Minotaur Column: Parts Any Actor Would Kill For

There are no small parts, only small actors… Except when the lead role is up for grabs. Freddie Van Der Velde looks at the most desired parts in theatre.

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Despite our friendly learning environment, drama students are at each other’s throats constantly, attempting to outwit and out-act our coursemates to the point of blood and tears for any part we can get our backstabbing claws on.  Here is a small list of a few parts (I say a few because I will no doubt be criticised for not including others’ top choices), both male and female that we will LITERALLY KILL YOU FOR.

Exemplar carnage from the recent Shorts festival.

MALE

Hamlet, Hamlet 

One of Shakespeare’s greatest male roles and arguably the first action hero. He kills a lot of people and feigns madness to exact his tragic revenge. Schwarzenegger and Van Damme rolled into one RP-speaking, badass motherfucker.

Johnny Rooster Byron, Jerusalem

Jez Butterworth’s local Flintock gypsy has plenty of meat to sink an actor’s teeth into. With tall-story telling to Father Son estrangement, Byron is an enigmatic force of nature. Originally played by Mark Rylance, Byron will perplex and seduce audiences and actors alike. Be warned, strong stomachs are essential for the infamous egg yolk scene.

Jonathan Moss nabbed the part in Minotaur’s recent production.

Macbeth, Macbeth

Yeah, his names is the title as well. You’d be topping off the next in line too if it meant you got to play Scotland’s darkest and most ambitious fictional king.

Estragon, Waiting For Godot 

One of Samuel Beckett’s most renowned plays features Estragon as one of an absurd duo engaging in the title of this play. You know it’s a good part when Ian McKellan’s played it. Be prepared to face difficulty, with a boot, and for very little resolution.

Credit: Broadway

Iago, Othello ­– Before Heath Ledger’s Joker there were very few motiveless antagonists. Rewind four hundred years and Iago, manipulative and scheming ensign to General Othello, just wants to make the title character’s life a living hell. Analyse and reason with this character (also Ian McKellan approved), he’s just a good old fashioned arsehole.

FEMALE

Lady Macbeth, Macbeth

Power-hungry wife to wannabe king Macbeth, she is driven crazy by the guilt of Macbeth’s murders. There’s always a woman behind the man. This one likes to sleepwalk and clean her hands.

Andrea, Dark Vanilla Jungle

Contemporary writing… What is this?! Philip Ridley’s most recent play is a good one if you don’t like sharing the spotlight, given that it’s a one woman show. A deeply fragmented yet endearing persona with plenty of absorbing and disturbing stories to tell, Andrea craves love but obviously needs help. Be confident in your own sanity before you even consider auditions.

Rosalind, As You Like It

The main protagonist of Shakespeare’s pastoral Comedy takes on the disguise of a man for the majority of the play. This in no way detracts from her charm, wit, intelligence and power over men and women alike. She has Orlando whipped for pretty much the whole show.

Shirley Valentine, Shirley Valentine

Willy Russell’s one woman play about a neglected and lonely middle-aged housewife. Brush up your Liverpudlian and embrace talking to walls.

Nina, The Seagull

Guess what, she wants to be an actress! Nina is one of four characters in Chekov’s nineteenth century naturalistic play. She has a tumultuous story and is the metaphorical “seagull” of the play. Unlike Nina, securing this part can only mean good things for your acting career.

 

Have we missed any? Comment below!