Maybe I Can Be Invisible After All... Monologues

This week we were looking at monologues. We started by welcoming some new members, and sharing a favourite character from a drama (could be theatre, TV or film). Responses ranged from Mrs Hannigan from Annie to Sherlock, Angelica from Hamilton to Fleabag!

Next, we did a free write from the point of view of one of our existing characters, perhaps from a previous workshop. Then we read three monologues - from Michaela Coel's Chewing Gum Dreams, the final scene of Caryl Churchill's Far Away, and the opening of Gary Owen's Iphigenia in Splott - and discussed the different ways the speaker positioned themselves in relation to the audience, and the different uses of language and structure, to show the character and the world of the play. Inspired by this, the writers chose one of these structures to help shape/develop their own monologue (from the free write) from their character. Attached are a brilliant range of monologues - from Lawrence's mystical Granny Moon (an old lady who drinks tea and tells stories, but then turns into the moon at night!), Tess's high-achieving Daisy (who you may remember from the sandwich shop session - and whose monologue is told through the innovative and fitting form of Instagram captions!) and Charlotte's Winter (private detective!).

Winter's Monologue - Charlotte

He’s never been here.
You never want to hear come out of your supposed friends mouth
We never knew who he really was might be even harder.
I try to get my mind onto something else.
Try to replay ‘in the mood’ or something just to keep my mind off of what’s going on in front of me.

But I guess it’s kind of true.
They’ve never really known who I was.
I would divulge further but I think that’s a good place to leave it.

So here’s me walking away from people that I’ve been working with for the past few months and leaving them even more confused about myself then we first met. We may meet again, we may not. I guess that just depends on the world and what it wants of me. At the moment I think it just wants me to be away from whatever this is.

I might miss the investigation, the work, our friends and maybe even that stupid book Fleming’s always working on. I might have to keep an eye on that one. I have a feeling that book might be good. I walk out into the rain and pull my coat around me. I never really noticed how much it rained in London. I move out of the way as a motor car rushes past and throws a torrent of water in my direction. Well maybe I can be invisible after all.

I trudge a bit further and make my way to the station. I leave a note with the receptionist for your return or maybe mine I don’t know yet. Depends who’s back first. I’m about to leave the desk but put down one more thing. So if you have the time maybe you’ll look through it. Just don’t include the others in what it says. Well at least until you hear from me again.

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Maybe I Can Be Invisible After All... Monologues