Wired Aerial Theatre (Wired) is excited to be working with the Bregenzer Festspiele (Bregenz Opera Festival) again in 2024 for their production of Der Freischuetz directed by award-winning Philipp Stoelzl. This will be Wired’s 4th production working with Bregenz.

Wired will direct all artistic and technical aspects of the stunts, and our Artistic Director, Wendy Hesketh-Ogilvie, will be the Movement Director for this production.

Working in Austria with the amazing team at Bregenz Opera Festival is a real highlight for us. Taking a big group of people overseas for 10 weeks, means that we need talent as well as empathetic and reliable team players to enrich everyone’s time on the job.

We are building ourselves an exuberant and superb team and are searching for dynamic and charismatic performers with a range of physical skills for this summer season of Der Freischuetz performed on the lake stage in Bregenz.

We are looking for talented performers with a drive to create and invent, to help us build the true essence of the show and bring it to life. 

This is a large-scale production and requires commitment, a high level of professionalism and a strong ethic of teamwork. Rehearsals and shows happen in wind, rain, blazing sunshine, whilst submerged, and in water. Experience of working in outdoor environments would be beneficial although not essential.

Being a part of such a fabulous show and performing to 7000 people a night brings a great sense of achievement. If this sounds exciting to you then please read more and if you have the skills we are looking for, send us your application.

We recognise the positive values of diversity, promote equality and challenge all forms of discrimination. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds and especially encourage people from the Global Majority as well as individuals with diverse ethnic backgrounds and/or experiences of discrimination or socio-economic challenges, to apply. 

We are looking to cast 9 female performers and 10 male performers, we are also casting for 4 swing roles (2 female and 2 male). 

* All performers need to be comfortable working in water and wet conditions and be excited by creating and repeating set choreography.

*It is essential for the majority of performers to be comfortable swimming, moving through and performing in water whilst fully clothed and wearing a mask and wig. This may also involve holding your breath to enter stage and emerging from the water. The audition process will involve wearing costume, mask and wig to experience how this feels. Wired will ensure that time is given to familiarise yourself with these requirements.

What skills and roles are we looking for?

Physical performers/dancers/actors with movement skills

We are looking for exceptional movers, performers who are experienced in movement improvisation; it is essential that performers can convey characters and moods through the use of their bodies alone. Experience in contact work and group work is beneficial. All female performers must be capable of performing choreography in shoulder deep water which would involve holding your breath, inverting, hand-standing, short spells of treading water and working with a partner. We require one male performer to also have experience of wearing a harness and who is capable of falling into water and using breathing equipment to exit the scene underwater. A diver will lead this manoeuvre at all times and necessary training and rehearsal will be given to complete this scene.

Physical performers/climbers

Performers who have the above skills and are also skilful/experienced climbers.

Roller blading duo

1 female and 1 male duo or individual female and male roller bladers who are capable of learning/creating skating choreography as a pair. You will also be required to perform group movement choreography and walk through water in other scenes in the show.

Swing performers

We are looking for performers with the necessary skills to cover certain roles/skills within the production. 

• 1 male and 1 female required to cover the roller blading scene (we can adapt/simplify choreography as necessary). The female is also required to perform in other movement scenes. The male will be required to fall into water and be capable of using breathing equipment to exit the scene underwater. A diver will lead this manoeuvre at all times and necessary training and rehearsal will be given to complete this scene. 
• 1 male and 1 female swing to cover several roles within the production as necessary. Versatile performers with a can-do attitude who understand the nature of performing as a swing in a production of this size. 

Climbers

Climbers who would wear a costume whilst performing climbing duties on stage, ensuring safety and using rigging equipment as rehearsed.

*Please ensure you make us aware of all relevant skills, relating to any of the roles/skillsets you wish to be considered for, in your application.

*Please be aware that if you are applying for a role that requires roller blades, you will need to bring your own to the audition.

Audition process & key dates:

We encourage all applicants to research Der Freischuetz to give you a sense of the show before making an application.

To apply, follow this link and fill in the online application form.

Closing date for applications is 4th January 2024 7pm GMT (UK time). 

We are looking to recruit the following roles:

• Performers
• Performers/climbers
• Male/Female roller blading performers capable of dancing/moving in other scenes (please mention your duo partners name, if applicable, in your application)
• Swing performers (with roller blading/water skills and without roller blading/water skills)
• Climber/performer

Successful applicants will then be notified by us no later than 10th January 2024. Due to the high level of applications expected we’re afraid we cannot contact unsuccessful applicants or provide feedback.
Selected applicants will be invited to the audition held in Liverpool, UK on 19th-21st January 2024. You will be required for one full day and in exceptional circumstances, a further day. We will send you dates within the invitation.

The online application form requires you to:

• upload your CV or appropriate alternative (please see application form for more detail);
• provide a written statement (or appropriate alternative, further detail in application form) of why you want to work with us and why you would be suitable for the role. Please clearly list your skills relevant for the role(s) you are applying for and how advanced/refined they are;
• upload a short video of you moving (1-2 minutes):
  • as if you are a re-awakening water corpse
  • dancing/moving with a sense of earth/weight to your movement quality
  • dance/move doing what you do best (your own style), please film yourself roller blading if appropriate

We will specifically be looking at how you move and how you are able to convey emotional expression using your body (no spoken word please, just body movement). Please ensure to include footage of all 3 movement tasks mentioned above. Phone videos welcomed, filmed in lounges/rooms in your house if necessary;

• fill in the Equality, Diversity & Inclusion form (linked in online application form). (Wired Aerial Theatre is committed to ensuring equal opportunities across all its activities. To do so, we ask all applicants to provide EDI data. All data collected is completely anonymous.)

*We cannot consider any applications who do not provide us with ALL the information and completed forms we have requested.

Dates of work

All female roles as well as the male performers working underwater will require a two-day research and development workshop in Liverpool to develop water-based vocabulary before travelling to Bregenz, this will most probably be in April 2024. Successful applicants must be available for these dates (to be confirmed in January 2024 with the group).

Bregenz, Austria based work will take place June - August 2024 (10 weeks) for all male and female roles.

Payment details

You will be employed by Wired Aerial Theatre on a fixed term contract for an expected period of 10 weeks. Annual salary is £30,500 paid on a pro rata basis. Any annual leave accrued will be paid at the end of the contract. Living expenses contribution is £250 a week.

Wired Aerial Theatre will pay return travel to Austria plus accommodation costs for the duration of the contract. You will have your own rooms in shared accommodation. Some accommodation may be a short distance from the venue. Wired have a good relationship with a bicycle hiring company and always encourage our cast to rent a bike for the duration of the contract as there are many wonderful places to visit that are nearby. Bike hire fee is not covered by the company.