The Grand Theatre operates on the traditional lands and territories of the Anishinaabeg, Haudenosaunee, and Lunaapewak. We value the significant historical and contemporary contributions of local and regional First Nations, and all of the Original Peoples of Turtle Island (also known as North America), and acknowledge the traditional lands upon which we live, work and tell stories together.   
 

OUR COMMITMENT 

At the Grand we are committed to creating and practicing a company culture that ensures an accessible, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming space for artists, audiences, donors, board members, and staff. We actively encourage submissions from artists who self-identify as being part of underserved communities. It is our mission to reflect the diversity of our community on and off our stages. If you can imagine yourself in the role, then so can we!  

Access and inclusion are important to us. If you have any questions regarding the Grand’s accessibility policies and initiatives, or any requests, we encourage you to reach out to Vanessa Spence, Associate Producer & Company Manager, at vspence [at] grandtheatre.com (vspence[at]grandtheatre[dot]com).   
 

THE PROJECT 

A Christmas Carol 

By David van Belle
Based on the novella by Charles Dickens 

Directed by: Rachel Peake
Music Direction by: Stephen Ingram
Choreography by: Genny Sermonia

Much mistletoeing, hearts a-glowing, family and spooky spirits gathered near, it’s the most wonderful time of the year! Join Scrooge and the Cratchit family for a holiday musical spectacular with the story and carols that you grew up on – now in a new Canadian adaptation set in the nostalgia of a 1940s department store a little like Macy's, a little like Kingsmill’s, and a lot like memories of sitting on Santa’s knee. 

This musical retelling of A Christmas Carol features performances straight from the holiday songbook, including seasonal favourites “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, “Walking in a Winter Wonderland”, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas”, and more. Marvel as the holiday season comes to life with shoppers busily checking their lists and staff holiday parties that whirl and twirl the night away with stunning choreography and a live band on stage.
    

PRODUCTION DATES 

Rehearsal Starts: October 26, 2026 
First Preview: November 24, 2026 
Opening: November 27, 2026 
Closing: December 27, 2026 
 

AUDITION LOCATION & DATES 

Auditions will happen in London, ON at the Grand Theatre. 
Audition Day 1: Tuesday, August 18, 2026 
Audition Day 2: Tuesday, August 25, 2026
Callback & Dance Call Day: Wednesday, August 26, 2026

Please note that if your young performer receives an invite to audition, in person participation is strongly encouraged for all of the audition days.
 

AVAILABLE ROLES

The Grand Theatre is committed to ensuring our stages reflect the rich diversity of our community. We strongly encourage submissions from young artists of all cultural and diverse backgrounds. If your young performer sees themselves as the character, then we can too!
 

TIM (he/him) - Any gender. Any ethnicity. Age range: 8 to 12 years old. 

The youngest child in the Cratchit family – an optimistic, kindhearted child who loves his siblings immensely. In this adaptation of Dickens’ classic story, Tim walks with a limp (utilizing crutches and leg brace) and experiences respiratory distress throughout the script. Please note, submission for this role will be left open to all young performers but the theatre seeks to prioritize young actors with lived experience with disability The script can be adapted to reflect the young actor’s own lived experience. The young actor playing Tim must be comfortable on stage in front of a large audience and will be in scenes with spoken dialogue, will sing in group numbers, and will sing one solo song. This role will be double-cast therefore each performer will be scheduled for half of the performance dates.
 

CHRISTMAS PAST/MARTHA (she/her) - Any ethnicity. Age range: 10-16 years old.

Christmas Past - The Ghost of Christmas Past is a being from another realm. As such, she is both young and old at the same time, and contains both innocence and deep maturity. She acts as Scrooge's guide and his teacher. Currently, this role is cross-cast with Martha.

Martha - Eldest daughter of the Cratchit family. 

This youth actor should be a strong mover and confident and skilled singer. 
 

CHILDREN’S CHORUS - Any gender. Any ethnicity. Age range: 8-15 years old.

11 available roles. Children’s Chorus play a variety of roles in the production and appear in many different scenes. Young actors should be comfortable singing and speaking on stage in front of an audience. Dance ability is an asset but not a requirement to submit.
 

Please note that the CHILDREN’S CHORUS  and CHRISTMAS PAST/MARTHA roles are not double-cast and therefore will be expected to be present for all performances.
 

SUBMISSION DETAILS 

Parents/guardians: before submitting your young performer for an audition, please read the following:

We receive a lot of submissions! Because of the large volume of submissions we receive, we cannot guarantee an audition for all performers.

While we strive to ensure that the Grand Theatre auditions are a warm and rewarding experience for all artists, it must be understood that an audition or callback for a role is not a guarantee. Directors and creative team members (music director, choreographer, etc.) base their choices on many factors which may include height, ability to follow direction, or voice type.

Please submit a theatre resume and photo of your young performer for consideration through our AUDITION SUBMISSION FORM: https://forms.gle/qnQ7PjFQQhGnGFMn7. Please only submit once.
 

I’ve never made a theatre resume before – what should be included?

For your young performer, please include their past stage experience or any other relevant performing or training experience, their date of birth, current height and contact information of the parent/guardian. Please also indicate any experience with live singing (choir, musical theatre, Kiwanis, etc). 
 

The deadline for submissions to be received is SUNDAY, AUGUST 2 AT 11:59EST. Selected young performers will be contacted within the week of August 11 to schedule an audition time.
 

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Grand Theatre Venue Guide: https://www.grandtheatre.com/venue-guide 

If you or your young performer need additional accessibility support, please contact Associate Producer & Company Manager, Vanessa Spence at vspence [at] grandtheatre.com (vspence[at]grandtheatre[dot]com).