A DESPERATE plea has been made for actors to star in a delayed musical which is in fear of not reaching the stage after losing a third of its cast.
WODS was due to perform musical Kipps - the New Half a Sixpence Musical last year but it has been postponed until April 2022 because of covid restrictions.
The company runs the risk of not even being able to put the show on next year as a third of the cast is no longer able to appear in the show.
Appeals to replace the 11 actors have been made on social media with little interest.
Before the pandemic and except for the First and Second World Wars, WODS has staged shows every year since 1892 but faces the very real prospect of having to cancel the 2021 show too.
Martin Boniface, WODS' trustee and committee member, said: "We will feel extremely sad for a number of reasons. For many of our members, appearing on stage is something we enjoy doing and for many it is a main pastime.
Performing in musicals is not just about being on stage, it is also a great social experience where we have the opportunity to engage with like-minded people and participate in a shared passion.
We will also feel very sad for our audience. They have missed seeing a show from WODS for two years, that’s four shows.
On a more serious note, there is also the financial aspect to not being able to stage a show. Our main sources of income come from members paying a modest membership fee and from making, a generally modest, profit from staging a show. Having not been able to stage a show for the last two years has impacted both of these valuable sources on income."
Eleven cast members are now unable to take part in the show as their circumstances have changed over the last two years.
Some have moved away from the area with work, moved for college or university or have had a baby or will have a baby around the time of the production in April.
Anyone interested in auditioning for Kipps should attend the first rehearsal on Wednesday, October 6 at 7.30pm at St Mary’s Hall, Northfield Street.
Auditions take place on the evening of Wednesday, October 27 at 7pm with rehearsals held weekly on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings.
To find out more, email info@wods.co.uk.
This article was originally published in the Worcester News.
