Having a compelling, knock-out contemporary monologue is a must for auditioning for drama school, and it’s always a good idea to have one or two engaging modern monologues to showcase your skill as an actor when auditioning in the professional world too.
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The most important thing when choosing a modern-day monologue, according to Megan Burns, the head of voice at Fourth Monkey Drama School, is to “pick something active” where “the character is pursuing an objective rather than telling a story about something which happened in the past.” This will allow you to keep the monologue focused outwards rather than letting you get “lost in imagery.”
Burns also recommends picking something you relate to. She explains: “It’s useful to consider your age and your life experiences and pick a monologue that reflects your perspective on the world. It will be easier to connect to, and you’ll enjoy it a lot more.” Remember, “A great way to endear people to you is through humour, so don’t be afraid of something funny.”
Looking for inspiration? Here are some winning monologues from plays, television and film that are sure to impress.
Skylight by David Hare, 1995
Act 2, Scene 1
Character: Tom
Why choose it?
This explosive monologue is full of sarcastic judgement as Tom confronts his ex-lover, Kyra. Play with the complexity of Tom’s intense ridicule for the life choices of someone he also happens to be in love with and you will have an emotionally rich piece to showcase your acting skills.
Oh I see, right, you’ve been reborn. Now I understand you… You see good in everyone now! How comforting! Of course. But if I could be reborn as anyone, I’m not sure Julie Andrews would be my first choice. I mean, Kyra, please! As you’d say: let’s be serious! You must know what’s happening. Jesus Christ, just look at this place! I mean, it is screaming its message. For instance, I tell you, look at that heater! Sitting there fulfilling some crucial psychological role in your life. There are shops, I mean, you know, shops, proper shops that exist in the street. These shops sell heaters. They are not expensive. But of course they are not what you’re looking for. Because these heaters actually heat! You accuse me of being a monster. You say that I’m guilty. You tell me that I’m fucking up the life of my horrible son. But the difference is, at least I admit it. At least this evening I took that on board. But you! Jesus! It’s like talking to a moonie. I’ve not set off like some fucking missionary to conduct some experiment in finding out just how tough I can make my own way of life.
Colder Than Here by Laura Wade, 2005
Scene 3
Character: Harriet
Why choose it?
The context is everything in this monologue, from Laura Wade’s black comedy about a woman dying of bone cancer and her family coming to terms with it. In it, Harriet is arguing with her younger sister, Jenna, but underpinning her frustrations is an intense grief over their mother’s looming death, which offers actors the chance to deliver a nuanced audition layered with unspoken emotion.
You’re always having a shitty time. You’re this fragile little spiky tissue paper thing we’re s’posed to all look after and if we have to cancel holidays ‘cause you’ve got dumped or if we have to rush off to hospital in the night ‘cause you’ve got too happy with the alcopops and. And ‘cause it’s you, you don’t just get sick and go to sleep you get fucking convulsions, or we have to spend every family meal not talking about boyfriends ‘cause you’re always about to break up with one, and trying not to notice when you dash straight upstairs straight after pudding then-
And now Mum’s disappearing and you’re still fucking about like- like it’s your disaster. It’s not about you now. You haven’t been to the hospital once.
Red by John Logan, 2009
Act 1, Scene 4
Character: Ken
Why choose it?
This monologue centres on a pivotal moment for Ken and his relationship with the famous artist Mark Rothko, to whom he is an assistant. In it, he finally expresses his frustrations with being undervalued and challenges Rothko’s arrogance, asserting himself as his equal for the first time. This situational conflict, and Ken’s key character development through this speech, make it a dynamic and engaging audition piece.
