Box of Slices - casting request

[londonbez]

HI everyone,

I'm not normally a forum person, but I just thought I should let you know about something that just happened in the pub...

I just went to to <middleclassness> my Drama Class in Notting Hill </middleclassness> and in the pub after there was a printout of an email going around that had been personally sent to someone on the course who works for an TV production company. It was asking (in a very 'dont bother its shit') kind of way for extras roles (Quote: 'that normal actors wouldnt touch with a bargepole') for a 'working title' of Box Of Slices. The email even seemed to come from Charlie Brooker himself, if you believe that. No mention of Morris of course. (The production company stated was Zeppotron)

Anyway, it does seem genuine and I'm hoping to go down for Saturday morning casting for a laugh at the very least. I'll post full details as soon as I get them tomorrow via email - don't see why everyone else shouldn't join in!

hope this helps - in the very least I'm hoping to get *some* info back to the masses!

Again, this seems very genuine - no-one I spoke to even realised who Brooker was let alone CM's involvement so it suggests they werent making it up!

take care,

Bez.

[Rev]

Nice.  You will be sliced in half and mined for details in the very near future, but please stick around.

[londonbez]

Don't worry - I know I''ve opened up a can of worms and I'm here until they've all been accounted for....

bez

[Jaffa The Cake]

Steal as many scripts as you can. Oh and get a part in it, and secretly record everything. You can sell them it as a DVD extra when the time comes.

[londonbez]

Yup, lets hope I dont get a non-speaking part then... I.e 'third man from the back selecting tomatoes' at Sainsburys ala Luvvie Darling. Lets also hope they are impressed with my naturalistic Strataslavskian take on being a casual park walker rather than some sort of Brecht interpretation.

Seriously though, I have a Minox document camera and I'm more than prepared to use it in anger.

bez.

[The Region Legion]

You should post up the information and we could have a Verbwhores meet at the auditions. See how many of us can make it into a Morris production.

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

You forgot to mention whereabouts said auditions are happening.

Is anyone else hoping that Box of Slices will be like Six Dates With Barker/Coogan's Run/Lenny Henry Tonite, with Morris playing a different character each week? That might be what it is. The Nathan Barley pilot (if it exists) being reworked as Show 1, with other characters/formats entirely for the other five.

[The Man With Brass Eyes]

we could have a Verbwhores meet at the auditions.

I think most of us would prefer to eat our own flesh.

[A Passing Turk Slipper]

Is anyone else hoping that Box of Slices will be like Six Dates With Barker/Coogan's Run/Lenny Henry Tonite, with Morris playing a different character each week? That might be what it is. The Nathan Barley pilot (if it exists) being reworked as Show 1, with other characters/formats entirely for the other five.

That would be great, seperate plots and characters for seperate episodes but I don't think it will be like that, not for any reason I just reckon the whole six episodes will be about this Nathan Barley. Thanks for the info londonbez, is there anything else we can squeeze out of you that was mentioned in the thing? If it is material that normal actors 'wouldn't touch' then that implies that it will be all dark and stuff. I'd rather it wasn't but don't really mind as long as it's funny.

[Darrell]

Is anyone else hoping that Box of Slices will be like Six Dates With Barker/Coogan's Run/Lenny Henry Tonite, with Morris playing a different character each week? That might be what it is. The Nathan Barley pilot (if it exists) being reworked as Show 1, with other characters/formats entirely for the other five.

It's what I've been hoping for too, but I really don't think it'll happen.

If it is, I'll scream in delight.

[Partridge's Love Child]

Strataslavskian

They don't teach you very well at these classes do they.

This whole things sounds like yet another excuse for a TV company to dazzle people with a little piece of fame, without having to pay them very much.

<Pats Equity card in pocket whilst clenching other hand in a Right On Sister type fashion.>

[Jemble Fred]

Come on, Strataslavsky was miles better than all that Stanislavsky shit! It's when you learn to emote by putting yourself in orbit, isn't it?

[Morrisfan82]

I really don't see what violins have to do with all of this.

[Partridge's Love Child]

Charlie Brooker makes me want to resort to violins.

[londonbez]

Sort-of update: Full details will be provided asap - basically some of the people from my course are already on the list, and so I'm just waiting to be forwarded the actual (location) details and contact email.

I do think you'll need to at least email ahead, it all sounds pretty informal but I didn't get the impression from the email you could just turn up. The offer of money touted was £55 - so, yes, its little more than a *very* cheap way of getting people involved. (I feel sure *this* is why  'normal actors wouldn't touch this' - rather than the content as suggested by 'A Passing Turk Slipper', so don't get too upset just yet!)

Just remembered, the email asked for people mainly around 25, and also mentioned 'come dressed in trendy gear' but if not 'suitable Hoxton type clothing would be provided' - this is interesting, unless they are just intending to film one episode per casting, which seems unlikely... So, looking like a whole NB series then?

bez

p.s I was hoping you would forgive my previous mispellings since I only do 2 hours a week and it was 1am at the time...

[Emergency Lalla Ward Ten]

(High court judge voice): What is 'trendy gear'?

