Monologues

A project for creating monologues

Outline A seven lesson scheme of

work that guides participants
through the creation of a monologue
and the skills and techniques in both
creating and delivering a monologue.

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Session 1 Starter (5mins)

A quick introduction to the focus for the unit for monologues
and for this session. This session is going to be looking at
creating simple monologues through thought tracking and
narration through monologues.
OBJECTIVES
1. To understand and be able to use
the concepts of thought tracking Activity 1 - Storyboarding (10mins)
and narration through thought This game is all about looking at creating and communicating
tracking. meaning through still image. It requires the participate to read
2. To use freeze frames successfully what is taking place on stage already and to then create a
3. To use freeze frames to create a meaning that develops the story. One person is asked to strike
narrative a pose on the stage. Two more people join the still image to
4. To develop performance skills of create a narrative or moment of action. Each member of the
spontaneous improvisation.
group is then asked in turn to replace on of the three
performers and change their pose slightly to show progression
FREEZE FRAME in the story.
When you create an image with your
bodies that tells a story or narrative. The TAG: Narrative – Imagination.
narrative is told through clear body
language, facial expressions and the use Activity 2 - All in (10mins)
of space between actors. Instead of asking people to take the place of someone else, this
time people enter the image and add to the image until the
THOUGHT TRACKING picture is full and complete. Ask each member of the group in
Thought tracking is when all the the image to then thought track what each of the characters is
characters on stage freeze at once and thinking. Start with the main protagonist (normally the one
then proceed to say out loud what they
who started the image) to set the tone and details of the story.
are thinking at that moment in time. It
Each thought track must be in relation to the main protagonist
helps both the actors and the audience
understand what is taking place in the (i.e. “I don’t know the person, I was just walking past but I
characters minds and offers an insight thought there was something odd going on” or “He is my son
into their feelings, emotions and and I wish we didn’t argue so much, especially in public”)
motives about the action taking place
on stage. Activity 3 (10mins)
Bring the class back into a circle and ask one person to
enter the stage area and ask them to strike a pose entitled
“waiting for a bus”. Ask another person to enter the
scene and take on a character and a pose that makes
them obviously related to the first character (e.g. Mother,
daughter, grandmother etc...)

Ask a third person to enter the image as a potential to

cause conflict (an angry member of the public, an old
friend who they don’t like etc...)
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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Add two more people, one playing a relative of the person

Session 1 causing conflict and a witness / passer by who is observing the
action.

Ask for the scene to take action and watch the story unfold for
SPONTANEOUS IMPROVISATION a few minutes before stopping the scene and asking them to
Spontaneous Improvisation is when
return to the original still image.
action takes place without any prior
rehearsal or preparation taking place.
What happens on stage is literally Recap on the story that unfolded in the spontaneous
spontaneous. improvisation. Ask someone to write down the story as a log of
what happened.

The actors are then going to re-enact the performance, but

instead of having dialogue like the initial spontaneous
improvisation did, the actors are going to describe what is
happened through narrative monologues. (i.e. “I am Tom, I’m
waiting for a bus”, acts it out, “I am Tony, Tom’s boss, we
recently has an argument over a pay rise, I go up to him to tell
him he can’t have one” and acts it out...)

Activity 4 (15mins)
Split the group up into smaller groups. Run the same exercise
again, but with each group creating something different. Make
sure that as a facilitator, you go through the same stages and
don’t just let the groups create it for themselves, it is important
for them to understand the process of creation rather than just
skipping to create the end product.

Plenary (5mins)
I think that it is important to reflect on every lesson and start
the group thinking about setting targets for themselves. For
assessment it is important to keep a log book of activities, so
ask the students to write a reflective log for this lesson.

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Session 2 Starter (5mins)

This session is going to be analysing an existing monologue in
terms of it’s emotional sub-text and how that can be used to
prepare it for performance.
OBJECTIVES
1. To being using scripted work. Activity 1 - Shielded from the Bomb (5mins)
2. To analyse scripts for emotional This is a game that really gets students active – ask the
content and sub text students to find a space in the room away from others. Ask
3. To understand the concept of Unit them to choose someone else in the room who is going to be a
of Action. bomb and another person who is going to be a shield. Once
they’ve chosen (but not told anyone) the game can begin. They
UNITS OF ACTION must get into a position where the shield person is always
A unit is a discrete piece of action in a between them and the bomb. That is actually very difficult!
play-text, marked by a significant TAG: Warm Up – Physical – Energy
change in action or emotion.