(Explodes.) Bores you?! Bores you!? - Christ almighty, trying working for you for a living! - The talking-talking-talking-jesus-christ-won't-he-ever-shut-up titanic self-absorption of the man! You stand there trying to look so deep when you're nothing but a solipsistic bully with your grandiose self-importance and lectures and arias and let's-look-at-the-fucking-canvas-for-another-few-weeks-
let’s-not-fucking-paint-let’s-just-look. And the pretension! Jesus Christ, the pretension! I can't imagine any other painter in the history of art ever tried so hard to be SIGNIFICANT! (KEN roams angrily). You know, not everything has to be so goddamn IMPORTANT all the time! Not every painting has to rip your guts out and expose your soul! Not everyone wants art that actually HURTS! Sometimes you just want a fucking still life or landscape or soup can or comic book! Which you might learn if you ever actually left your goddamn hermetically-sealed submarine here with all the windows closed and no natural light - BECAUSE NATURAL LIGHT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU! But then nothing is ever good enough for you! Not even the people who buy your pictures! Museums are nothing but mausoleums, galleries are run by pimps and swindlers, and art collectors are nothing but shallow social-climbers. So who is good enough to own your art?! Anyone?! (He stops, slows, realising). Or maybe the real question is: who's good enough to even see your art? ... Is it just possible no one is worthy to look at your paintings? ... That's it, isn’t it? … We have all been 'weighed in the balance and have been found wanting.' You say you spend your life in search of real 'human beings,' people who can look at your pictures with compassion. But in your heart you no longer believe those people exist... So you lose faith... So you lose hope... So black swallows red. My friend, I don't think you'd recognise a real human being if he were standing right in front of you.
Bull by Mike Bartlett, 2013
Character: Isobel
Why choose it?
Mike Bartlett’s play, described on the blurb as ‘razor-sharp’ [and] ‘acid-tongued’, explores workplace power dynamics and bullying. The trick here is to find some commonality with the pretty atrocious Isobel. To connect with this character, think about her backstory and why she might be treating her colleague Thomas so badly.
No. I don’t feel anything like that because I think I know at my heart that if it wasn’t me there would be someone else doing this to you, I think I know in the deepest bit of my heart that actually you bring all of this on yourself I don’t behave like this to most people I just let most people get on with their lives or I share a joke or whatever but for some reason with you I feel the need to bring you down I think it might be an evolved thing in a society in a culture, that if we see someone who’s going to bring down the whole tribe or whatever someone who’s really going to fuck up the rest of us because they’re stupid or slow or weak or thin or short or or ugly or has dandruff or something you have the desire somewhere deep within you to take them down first to get rid of them and strengthen the tribe that’s all I’m doing with this. That’s why I’m inexplicably drawn to you all the time poking and poking and poking and poking and poking and poking and poking and being fucking awful to you and you’re right we are both of us Tony and me we’re really horrible to you, you’re not imagining it, it was real, but that’s why, because I think it’s instinct, and I think it goes on all the time I think it’s actually everywhere I think it’s actually how things are supposed to be.
An Intervention by Mike Bartlett, 2014
Scene 3
Character: A
Why choose it?
In this monologue from Mike Bartlett’s play about two friends forced to question how well they really know one another, A has a clear objective, making this an extremely active and exciting monologue to perform.
Look I know I’m not supposed to get involved like this cos if you don’t leave her now it’ll put me in a really difficult situation but it’s got to the point, she’s lied enough about me, she’s done things, she’s acted in a rude way, and I don’t want to be one of those friends who only says it after, I’m declaring it now for better or worse that’s the strength of our friendship: you are going out with a harridan a fucking bride of satan she is a nightmare, I’ve actually had dreams about her and I’m not even with her, and you know what my biggest fear is, is that you’ll propose or she will and that will be it and the two of you will be together and you really need to know this - she is a class-A horrible woman, person, she is. She only wants you for the wrong things. We all think this, all of us, nearly everyone you know, including your mother, and okay now I’ve said it I know this might be the end of our friendship but someone had to say to your face what’s being said behind your back, and now I have I’m counting on a sort of loyalty, on the fact that you know me and know I wouldn’t say all this unless I loved you and wanted the best for you and really meant it.
The Wasp by Morgan Lloyd Malcolm, 2015
Act 2
Character: Carla
Why choose it?
With its raw emotional intensity and Carla’s clear relationship to Heather (the old school friend she is talking to), this monologue from Morgan Lloyd Malcolm’s dark thriller allows you to showcase your ability to connect with a range of difficult emotions.
