Here's chapter 4, which is really the old chapter 3 with some revision from the audition. If you were reading before the changes, the cast has remained the same. Sorry if I let anyone down. Standard disclaimers, naturally.
Ch. 4 Results
The next day, fully recovered, Alice made the announcement that the roles had been assigned and that everyone was to gather to hear the results. All the Role Holders came that evening to the Clover Tower.
"So, Alice, what is Hamlet about?"
You would think that they would have found this out before tryouts…
She cleared her throat, waiting for everyone to get silent so she wouldn't have to explain twice. "It's one of Shakespeare's tragedies. It's about Hamlet, the Prince of Denmark, whose father dies suddenly. Hamlet's not old enough to take the throne so it passes to his uncle Claudius, who then goes on to marry his sister-in-law, Hamlet's mother. Hamlet is visited by his father's ghost, who tells him he was murdered by his own brother, Claudius, and so Hamlet swears to avenge his father's death by killing his uncle."
The small crowd of Role Holders looked at her blankly for some moments, crickets chirping in the afternoon's warmth.
"He marries his sister-in-law?"
"Isn't that…you know…incest?"
Alice thought about it. "I think so?" More questions ensued and Alice went on to explain more about the play, finally clearing up the confusion.
"So who's playing what role?"
Alice pulled out her crumpled cast list and began to read.
"Hamlet will be played by Julius."
The twins cried out, "Why him?" but Alice ignored their protests and continued, "Claudius will be played by Blood."
"Somehow that seems awfully appropriate," someone muttered in the crowd. Blood gave a rather cold look in the direction of the muttering.
"Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, will be played by Vivaldi."
"A Queen should only play a Queen, after all," Vivaldi said proudly, beaming at Alice. "We approve."
Alice smiled back and thanked her before going on. "Ophelia will be played by me." There seemed to be a general approval of this choice, but then Alice had (conveniently) forgotten to mention Ophelia's suicide later in the story.
"Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, Hamlet's friends, will be played by Dee and Dum."
The twins high-fived. "Sweet, we die at the end!"
"Laertes, Ophelia's brother, will be played by Ace. Polonius, Laertes and Ophelia's father, will be played by Elliot. Boris will play Horatio, Hamlet's best friend. The Ghost of Hamlet's father will be played by Nightmare. Gowland will be the Player and other roles; Gray will play Fortinbras and other roles, and Pierce can play one liners. We can get some of the workers from different areas to play small roles, like lords and ladies and people without lines."
"Who am I, my dear Alice?" Peter asked lovingly.
"Cheering section."
"That doesn't sound like an important role."
Alice sighed, annoyed to have to explain. "You're not in the play, Peter."
His ears drooped sadly and he said quietly, "What I have done to make you hate me so?"
That god-awful poem didn't help your chances much...
"I noticed I'm also missing from the cast list," came a sinister voice from the back of the crowd. Alice cringed as she saw Joker come forward, arms crossed, amused and wicked smile on his face.
Alice visibly gulped. She'd conveniently forgotten Joker in the hustle and bustle of preparing for the play. He hadn't even shown up at the auditions, and had thought that meant he wasn't interested anyway. Turns out, she was wrong.
"Um…"
"I know. You don't have a director, do you?" The ring master's fingers drifted to the whip that was curled up at his waist, as if to say 'I'm already perfect for the role'.
Alice hesitantly shook her head.
"Perfect. Then I will direct."
Alice cringed inside. "That…okay," she agreed in a very small voice.
"So, when's our first practice?" the director said, smiling cruelly in the little foreigner's direction.
