What should I do to prepare for a monologue performance?

By Natasha Beaumont, Lecturer in Creative Arts, School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

Monologue performance is a technically demanding but deeply rewarding form of theatre. Monologues are the purest form of storytelling an actor can engage in.

Before I was a drama teacher and researcher, I was an actor on stage and television in Australia and in the United Kingdom.

As an actor, you are always having to prepare monologues as audition pieces. Here are some principles and techniques to help you with this process, to allow you to draw in your audience and strengthen your artistic expression.

Choosing your monologue

Successful characterisation…

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