You thought you were so much better than me. You had your mum and dad at your beck and call. Anything you wanted. School work was easy. Teacher pleaser. Neat fucking uniform. Goody fucking two shoes. And I’d been waiting to wipe that smile off your face for years. You didn’t know. You didn’t fucking know what my life had been like and you judged me every day. The day I killed the pigeon you want to know what had happened that morning? I’ll tell you what had happened. I had watched my dad smack my mum round the face so hard her eye popped out. Clean out of its socket. I watched her put it back in while I called an ambulance. That’s just the kind of thing he did. Most days. And pretty soon it wasn’t just mum it was me as well. So when I used to go rounds yours and see what life you had at first it was like a fucking refuge for me. They were nice and stuff. I liked being there. It was all so calm. But then I started to realise that actually the longer I spend with you and your perfect sunshine family the more my family looks like a black hole of shit. And then your face when I killed the pigeon. The shock. You knew fuck all. You were still a child and even though we were the same age I was an adult already. I couldn’t be your friend. You pissed me off. You didn’t know anything. You didn’t understand why I’d done it. And even if I’d explained to you then and there; you still wouldn’t have understood. Would you?
Linda by Penelope Skinner, 2015
Act 1, Scene 11
Character: Neil
Why choose it?
Neil has a very clear objective in this speech: he’s been caught cheating and is desperately trying to justify it, excuse it and beg his wife Linda not to leave him. It makes for an urgent monologue, one in which an actor can display a range of emotions and engage with a number of different tactics in order to persuade and achieve his objective.
The first thing I want to say is that I’m not going to belittle you or or or disrespect you by lying to you or by being dishonest. (Linda chuckles. Swigs at her drink. Neil takes a deep breath.) Any more than I already have, obviously. (He clears his throat.) The second thing I want to say is that it was an insane madness, Linda. I can’t explain it I can’t all I know is when she came upstairs and told me you were down here I knew like a like a like a like a like a like an arrow in my heart that I love you. That I need you. That I don’t want to lose you. That it was just a silly meaningless
She fell for me and she’s well you saw her and I just I’ve been feeling a bit
and maybe being in the band went to my head. When she told me she was attracted to me I felt like all those years as a teenage boy dreaming of the day I’d be a rock star and pretty girls would throw themselves at me and it just seemed so unfair that it was happening now. When it was too late. When it felt too late and then some nasty little thought came into my head saying what if it’s not too late? You know? What if what if I can just do it a few times and no one will ever find out? Because maybe despite my boring old middle-aged husband and father schoolteacher exterior perhaps as it turns out I really am a rock star. God it sounds pathetic. I know it’s pathetic. I know it is. (Linda presses her fingers to her forehead.) I don’t know how it happened. I thought I was better than this and I tried so hard to be better than this but I don’t know. It turns out I’m just like the worst kind of wanker and all I can say is it’s not what I want. I don’t want her. I don’t love her. I love you. (He watches her for a moment. She doesn’t respond.) And however you feel right now whatever it might seem like I can promise you this: I’m still me! I’m Neil! I’m your Neil! I couldn’t I didn’t know what to do. I made a terrible terrible mistake. But please please give me a chance to make it right. I need you. We’re a family. We need to stay together Linda please. I’m begging you. I’m fucking Oh God (Neil starts to cry.) Please please.
Gloria by Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins, 2017
Act 2, Scene 1
Character: Shawn
Why choose it?
This monologue beautifully blends comedy with a more serious exploration of the racist microaggressions Black people face, allowing you to deliver a nuanced audition performance. It’s set in the USA, and with the way this speech is written, you’ll need to be comfortable with your American accent to pull it off.
There this girl who works here - Vanessa? She one of them girls that has Witherspoon face. You know how some white girls just randomly be looking like Reese Witherspoon? Vanessa be getting so mad when I say that though. She be like, ‘Shawn, that is racist! All white people do not look alike!’ And I’m like, Bitch, it’s not racist if I say you look famous. I mean, it’s only racist if I say you look like some basic run-of-the-mill white chick, you know? There’s a difference. I mean people be mistaking me for somebody else all the time. And that’s the shit that be getting me mad, you know? That’s when I’m like, All black people do not look alike, you know what I mean? It’s like No, I’m not the guy who mowed your dad’s lawn. And no, I’m not your student from the year you did Teach for America! That’s different. Vanessa just be so sensitive. It’s not like I mistook her for Reese Witherspoon. It’s not like I tapped her on the shoulder and was like, ‘Reese Witherspoon, is that you?’ I just said she look like Reese Witherspoon, because she got a Witherspoon face. I mean, it would be different if somebody mistook me for somebody famous once in a while. That would be nice. But that, like, never happens.
Touch by Vicky Jones, 2017
Scene 8
Character: Eddie
Why choose it?
