AUDITION NOTICE: Money and Friends - Mates Theatre Genesis

Title: Money and Friends

Presented By: MATES Theatre Genesis Inc.

Genre: Australian Comedy / Social Satire / Drama

Synopsis: Written by acclaimed Australian playwright David Williamson in 1991, Money and Friends is a sharp social comedy exploring friendship, loyalty, wealth and the uncomfortable truths that emerge when money becomes involved. Set in the fictional coastal holiday resort of Chrystal Inlet, the play follows a close-knit group of nine friends whose relationships are tested when financial hardship strikes.

Peter, a kind-hearted mathematics professor, faces financial ruin after helping his brother through bankruptcy. His closest friend and neighbour, Margaret, attempts to rally their wealthy friends to support him, but discovers that generosity is much easier to discuss than to practise. As personal ambitions, romantic entanglements and long-held resentments come to the surface, the group must confront the difference between their professed values and their actual behaviour. Through wit, hypocrisy and uncomfortable revelations, Williamson examines the fragility of friendships when financial security and self-interest are at stake.

Audition Date: Sunday 15 November 2026

Audition Time: 10:00am–12:00pm This is a group audition. Applicants may arrive at any time during the two-hour session to participate in script readings.

Audition Location and Address: Birkdale School of Arts Hall (Downstairs), 101 Birkdale Road, Birkdale

Audition Requirements:

Auditions will be conducted through cold readings from the script alongside other actors.

• No prepared monologue is required.

• Applicants will read selected scenes from the play.

• No special accents are required, as this is an Australian play.

• Performers should be prepared to demonstrate characterisation, script interpretation and the ability to work collaboratively.

• Applicants of varying experience levels are welcome.

Optional StageWorx Script Readings: Two free script-reading sessions will be held before auditions, offering prospective performers an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the play.

• Saturday 7 November 2026: 9:00am–12:00pm

• Wednesday 11 November 2026: 1:00pm–4:00pm

Location: Cleveland Library, Meeting Room 2, corner of Bloomfield and Middle Streets, Cleveland QLD

Audition Registration:

• Complete the audition form included in the audition pack and email it to info@matestg.org.au with a recent headshot, if available.

• Applicants should also bring a copy of their completed form and headshot to the audition.

• The audition form requests:

  • Personal and contact details.

  • Preferred roles.

  • Previous performance or crew experience.

  • Known rehearsal and performance conflicts.

  • Willingness to accept alternative roles or assist backstage.

  • Membership status.

• Registrations will be accepted until the audition schedule is full.

Audition Pack: Download Money and Friends Audition Information Pack (PDF)

Performance Times:

• Friday 12 March: 7:30pm (Opening Night)

• Saturday 13 March: 2:00pm and 7:30pm

• Saturday 20 March: 2:00pm and 7:30pm

• Sunday 21 March: 2:00pm (Closing Performance)

Performance Location: Birkdale School of Arts Hall (Upstairs), 101 Birkdale Road, Birkdale QLD

Rehearsal Dates: Rehearsals commence Sunday 22 November 2026 and continue until opening night, with a Christmas/New Year break.

November–December 2026:

• Sunday 22 November — First read-through

• Sunday 28 February - Thursday 11 March — Bump-in and technical rehearsals

Rehearsal Times:

• Tuesday Rehearsals: 7:00pm–9:30pm

• Thursday Rehearsals: 7:45pm–10:00pm

• Sunday Rehearsals: 1:00pm–4:00pm

Rehearsals will be held at Birkdale School of Arts Hall, initially downstairs before moving upstairs for technical rehearsals and performances.

Performer Age: Adult performers. Peter is described as being in his 40s–50s, and Justin in his 20s.

Creative Team:

• Playwright – David Williamson

• Director – Karen Neale

Director Contact:

• Phone: 0400 170 373

• Email: president@matestg.org.au

Production Website: https://matestg.org.au/auditions/

Other information:

• This is an amateur community theatre production. All cast and crew positions are unpaid.

• Successful cast and crew members must become financial members of MATES Theatre Genesis.

• Membership Fee: $20 per year, payable by the first rehearsal.

