If Leeches Ate Peaches - one-shot radio drama/podcast

If Leeches Ate Peaches - one-shot radio drama/podcast

Project Overview

WARNING

This project deals with mature themes and language, including sexual assault, mental health/psychosis, attempted suicide,  and strong swearing/sexual references.


If Leeches Ate Peaches is the story of Annabelle Lee, as she unwillingly commits herself for psychiatric care for what she believes is only 72 hours. In reality, someone  else is pulling the strings to extend her confinement, forcing her back into his arms.  One day during her stay, she finds another girl speaking to her from inside a book. They are also called Annabelle, only this one is from 200 years ago, trapped inside a Victorian Asylum. Their stories are the same, wronged and imprisoned by the man they had thought protection. They find solace in one another, eventually finding it impossible to distinguish them-self from the other.



RULES FOR AUDITIONING

1 - show  all the emotion you can

2 - try and make the character truly your own/unique

3 - feel free to ad-lib if you think it's fitting

4 - please do AT LEAST 3 varied takes of each line

5 - be willing to commit to deadlines and re-direction


If you have any issues or queries, please do feel free to drop me a message! x

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Latest Updates

  • RELEASE!!!

    Leeches has finally finished production, and is set to be released this Saturday! Thank you so much to everyone who has followed the progress of this journey, it's been amazing, and here (at last) is the fruit of our efforts: https://youtu.be/LqK7y_SC-Eg Enjoy! x
  • Casting Complete

    I wanted to thank everyone who auditioned so very much for all your time and interest dedicated to the project so far - it's been truly lovely to see! I've managed to cast everything now, and look forward to getting all the cast together on our Discord to really get our teeth into it! For those who are interested in the development and release of this project, feel free to follow my twitter (@CelestielleVA) or subscribe to my YT channel, where I'll be posting updates, teasers and more - where you can also find me as CelestielleVA x Thank you again, it's been awesome, and I'm looking forward to dedicating myself even further to this piece. Till next time, guys <3
  • DEADLINE MOVED FORWARD

    Hello again, all <3 Just to say I managed to finish the script, 100%, overnight - and as such I'm planning on moving the deadline forward from its original date, as I said I might do once I reached this point. I'm very eager to start getting down and dirty into the main work of this project, and I'm keen to cast sooner rather than later. I doubt I will cast until the project is past the audition deadline, unless something truly blows me away. There won't be any more roles added, so from now just go wild and do your best with everything that's here now :) **TL:DR - auditions deadline will now be early May, and not mid-June** Once again, thank you so much for all your hard work so far - I'm looking forward to seeing what else you all have to give! Until then, much love, Liz x
  • NEW ROLES ADDED!

    The script is now well on it's way to finalisation, and as such two new roles have been added! THOMSON - young adult male, one for the young romantics out there! and DR. GREAVESLY - middle age male, a nasty bit of work, requiring a British (RP) accent! Also just a note to say thank you so so much for everyone who's taken part and submitted auditions thus far; there's such an immense pool of talent right here and it's going to be a tough job sorting through it, I can tell you that! I'm so incredibly excited for this project - I've even started editing the introductions and ambience of various scenes, so I'm counting down the days till I get to choose this fabulous cast haha Hope everyone's keeping safe and well right now, and I hope you have a really great day! Thanks again for following the progress of this project :) Liz x
  • New role added!

    Thank you so much for your engagement with the project so far, I'm super excited with it all! A new role has been added - The Other Annabelle - for any female VAs who are interested. I was caught between having the same voice for both Annabelle's, but think it probably more interesting and fun to have different voices. I can't wait to see what's in store next :) As an update on the script too, it is roughly 1/3 finalised, so that's just nice (for me, at least)
Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Dr. Charlie Sharpe
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: Rat Smacker

Charlie Sharpe is Annabelle's ex-fiance. Charlie Sharpe is also Annabelle's new psychiatrist. Do you see the problem here?

He is still in love with her and, despite having assaulted her, does not think he's done anything to hurt her. He truly believes he is helping Annabelle 'get better,' but is really doing whatever he can to keep her contained alongside him. If he can't have her in the real world, he'll have her in the hospital. Because he is so good at being manipulative, he is surprisingly charismatic and sometimes understated in his mannerisms, but has truly sinister moments where he can even become unhinged entirely.  It's questionable whether he is even as sane as some of the patients he treats.


Voice notes:

Pitch - medium

Accent - North American

Age - late 20s/early 30s

  • (manipulative, calm) I do have a private practice, and I do have plenty of time for you, outside of this hospital. Let me help you, Bells. Let me fix you... (beat) You know how broken you are.

  • (quiet, loving, sinister undertones) I’d never hurt you, Bells. I love you.

  • (aggressive, shouting, fast) I said get back here! Stop it – stop it, you bitch! OW! I’m not a bad man! I was giving you something to make all this go away. Just – go away! I’ve been good to you, so good to you! Couldn’t have just been grateful, been a good girl like you used to! Well I’m – I’m not the villain here! Are you suffering? Are you suffering?! STOP TAKING THIS MOMENT AWAY FROM ME!