Activity 2 - Mirrors (10mins)

In pairs, stand opposite each other as A and B. A is going to
copy every movement that B makes as if A were the mirror of
B. Swap over. Then do the same exercises but A and B must
always be in constant eye-contact. Swap over. Finally do the
activity without anyone leading. It sounds impossible, but if the
pair stay in eye contact and move slowly, both will lead at the
same time.
TAG: Warm Up – Cooperation

Activity 3 (35mins)
Hand out to the class a monologue from a play such as
Shakers, Bouncers or Too Much Punch for Judy. Before you
give it to the students break it up into 4 or 5 units. Explain
to the class the concept of Stanislavsky's Units of Action
and that the monologue is broken up into what could
possibly be called Units of Action.

Read through the monologue as a group. Discuss the

monologue first, what is the piece about? What is the
mood of the piece? What do you think the purpose
behind the monologue is?

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Ask the participants in pairs to write down, in each unit of

Session 2 action, what the character might be thinking. This is creating
sub-text for the character.

In the same pairs, splitting the text equally between them,

prepare to perform the piece, using the sub-text that they’ve
just created as a guide for how to perform it.

Plenary (5mins)
I think that it is important to reflect on every lesson and start
the group thinking about setting targets for themselves. For
assessment it is important to keep a log book of activities, so
ask the students to write a reflective log for this lesson.

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Session 3 Starter (5mins)

This session is going to be about performing the prepared
monologues.

Activity 1 - In the driving seat (5mins)

OBJECTIVES In pairs, one person is the car and the other is the driver. The
1. To perform.
car is blindfolded and the driver stands directly behind the car
2. To evaluate their own work and set
targets for improvement in the driving seat. Instead of using words, the pair use an
3. To evaluate the work of another agreed system of touches (i.e., left shoulder = left, centre =
and set targets for improvement. stop) the driver drives the car around the room, keeping it safe
from penalty points, speeding fines and crashes.
TAG: Warm Up – Group bonding

Activity 2 - Lets (10mins)

Bring the class together into a circle and two people enter the
circle. One player starts by saying “Let’s go to the pictures”,
the second player has to say “Yes lets” and then begin the
scene. After a few moments, a third player enters the stage and
says “Hi guys, let’s go fishing instead”, the other two players
have to say “Yes lets” and the scene changes to them going
fishing (or whatever the idea is). A new player is added each
time until the whole group are taking part and it is a free for all
to who says “Let’s do this...”
TAG: Narrative – Spontaneous Improv

Activity 3 – Rehearse and perform (35mins)

Give the students some time to prepare their performance. If
there are any props or costumes or lighting available, you might
want to discuss the options of using those and what they might
bring to the performance. Make sure that the students are
aware of how they are going to being and end the
performance. If the participants are working towards a
qualification, it might be a good idea to asses this piece. I like to
get the other participants to asses each other using the same
assessment scheme as the qualification.

Plenary (5mins)
I think that it is important to reflect on every lesson and start
the group thinking about setting targets for themselves. Ask
the students to evaluate their performance and the
performance of another, setting targets for each.

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Session 4 Starter (5mins)

This session is going to be looking using conscience alleyways
and role on the walls to find out information about characters.

Activity 1 - Blind leading the blind (10mins)

OBJECTIVES In pairs, one of the pair is blindfolded. The other is the leader.
1. To understand the concept of a
Partners begin at the same spot, but when one of them is
conscience alley as a tool for
discovering how other characters or blindfolded, the other partner has to find a new spot in the
those around the main protagonist room and guide their blindfolded partner to them using only
feel about the protagonist. small sounds. The aim is not to trip your blindfolded partner up
2. To understand and use a role on the but to work with them to bring them towards you.
wall as a method of documenting TAG: Group bonding – Warm Up
that information for future use.
Activity 2 - Boxing (5mins)
ROLE ON THE WALL In pairs, each couple has a boxing match! But there are rules!
A role on the wall is a large drawing of an
Each player has a move in slow motion, there must be no actual
empty ginger bread man on a large piece
of paper. On the inside of the drawing is physical contact and the reactions to each punch must be
written what the character thinks about unrealistically large!
themselves and those around them. On TAG: Warm Up – Physical
the outside of the drawing is written what
other characters think about them. Activity 3 – At the same time (5mins)
Everyone find a space in the room. Ask everyone to walk
around the room, stopping and starting, but everyone must do
so at the same time without there being a leader. Try it with the
group sitting or moving backwards.
TAG: Warm Up – Physical

Activity 4 – Conscience Alley (10mins)

Begin with the group in a circle and recap on the main
character from the monologue used to perform – perhaps
reread the monologue to aid memories.

