Acting is all about collaboration and creativity, but it’s easy to forget that when you’re trying to memorise your lines. Your castmates, costumes, and scene changes are all gone. It’s just you and the playwright’s words, and your desperate attempts to memorise them.

Memorizing lines can be one of the most difficult aspects of acting. Unfortunately, it is also one of the most important. So, what should you do if you’re in a show or have a casting call or audition? Fortunately, there are numerous methods for making the memorising process easier. Here are a few tried-and-true techniques that professional actors employ—and that you can, too.

1. Utilize a mnemonic device.

By writing down the first letter of each word on a piece of the script, you can quickly learn lines. Let’s take the well-known phrase “To be or not to be, that is the question” as an example.

The letters would be entered as “T b o n t b, t I t q.”

Look at the letters you have written out while attempting to speak the line. When you’re confident, repeat it without looking. You’ll master the entire soliloquy in no time!

2. Record yourself delivering your lines.

Nowadays, recording your lines is simpler than ever thanks to cell phones. And for actors, that’s a major benefit.

Consider recording yourself reading the words, then repeatedly playing the recording. Play it as you fold clothes, drive in the car, get ready for work or school in the morning, or prepare for bed at night, among other activities.

Warning: if you share a home with others, this may make them nuts.

However, it will aid you in recalling your lines!

3. Sing Your Lines

Ever find that memorising songs is simpler than memorising spoken lines? This is so that your brain can memorise words more quickly when they are placed to music. Use this scientific approach by humming your lines rather than just saying them.

The phrases will stay in your head forever, much like the lyrics to that song you heard on the radio this morning. Just be sure to transition back from speaking to singing before you practise on stage with the rest of the cast.

4. Quiz yourself and stay within the lines

A common tip among aspiring actors is to hide a line behind a bookmark or a piece of folded paper. Everything but the phrase you’re attempting to memorise and the cue line should be covered (the line right before). Check to see if you can pronounce the lines after reading them.

Cover up those lines as soon as you can and move on to the next one. It’s not the most exciting or original method of memorization, but there’s a reason it’s so popular: it works.

5. Make a note of it.

Have you ever heard that students who take their notes by hand learn faster than those who take their notes on a computer?

Muscle memory does have its advantages. It is easier to remember something if you write it down. If you’re having trouble remembering a script, try writing the lines down by hand.

You may experience hand cramps, but that is a risk you must accept if you want perfect memorization.

6. Use Blocking to Improve Memory

Some actors find that blocking assists them in memorising lines. It can be easier to remember lines if you consider what you’ll be doing during them: where you’ll be positioned, whether you’ll be moving, and what you’ll be doing with your hands.

For example, while walking slowly across the stage, you could say, “To be or not to be, that is the question.” Then you come to a halt and face the audience, saying, “whether it is nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,” raising a Nest as you do so, “or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing them.” The lines become associated with specific actions, and you can use that to jog your memory. Plus, you’ll get your blocking down as well. 

The lines become linked to particular acts, which you can utilise to refresh your memory. Additionally, you’ll improve your blocking.

7. Work on Your Skills with Others

You can only rehearse your lines in your room by yourself for so long before you start to lose your mind. Because of this, you might want to mix things up by training with a partner (unless being crazy Ngures into your character).

Use a friend, roommate, or family member as a practise partner if you are unable to find an actor, cast member, or scene partner. They can read the other sections and then test you on your lines. It’s a good method to get some practise in and gets you ready for working with other performers.

8. Take a stroll or a nap What?

Can taking a nap help me remember my lines? Both yes and no. Sleeping with your script under your pillow will not magically put the words in your head, but there is strong evidence that napping can aid in information processing and memorization. Taking a nap after reading something can help cement it in your brain, according to research, because it gives your brain time to move the information from short-term memory to long-term recall.

A walk can have the same effect, and exercise is also beneficial for memorization. So, after memorising a section of script, it’s always a good idea to take a break to stretch your legs or get some shut-eye.

In any case, you deserve a break. Finally, keep in mind that what works for one actor may not work for another. Even though these are some of the best methods for memorising lines, if any of them appear to be doing more harm than good, abandon it and try another. You can do it!

With today’s technology, there are many educational options available online! CelebritySchool is pleased to announce that the outstanding Nawazuddin Siddiqui will teach an online acting course to students and aspiring actors. Enroll now.