The Art of the Monologue

Are you thinking of joining our Youth Monologue competition? Read on to get a few tips on how to deliver a monologue effectively.

Sometimes a script requires an actor to hold the stage (or screen) on their own… in the form of a monologue.

A monologue is a speech where a character speaks for an extended period of time – it can be as short as a paragraph, or run for several pages. Sometimes a monologue can be a stand-alone piece, like a short play or film.

A monologue is a chance for the audience to hear more about the character’s inner world as they are usually sharing their feelings, telling a story, or describing their wants and needs. It’s a window into the character’s emotional journey.

Writers place monologues at important moments in the script – often they signal a turning point, either for the character who’s speaking, or the whole story.  

A monologue can be directed towards another character, spoken directly to the audience, or spoken to the character themselves, as if they were thinking aloud.

Learning how to deliver a monologue well is a key skill for the actor. Here are some tips for shaping your next monologue.

Text analysis

Text analysis involves reading the script for meaning. Read the scene with your monologue carefully, and understand where the monologue fits in the broader story. Have a good sense of the purpose of the monologue – what is it trying to achieve?

Next, work through the text, underlining important words that give clues as to your character’s state of mind. Make a few notes as ideas come to mind.

Find emotional transitions

You can then identify any turning points within the monologue itself – there will likely be a moment where the character has an idea, or has a realisation, or maybe has a breaking point.

There will be an emotional change communicated in the script, as the character unfolds their inner world. As an actor, you can work towards that moment in performance.

Colour

This leads into the idea of ‘colour’. Actors need to take their audience on a journey within the monologue itself. It shouldn't be all one 'colour'.

Sometimes new actors make the mistake of getting a sense of the emotion around the turning point, but come straight in with that emotion right at the beginning and stay at the same emotional register from start to finish.

Instead, you need to work up to that important moment, varying the ‘colour’ of your voice, movement, and level of emotion throughout the monologue.

That way, the important moment is heightened, because it differs from the rest of your delivery.

Use of space

Monologues can be very powerfully performed. So as an actor, think about how you use the space you’re in, for maximum impact.

Your director will give you some guidance, but you may also be able to bring some ideas to the table.

Sometimes, it makes sense to deliver the monologue from just one place. Stillness is an underrated tool of the actor, and can make a performance strong.

At other times, a monologue may call for more activity; it depends on your character’s emotional state and what they’re doing while they’re speaking.

Think again about the turning point, but this time, in terms of movement: maybe at the turning point, you change from stillness to movement? Or maybe the opposite would be more pwerful: at the important moment, you suddenly become completely still? Or maybe, if you’ve been seated, you get to your feet?

Your movement and use of space should be purposeful. They should add to the storytelling in some way.

End your monologue well

At the end, let your monologue ‘land’. There should be a moment after you finish speaking where the impact of the monologue settles on the audience. As the monologue is usually significant in the story, don’t rush away from it too quickly. It may be as simple as a pause or a moment of silence. It may be that the lighting changes, the lights go out altogether, or a sound cue comes in – any of these can heighten the impact of the monologue for the viewer.

Have you heard about Perform Australia’s Youth Monologue Competition? Now’s your chance to apply your writing and acting skills, and win prizes – click through here to find out more!