So what’s the secret on learning lines?
The famous Actor and scriptwriter Richard James in his book Professional Tips for the Amateur Stage cuts the crap about the secret of learning lines by saying:
2. Read them aloud
I caveat this by saying that I don’t recommend you do this on the train or the bus or in the middle of the meat and veg aisle but only when you are alone. Although, if you fancy waking up the commuters or being followed by security in the around the supermarket please go ahead. I have the joy of walking along the south bank of the Thames between London Bridge and Tower Bridge every weekday at 6:30am and this is my talk time as I am mostly alone. However the occasional joggers do give me strange looks especially when I am mumbling lines like “I can’t kill him, I won’t kill him!”. I have come to the conclusion that the mad people I see sometimes happily talking to themselves aren’t mad at all, they are just like me trying to learn lines for a play.
3. Act out the scene
As you start to gradually remember what you have to say, start to act out the scene as well. Try and act and feel the emotions of the character so that you are learning the meaning of the speech as much as the words. Usual rules apply as in point 2, but when you can link the lines you say to a specific movement or feeling, so that if at a point you have to walk across the stage angry or look out of a window feeling sad, this can prompt you to the line you have to say. It also helps when you come to on stage rehearsals.
4. Get a friend involved
5. Record the Scene
If you have a good director (We do :-)) you should have a script read through from beginning to end following the casting of the play. Make sure you record the script read through preferably stopping at the end of every scene. You can then download this to a CD, MP3 or any other media. Listening back in the car (being fully aware of traffic etc.), on the train, Bus, meat and veg aisle or in the comfort of your home will help with learning. Some people record the script with their own voice and leave gaps when it is there turn to speak. You then don’t look quite so mad out in public as it looks like you’re taking a hands free call. Still annoying to others, but at least you are less likely to be carted off to the funny farm!
5. Learn you cue lines
Knowing when you have to speak is equally important as knowing your line. Nothing is worse when your cue line is said and there is an embarrassing silence on stage as people look round wondering whose line comes next. Horrible feeling when you thinking the same and realise that it is actually you! However one word of caution, is that you need to have a
degree of flexibility as sometimes your fellow actor will either misquote their line or sometimes forget it completely and you need to be ready to step in and carry on. I was in a play recently where the cue line spoken was about a page and a half ahead of the current dialogue. The response to the cue was the response a page and a half ahead and we carried on and finished the play 10 minutes ahead of schedule to a none the wiser audience!
6. Learn the Flow of the Play
Don’t just learn your lines in isolation, get to know how your role fits into the overall play. Listen to and think about what the other actors are saying and how your response should follow the flow. The actor Phil Davis (Poldark, Sherlock My Family etc.) states “the best acting is reacting” knowing how to react even when you’re not saying anything will give greater credence to your role.
7. Read lines before you sleep
There are a lot of studies out there that say that the best method of learning something is to study it just before sleep. (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2120420/Sleeping-shortly-learning-new-best-way-remember-it.html). So I don’t know what else you get up to but make sure you cram a few lines in before you nod off! Make sure you do not combine any other activity as my old warning in point 4 may still apply.
8. Kindle
Not many people are aware but you can download electronic highlighted scripts to a Kindle. You can highlight the text on the document before you download or again using the kindle highlighter. What’s even greater is that Kindle is an app you can download on your smartphone so you can have your script with you in your pocket at all times to read without lugging around the script! Also good for stage work too as easier to carry in your hand. Marvelous!
9. Specialist Apps
Now then for those of us that have embraced the technological age there are several apps that are there to help you learn lines. My favorite is a free app called Line Learner. Basically you upload your script in .txt format and it recognised the character names, shows you the script in a scrollable fashion, navigates by Acts and Scenes and the most clever thing I like is that it will play back the other characters (albeit in adjustable digitized form) and stop when it’s your turn to speak. It can hide or show your lines, show them after speaking them and even will play a hint. I have only been using it recently and I think it’s blooming marvelous! Great whilst wearing headphones on a train, bus, meat and veg aisle, or wherever!
So there you are, these are my 9 top tips. Why don’t you see how I and the rest of the cast get on and whether my tips helped me as I grapple to learn the lines of Fletcher in our next play The House Amongst The Willows being performed in mid-November.
I hope you enjoyed the read.
Rich