Call-out for a Professional Guitarist to join the Mayflies team

York Theatre Royal is looking for a Guitarist for Mayflies, a new musical theatre piece by award-winning composer, lyricist and songwriter Gus Gowland, which will be performed on our main stage 28 April to 13 May 2023.

Director Tania Azevedo

Designer TK Hay

Musical direction, arrangement and orchestration by Joseph Church

Cast: Nuno Queimado, Rumi Sutton, Emma Thornett

Mayflies tells the story of a romantic relationship between May and Fly. After swiping right, left, up and down across the dating apps, May and Fly match. They begin a tentative conversation. Over time their romance grows into something real, something special. Then they meet…

Mayflies explores the different versions of themselves that people become during relationships and how – in the blink of an eye – it can all come crashing down. In this production, the three actors will alternate the roles of May and Fly with each pairing providing a different perspective on the relationships within this compelling contemporary love story.

The dates are as follows:

• Soundtrack recording – March (1 day, date tbc)
• 2 rehearsal calls – wc 11 April and wc 17 April (3 hours each, dates tbc)
• Tech week – wc 24 April 2023
• Opening Night – 28 April 2023
• Press Night – tbc
• Final Performance – 13 May 2023

The Guitarist will need to be available for all performances. Performance schedule:

Fri 28 April at 7.30pm

Sat 29 April at 7.30pm

Tues 02 May at 7.30pm

Wed 03 May at 7.30pm

Thur 04 May at 2pm & 7.30pm

Fri 05 May at 7.30pm

Sat 06 May at 2.30pm & 7.30pm

Tue 09 May at 7.30pm

Wed 10 May at 7.30pm

Thur 11 May at 2pm & 7.30pm

Fri 12 May at 7.30pm

Sat 13 May at 2.30pm & 7.30pm

This is a freelance, fixed term contract for services, which require candidates to have self-employed status. The agreement is based on UK Theatre/MU Subsidised Theatre rates. The weekly rate of pay is £578.70.

Applicants need to have the following skills and experience:

• An acoustic and electric guitarist with experience using ambient guitar techniques and playing fingerstyle
• Experience of working with new material
• Experience/confidence in working with musical director/musicians
• Experience of working with actors
• Ability to play along to click

We are particularly interested in hearing from local/northern guitarists, with an interest in theatre.

We are committed to inclusion and diversity in everything we do, and are keen to hear from people who are under-represented in our community, particular those who identify as female, non-binary and trans.

How to apply:

Please apply by sending a general show reel, with an example of you playing along to a click track, your CV and covering letter to jobs@yorktheatreroyal.co.uk. We also ask that you complete an Inclusion and Diversity form here and send it with your application. The closing date is Wednesday 01 March 2023.

Interviews will take place via zoom week on Friday 03 March.