• Cast members may be required to assist with sourcing costume pieces, props, footwear and personal makeup.

• Performers must be available for rehearsals, performances and any required publicity activities.

• Successful applicants will be contacted by phone and/or email, while unsuccessful applicants will be notified by email.

• Successful cast and crew members must not publicly announce their involvement until MATES has made its official casting announcement.

• Opportunities are also available for backstage, technical and front-of-house volunteers.

Available Roles/Character Breakdown

PETER

• Gender: Male

• Playing Age: 40s–50s

• A professor of pure mathematics who is exceptionally kind-hearted and well-liked by his friends. Peter faces financial ruin after helping his brother through bankruptcy. Despite his intelligence and generosity, he finds himself in an increasingly desperate situation. His financial difficulties expose the true nature of his friendships as those around him are forced to decide whether they are willing to help.

• Performance Requirements: Strong naturalistic acting, emotional vulnerability and the ability to portray warmth, intelligence and financial distress.

MARGARET

• Gender: Female

• A sharp-witted history professor who is Peter's closest friend and neighbour. Divorced and independent, Margaret is the first to recognise the seriousness of Peter's financial situation and attempts to persuade their wealthy friends to offer assistance. Intelligent, outspoken and socially perceptive, she is also navigating her own romantic life, having recently begun relationships with younger men.

• Performance Requirements: Strong comedic timing, confident characterisation and the ability to portray intelligence, independence and loyalty.

CONRAD

• Gender: Male

• A high-profile television reporter and husband to Jaquie. Conrad is professionally successful and belongs to the wealthy social circle whose friendships are challenged by Peter's financial difficulties. He is also the father of Justin, whose resentment towards him reveals tensions within their family.

• Performance Requirements: Confident stage presence and the ability to portray a successful public figure with complicated personal relationships.

JAQUIE

• Gender: Female

• Conrad's wife, described as a gold digger. Jaquie is strongly motivated by wealth, financial security and the social advantages that accompany success. Her attitude towards money reflects the materialism and self-interest explored throughout the play.

• Performance Requirements: Strong character acting, comedic timing and the ability to portray social ambition and materialism.

STEPHEN

• Gender: Male

• A successful surgeon who is neurotic, tense and easily wound up. Married to Penny, Stephen is part of the affluent friendship group whose personal values and loyalties are tested by Peter's financial difficulties.

• Performance Requirements: Strong comedic timing, expressive characterisation and the ability to portray anxiety, tension and emotional intensity.

PENNY

• Gender: Female

• Stephen's wife. Outwardly sweet and agreeable, Penny attempts to conceal her personal dissatisfaction and frustrations within her marriage. Her pleasant demeanour masks deeper emotional conflicts.

• Performance Requirements: Subtle emotional range, naturalistic acting and the ability to portray the contrast between outward politeness and inner frustration.

ALEX

• Gender: Male

• A highly successful lawyer, described as a "mega-lawyer". Married to Vicki, Alex enjoys considerable professional and financial success, placing him firmly within the affluent social circle at the centre of the play. His marriage is complicated by Vicki's growing desire for a different life.

• Performance Requirements: Confident characterisation and the ability to portray professional success and complicated personal relationships.

VICKI

• Gender: Female

• Alex's wife and a highly competitive social climber. Ambitious and attracted to wealth, glamour and social status, Vicki is considering leaving her husband for an opportunistic younger man who promises her an exciting new life in Los Angeles. Her dissatisfaction with her current circumstances reveals the tension between material success and personal fulfilment.

• Performance Requirements: Strong comedic timing, confident stage presence and the ability to portray ambition, dissatisfaction and social competitiveness.

JUSTIN

• Gender: Male

• Playing Age: 20s

• Conrad's son. A young man who harbours considerable anger towards his father for years of neglect and emotional distance. Justin is also romantically involved with Margaret, creating further complications within the friendship group. His resentment towards Conrad and relationship with Margaret add an intergenerational dimension to the play's examination of loyalty, relationships and self-interest.

• Performance Requirements: Strong naturalistic acting, emotional intensity and the ability to portray youthful frustration, resentment and complicated relationships.