I have a show coming up at the beginning of December, and have managed to snag myself one of the lead roles. But with a lead role also comes the pressure of memorising a ton of lines.
I don't want to mess up like I did, when I was Bill Sykes in Oliver and had two scenes by myself, so of course performed the wrong one and cut out half the show. So after the trauma, a few years ago I have become a pro at memorising lines. After all I did remember my German coursework. So here are a few tips...
*This was primarily written for actors and actresses but some of the tips could also apply to language coursework, memorising speeches or just learning anything in general.
Learn Your Lines and Cues
I think that this is very important to say first, it's all very well knowing your lines but if you don't know when to say them, then it is almost as bad (if not worse) than not knowing your lines at all.
Listen to Your Lines On Repeat
This works especially well with songs as it will drill the tune and the lyrics into your head. And you can also, record yourself saying your lines. Although, I would suggest that you take a break sometimes, otherwise you'll get sick of them VERY quickly.
Marry Your Lines with Actions
Actions and movement can help stimulate your memory of what the next words, sentences or even whole lines are. But make sure they go with the character that you're playing on stage
Understand the Meaning Behind What You're Saying
If you don't understand the script then you probably won't portray the emotion and tell the story correctly and I find it easiest if I dissect the meaning behind each line and that in turn helps me with memory.
Say Your Lines the Same as You Would On Stage
If you have an accent, learn your lines with an accent, or it can sound forced and if you don't practice the lines exactly as you would on stage, you'll end up doing the same thing or something very similar to what you did in rehearsal.
Rehearse With Someone
It is good for someone to be relaying your cues to you, so you don't accidentally say your cues on stage, instead of just your lines, and they can also give you non-verbal cues and gestures, provide you with instant feedback and you can get used to hearing your voice actually saying the lines.
Record Your Cues
If you don't have someone to read the cues, record yourself saying them - or even better the person who actually is going to say them - and reply to your own (or their) voice, you won't get all the benefits of rehearsing with somebody but it is still useful.
Stay Calm
If you get frustrated when memorising your lines, it can feel like you're climbing a mountain but by staying calm and composed, you can retain more and efficiently get the work done. If you can't focus you might need a break.
Write It Down
People who know me, especially from school, will tell you that I write down EVERYTHING. I may be single-handedly destroying the world's rainforests, with how much I write. But writing is my way of remembering things and storing it in my long-term memory and it might be yours too.
Take Breaks
Your brain has a limit on how much it can absorb. And all work and no play can be bad for anyone, regularly take breaks and have periods where you don't think about it at all period. A free-your-mind time.
Associate
If I have long words that are either just annoying or that I haven't seen before or just can't remember I make an association with something else.
Have Fun
Acting, work and school can't have no fun element to it, you have to enjoy yourself and this will help you to learn faster.
We all learn differently, so I really hope that one of these methods that work for me, work for you as well. Good luck learning your lines!
Charlz x
- 07:00:00
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