Attention all actors! The producers of a new Bermudian-themed stage work called "Drums of Passion'' have issued a casting call to fill some 12 roles in the drama.

The play, a fictional account of two real-life Bermudian slaves who ran away from their owner to follow the gombeys on Christmas Day 1830, was written by Mr. Kensley McDowall and is to be directed by Mr. H. Irving Ingram Jr.

Under the patronage of Dame Marjorie L. Bean, "Drums of Passion,'' which has been dedicated to all of Bermuda's gombey leaders, will run at City Hall Theatre from June 1 to 3.

"It (the play) is realistic in style but there is some mysticism to it,'' Mr.

McDowall, who also serves as the producer of the project, told The Royal Gazette .

Mr. Ingram, an experienced director whose past efforts include "The Unexpected Ones'' and "The Snake Within,'' added: "Naturally there would be.

Without a full account of what actually happened then, a great deal would have had to have been drummed up.'' The inspiration for the play, both of the artists explained, came from a newspaper advertisement that appeared in an 1831 edition of The Royal Gazette and which offered a reward for the return of two black slaves who had followed the gombeys at Christmas and failed to return.

Placed in this historical context, the play, which revolves around the families of the two slaves and their owner, "celebrates the Bermuda gombeys in music and dance and attempts to deal with the universal issues of life, love and liberty.'' Mr. McDowall, whose research into the slaves was unable to determine what ultimately happened to them, described the project as "a truly Bermudian play which is not only highly entertaining but educational'' as well.

"I would certainly recommend it for children and students,'' Mr. McDowall, who crafted the play in about four months and described the writing as "an intensive process,'' told The Gazette .

"It's written in very simple language and there's a lot of humour in the truthful and honest way in which the characters express themselves.'' "Drums of Passion,'' which represents one of the few if only instances in which the gombey tradition has been explored theatrically, took some doing to appear in written form, Mr. McDowall explained.

He added that it was not his original intention to fashion the work himself.

"In actual fact,'' Mr. McDowall told Living, "I tried to get a few other writers to write it. But when none of these established writers came up with anything, I decided to do it myself.

"It (the gombey tradition) is an idea I've been wanting to see onstage for a while,'' he continued. "During my research, I talked to a host of folks, including Mr. George Henry James, who is 92 years old and has a wealth of information about everything in Bermuda, and gombey leaders both past and present. With this play, I hope to explore the gombeys in a different form, as pure theatre.'' Described by Mr. McDowall as an actual "combination'' of forms, "Drums of Passion'' -- the rhythmical and highly energised gombey dance has its origins in the "gombay'' drumming of Sierra Leone -- will necessarily draw on the full range of theatrical skills of any prospective cast members.

Though it's "not a musical, the play will of necessity have music and dancing in it,'' the writer told The Gazette .

He added that "lots of people have read along (for the roles) but no one has been cast.'' Consequently, both Mr. McDowall and Mr. Ingram have high expectations for Monday's audition, which is to be held at 7.30 p.m. at an undisclosed location.

In total, there are 12 roles -- eight males and four females -- to be filled before rehearsals start, ranging from the runaway slaves, Mentor and Ajax, to slave owner John Waldker and his wife and children.

The play, a Stage One Productions undertaking, also calls for a 21-year-old house slave of the Waldkers' and a 35-year-old gombey instructor.

"I have tried,'' Mr. McDowall said, "to tie in the Bermuda gombeys to the African drumming, in which all the spirits of the (tribal) forefathers are conjured up. I try to capture that in the first part of the play.'' He added that anyone who is interested in auditioning for the play should call 295-4359 or 292-2297.

Stage One, of which Mr. McDowall is president, was responsible for a pair of well-received stage productions last year, "Toussaint: Angel Warrior of Haiti,'' which featured American actor Antonio Fargas, and "Halley's Comet,'' starring John Amos.

Full rehearsals of the current drama-in-progress, which consists of one full-length act and is to run for some 90 minutes, are scheduled to begin a week after the April 3 audition.

PRODUCER/PLAYWRIGHT -- Mr. Kensley McDowall