Last updated at 16:41, Wednesday, 30 July 2008

A board reading “film auditions upstairs” is placed in the foyer of the Kirkgate Centre.

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In the airy theatre, production manager Rob Adams sets up a camera and microphone, while director Joe Tibbetts checks through his notes.

First through the doors today is Penny Poole from Low Lorton. She seems relaxed while waiting to be called up: “I’ve never done anything like this before, but I saw an ad in the library and the randomness appealed to me. I like randomness and the idea of something different. I have no expectations, really, I am mostly curious.”

It’s time for a break. More than two hours have passed, but Rob and Joe still have 18 people to see today and tomorrow. However, they are feeling positive about the auditions so far, which have inspired plenty of thought. The pair are from Kangchenjunga.tv, a film production company, and this is the first day of auditions for their project, The Tides, a series of films about the lives and loves of three Cumbrian families over the last century.

It is a hugely ambitious project. Not only will the narrative cover more than 100 years, but through auditions here and in Aspatria, Carlisle, Wigton and Workington, the team hope to find enough people to cast some 100 speaking parts, plus people to work behind the scenes.

And according to Joe, who was born in Carlisle, these people will bring essential contributions to the making of the film and their knowledge and skills will inform the process.

“The storyline is strongly developed and we have the treatment [outline of the film], but the script is not set in stone,” he says. “And nor should it be, because if someone we audition has a skill we can use, we’d be a fool not to take that up. It is an organic process, and if we see a way of developing we hadn’t thought of, we will use it.”

They began advertising a few weeks ago, putting posters up in local cafes and libraries, and small ads in newspapers. They deliberately chose to be low-key, keen not to attract queues of young people hungry for near-instant fame.

Indeed, Joe has written an information sheet which will be given to people on their arrival, which reads: “It is important to understand that these auditions are not competitive... like The X Factor or Britain’s Got Talent, nor are we conducting a search for a new star to take the lead role in Mary Poppins.”

The pair admit their approach has been a gamble. Rob, who is the contact for people registering for auditions, said: “We couldn’t guarantee anyone would reply, or turn up. But luckily so far people have been very interested. When I’ve spoken to people on the phone, the response from everyone has been along the lines of ‘what a brilliant idea’.”

The 54-year-old is a self employed editor, so can be flexible about attending workshops and rehearsals. “It sounds like it will be a local community initiative, and since I moved to Cumbria two years ago I’ve been very keen to make connections, both for my business and socially.”

She is invited down to sit in front of Rob and Joe and told about the background to the film. Firstly, the films will take years rather than months to make, and will initially be released through the internet (in a similar format to BBC i-player).

She is asked more about her background and invited to ask questions, then filmed reading two extracts from work by Melvyn Bragg (which features a heavy dialect) and Margaret Forster.

A photo is taken of her holding her prison-style ID – ‘Penny Poole, 001’ – and then asked to sing ‘Happy Birthday’, to give an idea of her vocal talents.

Next up is Emily Magorrian , 17, from Cockermouth. She heard about the auditions through her dad, who is in CADS (Cockermouth Amateur Dramatic Society).

A keen actress, she is always looking for new opportunities and experiences.

“I’ve acted at school, in pantos, farces and straight plays. I like pantos best, they’re just such a laugh. I’d like to go on and have a career in acting so to get involved with this would benefit me, and auditions are always good practice.

“But I also think Cumbria is a wonderful place, there’s nowhere else like it. It seems in the middle of nowhere but the community spirit is fantastic and I think a film about it would be good.”

Many people applied for the audition in pairs, like Rosalind Hart, and her son Oliver, from Ravenglass. Rosalind signed up for both of them, but didn’t tell Oliver until just before the audition.

And though for many 21-year-olds the thought of being brought to an audition by their mum might fill them with dread, Oliver is very enthusiastic.

Afterwards he says: “I’ve always been interested in performance, and would give anything a go – acting and music, I love music. I am a drummer but I love making music and singing. I think this sounds like really good fun.”

He is going to London next week to start a new job, but hopes to still be involved with the making of the film. Joe believes this should work out fine because of the flexible schedule.

Rosalind has been involved with amateur dramatics in the past. “This sounds right up my street,” she smiles. Over the years she has worked as a nurse and midwife, and run an antiques shops and B&B in Gosforth, but her main passion now is her four horses. “I think this sounds very interesting, it’s just what I’m looking for. It’s perfect.”

But it’s not just about attracting people’s initial interest; keeping their commitment will be vital too. They will be asked to attend workshops and rehearsals, but months might pass before the next one. From the point of view of casting, Joe believes the long-term project will play to their advantage.

“The films cover a long period of time, so to film a young person like Oliver now and then to film him in five years would work well. It also means we can work with people intensively and they will have a chance to develop skills.”

People who do get involved will be given a password to the website, so they can access up-to-date information, and will be sent a newsletter by email once a month.

But with filming potentially taking up to a decade, and the fact most parts will be unpaid, there must be a fear of people losing interest? “We are fully aware of that,” says Joe. “And we will have to work really hard to keep people’s commitment.

“But we do have experience of communications [Kangchenjunga.tv is an offshoot of Boilerhouse, a successful marketing company set up by Joe and Vicky Sargent in 1992], and also of making things happen.”

Today, they seem to be off to a promising start.

First published at 13:40, Wednesday, 30 July 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk