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The Faber Book of Monologues: Women
The Faber Book of Monologues: Men
Edited by Jane Edwardes
Faber and Faber
108 and 114 pages
£8.99 each
Dateline: 21st March, 2005
These two slim volumes will prove invaluable for actors and those looking
to enter the profession.
Each provides 25 monologues that will provide something for every actor
wishing to show off their skills. They cover all age groups from teen
to senile and a good number of accents.
All of the pieces are modern with nothing more than about thirty years
old.
Miss Edwardes, who is the theatre editor of Time Out London, goes to
considerable trouble to ensure that her readers will be well prepared
when the big moment arrives. She provides both background to the play
and the context in which each speech is delivered.
This means that not only do the books help one to prepare, they also
in an oblique way provide interesting snapshots on theatre in the last
few decades. As such, they make an entertaining and informative read
bringing back happy theatrical memories. They are the perfect length
for those odd few spare minutes on a train or in a theatre.
The pieces chosen provide interesting contrasts and actors have chances
to choose pieces that may well challenge them beyond their limits or
others that would prove more comfortable but might give them less opportunity
to shine.
It will be a brave lady beyond her teens who takes on the piece from
Rebecca Prichard's Yard Gal with its London-Caribbean argot.
Similarly, Miss Edwards warns anyone thinking of taking on the part
of John the queer-basher from Neil Labute's Bash that they should
only do so if they have a very sound Boston accent. Labute is one of
her favourites making two appearances in each book. This is a tribute
to talents as a monologist that rival those of Conor McPherson, presumably
omitted as his publisher is not Faber and Faber.
If you have an audition coming up and need a modern piece, you could
do far worse than invest in one of these volumes. It might save weeks
of searching for the perfect speech with which to sell your skills.
Philip Fisher
You can
buy The
Faber Book of Monologues: Women and The
Faber Book of Monologues: Men from our Bookshop for £7.19
each, a saving of £1.80.
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