[londonbez]

Well, I have heard of Oasis, but my thoughts exactly . Lets hope they have plenty of these free loan items, because whatever I'm in almost certainly wont be 'in'.

I guess a wander down Hoxton should answer my curiosity.

bez.

[londonbez]

Here are the details for anyone interested in being an extra in 'Box Of Slices':

Firstly, it seems they *don't* mind if you do just turn up (this is only going by what one person at the company has told my freinds).

When: Saturday 12th June 2004 between noon and 6pm
Where: at 21-22 Newman Street (Talkback Productions offices)
Nearest Tube: Goodge Street
Age: Around 25
Dress: They state 'trendy' - but says costume may be loaned
Pay: A whopping £55 a day
Filming: As required, in Hoxton, this month and into July.

I will double confirm all this just to be sure tomorrow.

bez.

[theantileague]

Anybody go to this? me and my mate decided at 5pm on friday that we would get a coach down to london on that night (6 and a half hour journey!) on the offchance that we might get a part in this, and also for a random day out.
Anyway, our journey wasn't wasted, we eventually found the talkback offices and went up to where a couple of casting guys were waiting for us.
From what they tell us I can now confirm that box of slices is a 6 part series about the one guy Nathan Barley and NOT a different character each episode, the script does look promising though. We had to read a section out of it to the camera and this is now being sent up to the powers that be to see if we have a speaking part or just a walk on exras part.
We have been told that it will be definitely one of those and they would ring us up this week with details.
Either way...it's a once in a lifetime chance to work closely with chris morris and I for one am fucking excited about this!

[dan dirty ape]

'Box Of Slices' is surely a traditional CM 'smokescreen' title then? It's got nothing to do with Nathan Barley as far as I can tell.

I'm a bit disheartened it's all going to be based on Barley, as I felt the TV Go Home 'Cunt' pieces weren't a lot more than repetitive potshots at a social group Brooker was disdainful of.  They also relied on a level of biliousness that I would think lends itself better to a short bit of text than an extended visual skit.  In any case the point of satirising Hoxtonites is lost on me. It's been done since the late 90s (eg. Shoreditch Twat) and people outside East London and Soho probably couldn't give less of a shit anyway.

[tubbsthespidergigolo2]

Yeh can someone explain to a thicko like me what a hoxtonite is?

[theantileague]

The guy did say it was a series satirising hoxtonites although...being from the north i'm not sure what one is either mate

[dan dirty ape]

The Hoxton/Shoreditch/Brick Lane area in East London has in recent years been perceived to be populated by a glut of obnoxious media fashonista types. Brooker's Nathan Barley character was presumably created as an attack on these people.  But that character debuted on the TVGoHome site in the late 90s and wasn't much more than an in joke even back then.  Five years on it's hard to see who this is being made for.

[Hemi]

'Box Of Slices' is surely a traditional CM 'smokescreen' title then? It's got nothing to do with Nathan Barley as far as I can tell.

I took it as a euphemism for the very same TVGH title, which they wouldn't be able to use.

[dan dirty ape]

'Box Of Slices' is surely a traditional CM 'smokescreen' title then? It's got nothing to do with Nathan Barley as far as I can tell.

I took it as a euphemism for the very same TVGH title, which they wouldn't be able to use.

Oh, yeah. You could well be right there.

[theantileague]

'Box Of Slices' is surely a traditional CM 'smokescreen' title then? It's got nothing to do with Nathan Barley as far as I can tell.

I took it as a euphemism for the very same TVGH title, which they wouldn't be able to use.

Oh, yeah. You could well be right there.

AHA!

Hmmm...should we stay optimistic about this show do you think?

[TotalNightmare]

So...

Is anyone else doing this.

Myself and a friend dragged ourselves over to TalkBack on the saturday and auditioned.

I spoke the line they asked me to read... i fucked it up... left feeling a right idiot and didnt expect to hear more. Until about an hour ago when i got a call back to attend recording of the show...

I have yet to be given a proper call time and such but i'd hate to be on my own tomorrow...

so.. anyone?

PLease?

(hang on... if they want me back.. does that make me a cunt?)

[theantileague]

gah, i havent got a callback yet :( although they told me they defnitely would

[Hemi]

Five years on it's hard to see who this is being made for.

You hit the nail on the head there.  I remember on one of his Radio One shows Chris Morris attacking TV insiders as taking part in a ceremony where they all masturbate over a statue of Bob Geldof.  He concludes this flight of fancy with a venomously spat out "WANKERS!"  Typical of the 1994 CM it was succinct, well-directed, imaginative and elicited an unstoppable laugh.
As for Box of Slices....
So far CM's writing contribution (such as it might be) seems to be along the lines of the Loaded Bar Guide type spoofing (I'm thinking of the computerised barber shop mentioned in one of the updates).  Some posters on here have already mentioned their reservations that the programme is being made by and for  the self-same people it is supposedly sending up, with the conflict-of-interest problems that entails.  Maybe they are mocking people lower down in the heirarchy they share.
I'm neither optimistic or pessimistic about Box of Slices at the moment.  CM is clever and talented enough to potentially make something good out of this, but the premise isn't promising.

[Eskimogirl]

When will you all realise that you will only ever be allowed to know what CM chooses you to know