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
The Other Annabelle
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: kstegercello

Our Annabelle finds Annabelle No-Last-Name inside her book, speaking to her from 200 years ago – in exactly the same situation, inside a Victorian Asylum in London. She is often referred to as The Other Annabelle. She is younger than our Annabelle, about 18 – exactly the same age our Annabelle left London for California.

Annabelle No-Last-Name is much less of a pessimist than our Annabelle, finding their magical connection more hopeful and fun than a potential sign of madness. She knows she isn’t insane, having been put in the Asylum for attacking her would-be assaulter. She believes strongly in justice and hope, and is the reason Basil managed to find our Annabelle – she said she was lonely, so he found her a friend. 

She could be described as a bit of a Luna Lovegood – she finds delight in odd things, and has a gentle, whimsical tone when she speaks. Nonetheless, she can be loud and clear when she needs to be.  Various sections of the story are told as narrated monologues by her, and so she also has somewhat of a storyteller's nature to her.


Voice notes:

Pitch – medium

Accent – British – NOT Cockney, but either some form of RP/Southern English or Irish

  • (curious, then delighted) It's a lot brighter than any light I've ever seen - it's not gas is it? (Beat) Fluorescent! What a word!

  • (low, sad)  Rosemary, for remembrance, says Ophelia.

  • (with a quiet intensity, hushed and quick) The stripes upon the walls round me appeared to be moving. Diary – Annabelle – I mean this just as I say it! I swear upon what little I hold dear that the stripes were writhing slowly upon the surface. They say the house is alive… They say your eyes adjust… It didn't take long for me. Some believe that the spirits of the girls who used to sleep here are trapped inside the walls, but I don't know. I think it is alive… The asylum, I mean. Every part of it.

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Sir Basil
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: Calum Johnston

Sir Basil Edward Basil is a sentient, magical rat the two Annabelle's manage to teach to sing and speak. He is the once-favourite pet of Queen Victoria who now swings between both realities as he pleases, through magical rat tunnels he has spent centuries digging with his fellows. He is highly chivalrous, upbeat and optimistic, and owes a great debt to the Annabelle's, who saved him from certain death via cats and mousetraps. He is perhaps reminiscent of Narnia's Reepicheep. He speaks very quickly and with a lot of character, and sometimes it's virtually impossible to get him to stop talking at all. He  often speaks in third person, referring to himself as Basil-Basil - he's very fond of 'name's so nice, you say it twice.'


Voice notes:

Pitch - medium-high (but not too high!)

Accent - either London Cockney OR London RP (posh, essentially)

I love the idea of him either being unbearably Mary-Poppins-Cockney or outrageously rich and royal - or perhaps he's able to swing between the two for comedic effect

  • (a little pompous) Ahem! It's quite as I says, Ladies! I passed many a moon within this place - an exploit that was said to be impossible, or inadvisable at the very least - due to the Good Doctor's decree that leaves us 'vermin' little chance of obscurity. Nonetheless, due to my native genius for espionage, Basil-Basil has managed to remain entirely hidden from view!

  • (gentle, understanding) It matters not why you should care, my Lady Lee - for care you do, whether you choose to admit it or not.

  • (singing, making up the tune) There was an English lass, as pretty as a rose...

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Veronica
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: miickeydeez

Veronica is another patient in the hospital; a girl in her late teens who befriends Annabelle shortly upon arrival. She is soon to be undergoing ECT for reasons she doesn't understand. She's understandably terrified,  and scared of losing parts of herself or her memory she won't even remember she lost. A lot of her is filled with rage, and she finds it difficult to express it healthily sometimes. As such, she has moments where she really explodes without quite knowing why.


Voice notes:

Pitch - medium , perhaps a little raspy

Accent - any

  • (stuttering, awkward, words tumbling out) You’re Annabelle Lee! I know your music - from before! Hard to forget, really. I'm - I'm Veronica...by the way...

  • (upset, angry, like word vomit) I don’t want to forget. Doctor keeps sayin' they’re gonna take me to electro— electro— To ECT… I’m really, really scared. Because nothing happened to put me here. I just… got sad. And I used to be really happy. All it took was for him to say I was broken and I was. Pretty Victorian, eh? But I want you to write everything. I want you to write everything that happens and make it a song and make me remember if I can’t, ‘cause everyone knows— EVERYONE KNOWS— that you can’t erase crayon.

  • (humming something, sounding a little distant and dreamlike)

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Nurse (Chloe)
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: tal

Chloe is one of the few nurses who are sympathetic to Annabelle's plight, allowing her to keep 'contraband' items in order to keep her happiness (and sanity) up. She is fairly new to the nursing gig, and can be quite nervous and apologetic, but at the end of the day just wants to do her job right.


Voice notes:

Pitch - no preference

Accent - North American

  • (flustered, apologetic) What have you brought? Okay, one second. Let me just check with my supervisor… Sorry about this, it's just - well, it's ward policy...!

  • (kind, gentle) You’ll be okay. I’ll keep your things safe for you, don’t worry.

