Covid Changes — Casting Open Call
An audio drama production by The Grey Hill
Listen to Webpage Audio Version
Covid Changes is a one-act play by John Hodgart, set in a small Ayrshire town during the 2020 lockdown. We are producing it as a professionally recorded full-cast audio drama and are seeking submissions for five paid remote roles. Written in Ayrshire Scots, the play offers a humorous and moving portrait of one family's experience during an extraordinary period in recent history.
All remote roles will be recorded via video call. Where characters share a scene, we will schedule a group session to suit all performers.
Quick Notes
Location / Format
Remote Recording
Pay Rate
£201.73 fee + royalties
Setup Spec
Quiet space & dedicated mic
Application Deadline
Wed, Dec 2, 2026 (5:00 PM)
Recording Dates
First two weeks of Dec 2026
Jump to Section
The Roles
Sadie F, 40s-60s
A neighbour who arrives injured at Aileen's door during lockdown — sharp, frightened, and proud. A short but emotionally charged scene. A convincing Ayrshire accent is required for this role.
Ms Holmes F
A social worker visiting the family home alongside Mr Baird. Professional, quietly observant. Ms Holmes and Mr Baird share their scene and will record together.
Mr Baird M
A social worker visiting alongside Ms Holmes. Measured and formal but not unkind. Mr Baird and Ms Holmes share their scene and will record together.
Norrie M, 60+
Aileen's father, calling in from his car across two scenes — warmly comic, Scots-speaking, deeply fond of his daughter and grandchildren. A convincing Ayrshire accent is required for this role.
Stew M
A neighbour calling through Aileen's door — brief, blunt, and laced with dark humour. A convincing Ayrshire accent is required for this role.
Fee
The performer fee is £201.73 per performer, calculated as:
- £150/hr session rate (PFH)
- 20% multi-voice uplift
- 12.07% holiday pay
Under Equity terms, the minimum fee is based on one finished hour of audio. Performers receive the full £201.73 even if the total running time is under 60 minutes.
Performers also participate in the production royalty scheme. Full contractual details are available to shortlisted applicants.
The Script
You can read the full play for free on the Association for Scottish Literature website:
Read Covid Changes by John Hodgart — ASL
Audition Sides
Please prepare the following section from the script for your audition recording. Page references are to the ASL PDF linked above.
Sadie — Scene 9 (pp. 28–29)
From: "It's Sadie fae doon the road…"
To: "…Stew'll be…"
Ms Holmes — Scene 7 (pp. 21–22)
From: "Can we come in for a minute?"
To: "Nice to meet you both. Bye for now."
Mr Baird — Scene 7 (pp. 21–22)
From: "Hello. Miss Caig?"
To: "…any problems, just give us a ring."
Norrie — Scene 8 (pp. 25–26)
From: "Hi, Malky. Great tae see ye, son."
To: "…catchin up on the wey hame."
Stew — Scene 7 (p. 20)
From: "Gonnae open yer door…"
To: "…bleed tae daith an naebody wid even notice."
Recording Your Audition
Please audio record yourself performing your chosen side (please keep your total audition recording to 5 minutes or less). We are looking for a natural, conversational delivery.
As this play is set during the 2020 lockdown, we ask that all applicants read the full script via the link above before applying to understand the context and tone of the piece.
You must have a quiet space at home and a dedicated microphone (USB or XLR) for your remote recording sessions via Riverside.fm. Please avoid rooms with significant echo or background noise.
Upload your recording to Google Drive, Dropbox, WeTransfer, or SoundCloud and paste the link into the application form below. Please ensure the link is set to allow access without a sign-in.
Ms Holmes and Mr Baird: you are welcome to record your audition sides separately. If offered the role, you will record the full scene together in a group session during the first two weeks of December 2026.
Our Casting Process
All applications are considered equally.
After the closing date, the director and the author listen to every audition together to compile our shortlist. We guarantee that every actor who makes our shortlist will receive a personal response and feedback.
Due to the high volume of applications, we are unfortunately unable to send individual responses or feedback to applicants who are not shortlisted, but we are genuinely grateful for the time and effort every single person puts into their audition.
Where cast are performing together — Ms Holmes and Mr Baird — we will schedule the recording session to suit all and prefer group remote working. All other remote roles will be scheduled individually to suit.
This opportunity is open to performers based anywhere. There is no location requirement.
Optional Q&A Session
Have questions about the script, your remote recording setup, rates, or the audition process? Want to meet the team before applying?
We are hosting an informal, optional 30-minute Microsoft Teams Q&A Session where you can ask anything and meet the team at The Grey Hill.
Date & Time: Tuesday, 17 November 2026 at 8:00 PM GMT
Format: Microsoft Teams Call (30 mins)
Note: Attending this session is completely optional and will not affect your application either way.
Equal Opportunities
The Grey Hill is committed to making our productions as inclusive as possible. We welcome applications from performers of all backgrounds and do not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, nationality, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, neurodiversity, religion, socio-economic background, or any other characteristic.
We are actively working to ensure our casting reflects the breadth of the communities whose stories we tell. If you require any adjustments to the audition process, please let us know in your application and we will do our best to accommodate you.
Apply
Covid Changes — Casting Application
£201.73 fee + royalties | Remote Recording | Deadline: 2 December 2026, 5pm
Closing date: Wednesday, December 2, 2026 (5:00 PM)
Having trouble viewing the application form? Click here to open it directly →
Equal Opportunities Monitoring Form
Optional / Confidential
Having trouble viewing the monitoring form? Click here to open it directly →
Covid Changes © John Hodgart. Published by the Association for Scottish Literature. Reproduced with permission for audition purposes only.