We are delighted to announce auditions for our 2025 season - a lightly updated version of Gilbert & Sullivan's The Mikado set in the Scottish Highlands.

Auditions will be 16 & 17 November 2024 at Te Whaea, 11 Hutchison Road, Newtown.  All principal role and chorus are being auditioned.  

We are still confirming our venues and performance times, but it's looking like this at present - noting that dates are unlikely to change:

• 10 & 11 May Whirinaki, Upper Hutt (afternoon); 

• 16 & 17 May, Memorial Theatre, Wellington (evening/afternoon); 

• 18 May Globe, Palmerston North (afternoon); 

• 23 May Little Theatre, Lower Hutt (evening); 

• 24 May Te Raukura, Raumati (afternoon); 

• 25 May Memorial Theatre, Wellington (afternoon). 

Rehearsals will be at Te Whaea - Tuesday and Thursday evenings from 7.30 to 9.30, and Sunday afternoons from 2pm to 5pm.  Rehearsals will run from 18 March till 8 May.

David Cox is Director and William McElwee Musical Director. Both include a generous amount of Gilbert & Sullivan in their backgrounds - including performing the Major-General and Pirate King, respectively, in our 2023 show Pirates! 

In addition to singing ability, they are looking for personality and humour, and a willingness to take direction. They will be fully inclusive in their casting and will ensure that auditions are fun and welcoming.  Please note that this will not be a traditional version of The Mikado with updates to the setting and dialogue (including some of the character names below).

The accompanist will be Robyn Jaquiery.

The roles and voice types are as follows:

• Ko-Ko – the Lord High Executioner (baritone)

• Pooh-Bah – the Lord High Everything Else (baritone)

• Pish-Tush – Pooh-Bah’s Right-Hand Man (baritone/tenor)

• The McCardo – the Clan Chief (bass-baritone)

• Nanki-Poo – the Wan’dring Minstral son of The Mikado (tenor)

• Katisha – An Elderly Lady (Alto)

• Yum-Yum (soprano)

• Pitti-Sing (mezzo-soprano)

• Peep-Bo (soprano)

• Chorus of Clansmen and Clanswomen

If you are seeking a named role, it is expected that you sing a page or two of a song appropriate to that role (ideally something from The Mikado and ideally from memory). You may be asked to deliver lines, perform moves, and/or sing from other passages in the opera, as requested by the Directors. 

If you wish to request an audition time, or you are interested but not available that weekend, please fill in details on the booking form here

You can download a score of The Mikado at this link here (note that it is 10mb).

You can access music files to help learn a page or two from the Mikado at this link here.

Below are a few photos from our July 2024 concert series where fifteen of our performers did selections from My Fair Lady, Hello Dolly, The Music Man, Calamity Jane, Call Me Madam, and State Fair.

Photos of a few of our older (pre-Covid) shows are shown below...

Please email us at wco@wellingtoncomicopera.nz if you would like to (a) receive our occasional newsletters where we advertise auditions, or (b) receive information on upcoming productions and ticketing.  We would love to hear from you.  You can also follow us on our Facebook page.