  • (apologetic, hasty.) Ah, but – I mean… No pens. Nothing you can hurt yourself with.

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Thomson
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: Grumbo

Thomson is a young photographer hired by Dr. Greavesly at the asylum to photograph certain inmates for a collection of ‘New Ophelia’ portraits. He’s passionate about his work, but doesn’t see eye to eye with others around him about what it means to be mad, or how the women in the asylum are treated. He has very idealistic views and is perhaps a little naïve – described as just another ‘young romantic.’ He quickly befriends and seemingly develops an interest in the Other Annabelle, seeing her as the perfect ‘strong’ Ophelia.


Voice notes:

Accent – RP British OR North American

Pitch – medium, preferably sounding somewhat smooth and pure

Age - early/mid 20s

  • (soft, tender) That heart-shaped scar, you mean? I must confess, I disagree with you, doctor. To my eye, the scar is the very soul of the portrait. It shows a history.

  • (conversational) Tell me... ever seen a camera before? One flash, one puff of smoke, and a moment is kept in time forever. No agony over paints, etchings, printing presses. They’re all the rage in America.

  • (angry, emotional, quick) You – you quote Shakespeare, and command emotion – you sit and talk and – and know your worth, with light behind your eyes, and you… You just don’t belong! I capture you and think that’s all it is, think I’ve seen so many subjects, sent them all downstream, but you… No, you – you capture me. I cannot let you stay here! I cannot let this go – for any girl, it isn’t right! It isn’t right!

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Dr. Greavesly
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: damycles

Dr. Greavesly oversees much of the ‘treatment’ at the asylum in which the Other Annabelle resides. He’s everything you’d expect a Victorian asylum doctor to be – sexist, self-important, and a little bit nasty. He butts heads with Thomson a fair bit, but puts up with him for all the money he expects to make from exploiting the photographs of his inmates. He should have an arrogant air about him, and speaks in a very straightforward manner – he’s the type to assume he’s always the smartest in the room. He has a habit of calling Thomson 'Thomas' because he never bothered to learn his name.


Voice notes:

Accent – English

Pitch – medium or low

Age - mid/late 40s

  • (amused, arrogant) Why, the disease of Ophelia is the disease of the melancholy, mad, and female – and we, my dear Thomas, own a great deal of stock in it! (Laughs)

  • (scoffs) You young romantics find your ‘soul’ in the strangest of places!

  • (cold, spiteful) Why should you care for them? They are the filth that paved the streets.

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
The Leeches
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: MLJones_VO

Literally, a bunch of gigantic black leeches - fat and long and maybe 7ft tall.

The Leeches are figments of Annabelle's imagination, ebbing at the corners of her vision at all times. They mostly just slime about around the room and whisper or giggle to themselves, but sometimes - when she's feeling particularly weak or unhappy - they begin to sing or scream at/with her. They're somewhat akin to a Greek Chorus, just a little bit grosser to look at.


Voice notes:

These roles are utterly up to interpretation, and at least 2-3 actors will be cast - if not more! Feel free to make them as weird, creepy, or unexpected as possible. Literally, go insane - or keep it very low-key, there's no rules for these guys.


  • (teasing, sinister) Throw them against the walls. Why not? See what sticks in your mouth...!

  • (giggling a little) It’s just a salt, they said. Though you must drink a great deal of water or else you'll die! But it’s just a salt.

  • (teasing, mock-theatrical) ‘Too much of water hast thou, poor Ophelia…’


    Optional: sing/vocalise a couple notes of whatever you fancy OR give a reel of strange/scary laughs and/or screams

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Shrink
closed
Unpaid
cast offsite

Put simply, Shrink is a shrink. We hear them over the phone a couple times to Annabelle, acting as her therapist. It is they who force Annabelle's hand into self-institutionalising, saying they are otherwise unable to keep refilling her medication prescription. They are relatively stern and serious, though easily slips into being patronising. This role can be played male or female.

I imagine them having a very sharp tone, taking no nonsense, and surprisingly unsympathetic.


Voice notes:

Pitch - medium-low

Accent - North American

  • (sternly) I don’t think you’re taking this very seriously.

  • (stern, low) I’m sending an ambulance. Don’t resist this time.

  • (patronising, impatient) Look, Annabelle, you’re a highly intelligent and talented young woman but you are also very, very sick. You need to be in a place where you can get better. I think that being under supervised care is exactly what you need right now.

Voice Actor
Voice Actor
Orderlies
closed
Unpaid
Role assigned to: Hatti

Various nurses and ward orderlies who work at the hospital Annabelle has been committed to. These roles are completely up for interpretation,  varying from stern, 'no-nonsense' nurses, to sympathetic, to patronising.

They will likely be cast to a number of actors for variety.

  • (warning) Keep it calm, Lee. Got plenty others waiting for a call.

  • No need for the attitude, Annabelle. It’s just time for your appointment.

  • (gentle, a little patronising) You had an appointment earlier this week, now, didn’t you? And Dr. Sharpe was very kind and arranged your next one himself. Just as well he did, or you might not have got round to it. All worked out in the end though, hey?

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