show, Dan said the role would suit people who have played in traditional theatre bands as well as those with experience playing rock music in a more conventional setting.

"There's a lot of music and performance they can really give on stage that is different to a traditional theatre band," he explained.

"We're looking for people who are interested in playing or have experience playing in pit bands, but we're also looking for musicians who have experience playing 80s rock music and rock musicians who are interested in giving this sort of performance a go."

He continued: "They will be dressed by the wardrobe department and there are even some lines of dialogue in the show, but there's no acting experience needed.

"We're looking for musicians who want to be part of the production and who just want to give it a go.

"So, it's merging those two worlds of theatre and music."

Rock Of Ages runs at the Talisman Theatre from June 22 to June 27, with tickets already on sale.

Ahead of the run, Dan has also encouraged locals who have not seen the show before, or perhaps not visited the Talisman either, to come and see for themselves.

"As someone who has gone to many productions at the Talisman, I can just say I'm always blown away by the standard and the level of the actors and the time that people put into everything at the theatre," he said.

"I think especially being an audience member at Rock of Ages, you're going to have an incredibly high standard of acting.

"There's a lot of brilliant performers who are really putting their talents on full show in this production.

"I think it's going to be a good time - you're going to a rock show with a great story behind it."

To find out more about the auditions, follow this link.

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