Ask for one person to play the role of the monologue character
and the rest to form two lines with space for someone to walk
through.

The person taking the role of the monologue character is going

to walk down between the two lines – or the alleyway.

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

As they do so, those forming the alley way are going to say
Session 4 aloud what other people might think of them. Ask those people
forming the alleyway to think about ways of delivering the line,
not just saying it, but using different tones of voice or volume
to add depth to what is being said.

Discuss as a class what was said and how the central character
felt about it.

Activity 5 – Role on the wall (15mins)

In small groups, using a pre-prepared role on the wall blown up
to A3 paper, write down around the outside everything that
everyone thinks about the central character and on the inside
write down all the things that the central character thinks
about everyone else.

Plenary (10mins)
Bring the class together to discuss the findings from the Role
on the wall and make a list of single words or phrases that
come from the discussions.

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Session 5 Starter (5mins)

This session is going to be looking at create simple characters
using stimuli that can be developed into more complex
characters to use to create monologues.
OBJECTIVES Activity 1 - Moods (10mins)
1. To use stimuli to create a still image
The class begin in a circle and one person enters the stage,
based performance.
2. To use still image and thought acting out a clear and easily readable mood, such as anger or
tracking to create a character. sadness. A second person enters the stage, the acknowledge
3. To work independently to write each other with glances, gestures or routines but do not talk to
facts about a character they have each other. The second person takes the on the mood of the
created. first. A third person enters the space with a different mood and
goes about slowly changing the mood of the other two actors.
Once the mood has changed, the first person exits and a fourth
enters the space, again with a different mood and goes about
slowly changing the mood of the others and so on and so forth
until everyone has had a go.
TAG: Warm Up – Physical

Activity 2 – Still Images (15mins)

Ask the participants to get into groups of about 4 or 5. Call out
one of the words or phrases written down from the role on the
wall exercise in the last lesson as a stimulus to create a still
image. Give the group about a minute to create the image
before watching them and doing another word. Select about 5
or 6 of the best words.

Activity 3 (15mins)
Ask each group to then select their favourite image and
recreate that image with the characters then coming
forward and performing a monologue about who they are
and how they are related to the central character (i.e. “my
name is Rosie, I feel isolated from my friends because I
don’t fit in” “my name is Charlie, I hate Rosie, she doesn’t
belong here with us, she has no fashion sense what-so-
ever”)

Activity 4 (15mins)
Ask the participants to then sit down and write for 15
minutes as much as they can about that character they’ve
just created.
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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Session 6 Starter (5mins)

This session is going to be looking at developing our
monologues for performance.

Activity 1 - Group Count (10mins)

OBJECTIVES Everyone standing in a circle with their backs to the centre so
1. To create a monologue for
no one can see anyone else. The object of the game is to count
performance.
up to the number of people in the group, with numbers
following on from each other and no number said at the same
time. If this happens, the group has to start again.
TAG: Narrative – Group bonding

Activity 2 – Writing / Rehearsals (40mins)

Ask the participants to review the notes from the last session
and the are going to create a monologue in which their
character tells the audience a little bit about themselves, their
past experiences and their emotional state.

This can be done in two ways or a combination of both. The

first is to simply write it down first. The second is to get up,
start improvising the monologue and write down what comes
out afterwards. It is really about whatever works for the
individual participant.

Plenary (5mins)
The participants are going to perform their monologues in the
next session so they need to prepare for that by sourcing any
costumes or props they want to use and by learning their lines.

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 Monologues
A project for creating monologues

Session 7 Starter (5mins)

The monologues will be performed in this session.

Activity 1 - Reactions (10mins)

With the group standing in a circle. Two people enter the circle,
OBJECTIVES A & B. A has a fantastic piece of news to give to B, such as they
1. To perform monologue for
have just won the lottery! B has to react without thought with
performance.
as much energy as they can. A exits the stage and C enters. B
then gives C a new piece of news, C reacts, B exits and D enters
and onwards until everyone has had a go.
TAG: Spontaneous Improv – Warm Up

Activity 2 –Rehearsals / Performances (40mins)

Give the students some time to rehearse the monologue
before performing it to the rest of the group.

If this is an assessed unit or the students are working towards a

qualification, it is a good idea for them to be assessed on this
performance. It is also a good idea for the participants
themselves to assess each other.

Plenary (5mins)
Give the students opportunity to reflect on their performances
and set targets to improve when they complete their next
performance.

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