25/02/2026
R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots)
About the Play
Written in 1920, R.U.R. (Rossum’s Universal Robots) by Karel Čapek is the groundbreaking science-fiction drama that introduced the word “robot” to the world. Set in a remote industrial factory, the play follows the executives and scientists of Rossum’s Universal Robots, a company that manufactures artificial workers designed to serve humanity. As global dependence on these engineered labourers grows, ethical tensions begin to surface: What defines humanity? Can life be manufactured? And what happens when creation begins to question its purpose? Blending sharp satire, political allegory, and prophetic insight, R.U.R. explores ambition, conscience, revolution, and the fragile line between maker and made.
CHARACTERS
Harry Domin, General Manager of R.U.R. Age: 30–45
Helena Glory / Helena Domin, Humanitarian F Age: 20s–30s
Alquist, Chief Builder / Architect M/F Age: 50s–70s
Dr. Gall, Head of Physiology M/F Age: 40s–60s
Dr. Hallemeier, Psychologist / Educator M/F Age: 40s–60s
Fabry, Chief Engineer M/F Age: 35–55
Busman, Financial Director, M/F Age: 40s–60s
Nana, Housekeeper, F Age: 60s–80s
Radius, Robot Revolutionary, Age (appearance): 20s–30s
Primus, Robot, Age (appearance): M 20s–30s
Helena-R (Robot Helena), Robot, F Age (appearance): 20s–30s
Disclaimer: This production envisions the Robots as a visually unified and physically disciplined ensemble. These roles will involve sustained physical control, coordinated movement, and strong stage presence. Actors interested in Robot roles should be in good health and prepared for a physically engaged rehearsal process.
Actors interested in auditioning should prepare a short monologue which they think best represents the character they’re auditioning for.
Character Breakdown
Harry Domin
General Manager of R.U.R.
Age: 30–45
Domin is the charismatic, visionary executive who believes utterly in progress, efficiency, and human mastery over creation. He is persuasive, confident, and intellectually agile — a man who sells the future with ease. Emotionally guarded and pragmatically ruthless, Domin views robots as tools rather than beings. His marriage to Helena exposes the fault line between idealism and industrial ambition. Domin embodies the arrogance of unchecked technological optimism.
Helena Glory / Helena Domin
Humanitarian
Age: 20s–30s
Helena is the moral heart of the play. Idealistic, empathetic, and politically awakened, she arrives believing robots deserve rights and dignity. Her compassion clashes with the utilitarian logic of the factory. Her desperate final choice is driven by ethical conviction rather than calculation. Helena represents conscience, empathy, and tragic idealism.
Alquist
Chief Builder / Architect
Age: 50s–70s
Alquist is the only human who works with his hands — a builder rather than a theorist. He distrusts abstraction and reveres labour. After humanity’s destruction, he becomes the last human alive, burdened with preserving meaning and hope. A role of humility, gravitas, and spiritual weight.
Dr. Gall
Head of Physiology
Age: 40s–60s
Gall is the scientist who gave robots human traits. Compassionate but naĂŻve, he believes refinement equals improvement. His growing guilt reflects the unintended consequences of creation without restraint.
Dr. Hallemeier
Psychologist / Educator
Age: 40s–60s
Bombastic and ideological, Hallemeier prides himself on shaping robot consciousness. Often comic, he becomes chilling as his confidence collapses. A role balancing satire with menace.
Fabry
Chief Engineer
Age: 35–55
Fabry is the practical technologist: inventive, efficient, and emotionally detached. He treats progress as a technical puzzle rather than a moral question.
Busman
Financial Director
Age: 40s–60s
Busman sees the world in numbers and returns. Blunt and often darkly comic, he reduces catastrophe to an accounting problem. Cynicism hardens into realism.
Nana
Housekeeper
Age: 60s–80s
Deeply religious and superstitious, Nana fears the robots from the outset. Often dismissed, she ultimately proves prophetic. A grounding role rooted in instinct and tradition.
Radius
Robot Revolutionary
Age (appearance): 20s–30s
Radius is the first robot to openly defy humans. Strong, commanding, and uncompromising, he embodies revolutionary fury and inevitability.
Primus
Robot
Age (appearance): 20s–30s
Gentle and curious, Primus develops emotion and love. His relationship with Robot Helena represents emergent humanity and hope.
Helena-R (Robot Helena)
Robot
Age (appearance): 20s–30s
Modeled after Helena Glory, she evolves from imitation to authentic feeling. Alongside Primus, she represents the birth of a new humanity.
Actors interested in auditioning should prepare a short monologue which they think best represents the character they’re auditioning for.
AUDITION DETAILS
When: Saturday 28th February and 7th March 2025 from 10am – please email to
book a time slot
Where: Roxy Lane Theatre, 55 Ninth Ave, Maylands
Book your audition: [email protected]
We are not-for-profit community theatre and these are unpaid roles.
