{T.T.W TIPS} Learning those lines...

Our members have got a LOT going on at the moment - learning monologues for LAMDA exams, memorising scripts for our summer performances and rehearsing for end of term class views - and so we thought it would be handy to share a few of our favourite tips for learning script quickly, efficiently and comprehensively. 

Some people are lucky - they have photographic memories and can read their script hours before opening night and be word perfect; however most of us are not blessed with this level of luck and we have to spend a little more time in order to be confident when performing. 

Whether you're performing a one man play or have only one line, here are our TOP 5 TIPS for learning your lines: 

1} How do you learn? Some people repeat, some walk around the room, some need to look at the script, others need to hear it recorded and listen to it, others need to write it down. Work out what works best for you and stick to it!

2} Colour, colour, colour! A large part of learning lines is also to know your cues - highlighting helps you to see where in the scene you are speaking and a lot of people find it easier to picture the words on the page if they're in colour

3) Shake it off! If you have had direction set with your script then use this to help you learn the words. The movement should complement the text and help the actor to intuitively lead into the next portion of dialogue. 

4} Break it down! If you're learning a monologue or a large block of uninterrupted text then BREAK IT DOWN. Often we will send our members copies of their monologues via email so that they can re-type, colour {see above} and break up the paragraphs however they like. Lines are a lot easier to learn when they're in manageable chunks 

5} Night, Night! Your brain uses sleep to absorb the day's learning so by reciting your lines just before you go to sleep will help reinforce the lines in your memory - one of our members learns her lines best by having them spoken aloud so she has them recorded onto her iPad and she listens to them before bed every night! 

So those are our TOP TIPS, they're by no means exhaustive, just a few things that have helped us and our members in the past. If you've got any more then let us know!  

T.T.W Team xox

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