Eddie's monologue is brutally honest and scathing. By infusing it with an underlayer of past hurt, or even delivering it with playful mockery, an actor can create a multifaceted and memorable performance that stands out in auditions.
You should hear yourself sometimes, kitten, seriously, you should hear yourself go. Newsflash. You are not as clever as you think you are. There are women out there who are doing better than you at being a woman. Who enjoy being a woman. And who have their fucking shit together. I can see you very clearly and it’s not a particularly pretty picture if I’m honest. You’ve got a huge student loan, maxed-out credit cards, you’re convinced this maternity cover will go permanent but your hangovers tell a different story and the bulk of your wages go to Topshop. You’re messy, you’re actually kind of dirty. This is where you live. There’s a reason a lot of men don’t subscribe to feminism, and it’s cos it stinks of excuses. Clean yourself up, earn some respect and maybe then you’ll get the equality you self-righteously claim to deserve.
The Writer by Ella Hickson, 2018
Scene 2
Character: Writer
Why choose it?
This monologue from Ella Hickson’s form-bending play peppers humorous and relatable observations through a darker, more existential perspective. It makes for a grounded and relatable yet deeply emotional speech.
In a way, you can get away with loving me less. Because you genuinely enjoy a sofa. And I know that sounds elitist and a bit cunty and I sound like a narcissistic prick but there are cheerful people who sit all day and watch TV and love it. You are never happier than in the exotic-foods aisle at Waitrose selecting a new selection of snacking nuts and sometimes, I stand there, with the trolley and I feel like I’m dissolving inside just watching your capacity for happiness. And in me, for some reason, snacking nuts, exotic or otherwise, don’t stop this constant need for something – bigger – all the time. I want awe. I feel like I need blood. All the time. And anything less than that makes me feel desperate. It makes me feel like I want to die. Either I can feel real but I’m living in a world of cartoons or you and the world are real and I feel like I go see-through. And it’s not like that for you. You have snacking nuts. You’re perfectly happy in the world as it is. And it hurts to watch because I want to be like that so badly that it makes me actually hurt to watch you in Waitrose, smiling so much, over those snacking nuts.
Barry, created by Alec Berg and Bill Hader, 2019
Season 2, Episode 7
Character: Sally
Why choose it?
At two and a half minutes long, this monologue may need trimming down, depending on the audition criteria, but it makes for a great audition piece that treads the line between comedic and dramatic. Plus, many actors will relate to the jealousy Sally, who herself is an actor, is feeling, making it easy to connect with her emotionally.
The Bear, created by Christopher Storer, 2022
Season 1, Episode 8
Character: Carmen
Why choose it?
This seven-minute monologue can be trimmed down to use in an audition – perhaps from 2:38, “I didn’t know my brother was using drugs…”, to 5:55, “And he died.” It’s a deeply moving speech in which Carmen (played by Jeremy Allen White) shares the story of his brother’s drug addiction and their shared love of food in an Al-Anon meeting. Lean into the raw emotion and guilt that permeates this speech to really hit home.
Barbie by Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, 2023
Character: Gloria
Why choose it?
Barbie made history when it hit $1 billion at the box office. This powerful monologue, in which Gloria (played by America Ferrera) captures the contradictions and impossible standards set for women in a patriarchal world – and in so doing, turns the narrative thus far on its head – really packs a punch. If you tap into the varied and complex emotions embedded within this speech, from frustration to anger to exhaustion, you are sure to leave a lasting impression.
Watch Gloria’s monologue here.
Erin Brockovich by Susannah Grant, 2000
Character: Erin Brockovich
Why choose it?
This monologue from the Oscar-winning film, based on the true story of Erin Brockovich’s instrumental role in a successful lawsuit against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for contaminating the waters of a California town, offers actors the chance to deliver an impactful, emotionally charged audition with both assertive confidence and deep empathy.
Watch Erin Brockovich’s monologue here.
Good Will Hunting by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, 1997
Character: Sean
In this moving monologue, Sean (played by Robin Williams) challenges the intellectual arrogance of Will (Matt Damon) by revealing his own emotional vulnerability. In doing so, he flips the traditional role of therapist and patient, exposing his own experiences of love, loss and pain. Play with the contrast between challenging Will through this speech and the painful memories being relayed to create a truly compelling audition piece.
