Monologue Resources
Need an audition monologue? You’re in the right place. Discover contemporary monologues from Black British, African, and Caribbean playwrights here.
Where can I source monologues?
Contemporary monologues can be found from a variety of places. Below is a collated list of books with monologues for Black and global majority actors.
Set across varying countries and contexts, many of the plays these monologues come from feature in the Black Plays Archive. In some cases, these books have been categorised by gender, but these monologues can be performed by all actors.
The Black Plays Archive website uses Jisc Library Hub Discover. Jisc Library Hub Discover brings together the catalogues of UK academic libraries, allowing students to discover texts in a single search. Libraries include: National libraries, university libraries and museum libraries.
The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors (for Women)
The Oberon Book of Monologues for Black Actors (for Men)
Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern Actors : Monologues for Women
Audition Speeches for Black, South Asian and Middle Eastern actors : Monologues for Men
Where else can I find monologues?
Great monologues aren’t just found in anthologies. Reading through play texts themselves can be a way to find monologues that resonate – particularly in plays for solo performers.
Below are a selection of contemporary solo performer plays from the Black Plays Archive, for actors of all genders.
- Moj of the Antarctic by Mojisola Adebayo
- Burgerz by Travis Alabanza
- Overflow by Travis Alabanza
- The Sun, The Moon and The Stars by Dipo Baruwa-Etti
- Typical By Ryan Calais Cameron
- Chewing Gum Dreams by Michaela Coel
- Funeral Flowers by Emma Dennis-Edwards
- August in England by Lenny Henry
- Sancho: An Act of Remembrance by Paterson Joseph
- Josephine and I by Cush Jumbo
- Sparkplug by David Judge
- Sessions by Ifeyinwa Frederick
- Good Dog by Arinze Kene
- Curious by Jasmine Lee-Jones
- Superhoe by Nicôle Lecky
- Lava by Benedict Lombe
- Elephant by Anoushka Lucas
- Half Breed by Natasha Marshall
- Brown Girl in the Ring by Valerie Mason-John
- Quarter Life Crisis by Yolanda Mercy
- Nine Lives by Zodwa Nyoni
- So Many Reasons by Racheal Ofori
- Dreaming and Drowning by Kwame Owusu
- Pink Lemonade by Mika Onyx Johnson
- Bullring Techno Makeout Jamz by Nathan Queeley Dennis
- Coat by Yomi Sode
- Something Dark by Lemn Sissay
- NO I.D. by Tatenda Shamiso
- salt. by Selina Thompson
- Shedding a Skin by Amanda Wilkin
- Death of England: Delroy by Roy Williams and Clint Dyer
Discover more plays within the Production Catalogue of the Black Plays Archive.
More to explore
Search our catalogue of first productions, spanning 1930 to present day.
Listen to audio extracts of plays from writers like Roy Williams and Winsome Pinnock and more.
Explore the history of the National Theatre through its archive. Link opens in a new tab.