James Johnson's THE AUDITION Opens at Barons Court Theatre Tonight

There aren't that many honest plays about theatre. Whatever goes on behind the curtains, backstage, in a rehearsal room, at an audition - is usually a hush-hush no-go zone. We have seen hundreds of carefully edited versions of that on TV thanks to the tear jerking X Factor and the like, but do we know what an actor feels going into that room to face their fears, what the director is really looking for when casting for a play?

'The Audition' is partly the answer to those questions and partly a disturbing theory of what theatre looks like from the inside.

Written a decade ago by the BBC Stewart Parker Award & the New York Innovative Theatre Award Nominee James Johnson, 'The Audition' has been performed at the Edinburgh Fringe, Hollywood Fringe in LA, The Etcetera theatre in London and more. This production at the Barons Court Theatre is a whole different level of shocking. Directed by Kit Thacker, one of London's best kept directing secrets, it's bound to be talked about. Kit has directed over 140 plays, including 4 shows in New York, and specialises in the theatre that takes us to The Edge of our comfort. Actresses Olga Leon and Victoria Tyrrell who play Stella and Lauren, are prepared to bear their talent and give it to you raw, without compromise. On day one of rehearsals all three agreed: 'if we are doing this, we are really going for it'.

A story of two struggling souls, one innocent, another - hard as stone, 'The Audition' is ruthless and takes no prisoners: it calls theatre 'a pigeon that shits on you, but it still expects you to feed it breadcrumbs', it proves that actors are weird species who transmit on a different frequency, it gives you a taste of that weirdness. A bitter taste.

'The Audition' opens at the Barons Court Theatre tonight, Feb 5 2013 and runs Tuesday to Saturday (7.45 p.m.) Sunday (6.30 p.m.). Admission: £12 (Concessions: £10). Box Office: 020 8932 4747 (Tickets now on sale) or http://www.offwestend.com/index.php/plays/view/8849.

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