Timing

In rehearsal, make sure that your performance runs a little bit short of the time you’re allowed. So for instance, if it’s a three-minute performance, make sure during rehearsals that you can comfortably do it in two minutes and 45 seconds. This allows time for unexpected delays, or if you forget a line and take a few seconds to get back on track.

If it’s a comedy and likely to get laughter from the audience, factor that in and leave yourself even more time. A laughing audience is a good sign for your play, but it may make you go overtime if you don’t allow for it.

During the actual performance, make sure you’re aware of how fast you’re talking. A lot of people, nervous on the day, race through their dialogue and finish in half the time they took in rehearsals. Doing this means that you don’t make good use of the time allocated to you. It also means that you are probably leaving expression and movement out of your performance.

Click here to move on to the next topic: Talking about the play character or scene