Contemporary Monologues for Women (NHB Good Audition Guides): The Good Audition Guides - Softcover

Trilby James

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1854595644 ISBN 13: 9781854595645

Publisher: Nick Hern Books, 2014

Synopsis

As an actor at any level - whether it be school exam, drama-school entrance or professional casting - you are likely to be called upon to perform one or more monologues - and often a speech from a modern play is specified. A great deal will depend on your coming up with something fresh that is suited both to your particular performing skills and to the purposes of the audition. Which is where this volume of The Good Audition Guides comes in.

Here are fifty fantastic speeches for women, all written since the year 2000, by some of our most exciting dramatic voices.

Playwrights featured include Mike Bartlett, Alexi Kaye Campbell, Caryl Churchill, Helen Edmundson, debbie tucker green, Ella Hickson, Lucy Kirkwood, Rona Munro, Joanna Murray-Smith and Enda Walsh, and the plays themselves were premiered at the very best theatres across the UK including the National Theatre, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Bush, Soho and Hampstead Theatres, Manchester Royal Exchange, the Traverse in Edinburgh, the Abbey in Dublin, and many on the stages of the Royal Court.

Drawing on her experience as an actor, director and teacher at several leading drama schools, Trilby James prefaces each speech with a thorough introduction including the vital information you need to place the piece in context (the who, what, when, where and why) and suggestions about how to perform the scene to its maximum effect (including the character's objectives and keywords).

The volume also features an introduction on the whole process of selecting and preparing your speech, and approaching the audition itself. The result is the most comprehensive and useful contemporary monologue book now available.

'Sound practical advice for anyone attending an audition... a source of inspiration for teachers and students alike.' Teaching Drama Magazine on The Good Audition Guides.

About this title

Review:

What immediately struck me about The Good Audition Guide's newest collection is the depth and attentiveness with which the introduction is written. Trilby James clearly wants this book to be as easy to use as possible, and she does not disappoint.The guidance she offers is perhaps the most thorough I have seen in a monologue book, though she realistically asserts her advice is 'suggestion only' encouraging the individual to question, affirming that each actor is different. James discerns between what to consider when preparing for auditions at various stages: youth theatre, drama school auditions, showcases and professional castings offering tips for each. She advises how to prepare for an audition and gives advice on how to tackle age-old queries such as direct address, props and accent.

Each piece also has an introduction broken down into subheadings ('Who', 'To Whom', 'What to consider' etc) and uniquely offers notes on intention or 'what she/he wants', crucial to the understanding of the speech. A list of keywords will be a useful tool for teaching younger students, allowing them to unlock the truth of the piece for themselves, while also acting as a good reference guide to the tone of each speech for slightly older actors.
br >The monologues themselves are a diverse selection from astute contemporary writers, offering pieces that span a wide variety of mood, class and region. Perhaps most importantly the pieces are truly contemporary with some pieces being produced as little as two years ago. 4½ stars --Teaching Drama Magazine

About the Author:

Trilby James read Drama at Bristol University before completing the three year Acting Course at RADA. She graduated in 1990 and over the years has worked extensively as an actor in theatre, film and television. In 2000 she also began working as a freelance director and teacher at several leading drama schools including Alra, Arts Educational Schools, Central School of Speech and Drama, East 15, Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts and The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art where she is now an Associate Teacher. She continues to work across courses, directing third year performances as well as teaching first and second year students and running workshops for shorter programmes. She is a script reader and dramaturg for Kali Theatre Company and has directed several play- readings for their Talkback seasons

About this edition

• Publisher: Nick Hern Books
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1854595644
• ISBN 13: 9781854595645
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 180