Choosing the right contemporary monologue can be the difference between a forgettable audition and a callback. The best pieces offer a clear character in a specific situation with genuine emotional arc - enough range to show what you can do in under two minutes. These five monologues, all from plays written in the last fifteen years, deliver exactly that.
| Play / Piece | Playwright | Best For | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Children (Hannah) | Lucy Kirkwood | Mature women, emotional restraint | 4.9/5 |
| Fleabag (Monologue) | Phoebe Waller-Bridge | Comic-dramatic range, direct address | 4.9/5 |
| Cost of Living (Ani) | Martyna Majok | Physical disability, resilience, grief | 4.8/5 |
| Lungs (W) | Duncan Macmillan | Contemporary anxiety, conversational naturalism | 4.7/5 |
| Fairview (Beverly) | Jackie Sibblies Drury | Race, performance, sharp comedy-drama | 4.8/5 |
The Children by Lucy Kirkwood — Hannah’s Monologue
Lucy Kirkwood’s The Children is set in the aftermath of a nuclear disaster on the Suffolk coast, and the monologues available to the character of Hannah are among the most emotionally layered pieces in contemporary British theater. Hannah, a retired nuclear scientist confronted with a moral proposition that forces her to examine what she owes to the next generation, offers dramatic material that demands both intellectual engagement and emotional grounding. The play won the Evening Standard Award and has been widely produced, making it recognized but not yet overused in audition rooms. For actors in the 40+ range, it is an exceptional choice.
Browse Lucy Kirkwood Plays on Amazon
Fleabag by Phoebe Waller-Bridge — Direct Address Monologue
Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag originated as a one-woman show before becoming a television phenomenon, and the original play text remains one of the most audition-adaptable contemporary pieces available. The direct address sections - where the protagonist breaks the fourth wall to confide in the audience - offer comic-dramatic material with exceptional specificity and emotional range. The writing is precise enough that it rewards close study: every line is a choice. For actors auditioning at drama schools or for contemporary comedy-drama projects, demonstrating command of this material is immediately recognizable as a significant skill.
Browse Fleabag Play Script on Amazon
Cost of Living by Martyna Majok — Ani’s Monologue
Martyna Majok’s Pulitzer Prize-winning Cost of Living examines dependency, care, and human connection through two parallel storylines involving physical disability. The character of Ani, a woman with quadriplegia whose husband has left her, offers monologue material that is unflinching, funny, and deeply humane. Majok’s dialogue is naturalistic but precisely constructed - it sounds like speech while performing like poetry. For actors who want material that is both challenging and virtually guarantee to be fresh in an audition room, Cost of Living is among the most important recent American plays to know.
Browse Martyna Majok Plays on Amazon
Lungs by Duncan Macmillan — W’s Monologues
Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs stages an entire relationship between two unnamed characters (listed only as W and M) across a series of conversations about whether to have a child in a time of climate crisis. W’s extended speeches - particularly in the first section of the play - offer contemporary anxiety, real-time emotional processing, and the overlapping rhythms of modern conversation that can be difficult to find in classical material. The play has been produced extensively in the UK and US with major stars, which makes the text recognizable without being overdone in audition rooms. Ideal for actors in their late twenties to early forties.
Browse Duncan Macmillan Lungs Play Script on Amazon
Fairview by Jackie Sibblies Drury — Beverly’s Monologue
Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Obie Award-winning Fairview begins as a domestic comedy about a Black family preparing for a birthday party and then systematically dismantles its own theatrical conventions in ways that force audiences to confront race and spectatorship. Beverly’s early monologues are accessible, funny, and warm - ideal for actors who want material that showcases comic timing and naturalistic range before the play’s radical structural moves become relevant. Drury’s writing is sharp and her characters are fully drawn. This is one of the most important American plays of the last decade, and demonstrating familiarity with it will be noted.
Browse Jackie Sibblies Drury Plays on Amazon
How to Choose Contemporary Monologues for Women
The best monologue for you is the one where you understand every single choice the character makes, even if you do not agree with them. Avoid pieces that require extensive context from the rest of the play to land - your monologue should work as a standalone unit. Choose material slightly outside your comfort zone in terms of emotional range or type, but not so far that you are acting against your natural instrument. Read the full play before selecting a monologue: understanding the context makes your choices richer. Avoid any piece you have seen performed brilliantly on video - you will unconsciously imitate it.
For more creative performance resources, see our articles/best-contemporary-literature for plays and prose that offer monologue adaptation possibilities. Our articles/best-contemporary-mystery-writers includes thriller writers whose adaptations have also reached the stage. All recommendations follow our /methodology.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a contemporary monologue better than a classical piece for auditions?+
Contemporary monologues often allow actors to demonstrate range and specificity using language closer to naturalistic speech, which can be easier for casting directors to evaluate quickly. Many audition panels specifically request contemporary pieces because they want to see how an actor handles modern psychological realism. That said, some roles and programs still value classical training, so always check what a specific audition requires before choosing.
How long should a contemporary monologue be for an audition?+
Standard audition monologues run 60-90 seconds, or roughly one to two pages of script. Casting directors often have strict time limits and will cut you off at the 90-second mark regardless of where you are in the piece. For drama school auditions in the UK, two-minute pieces are more common. Always time your piece in full rehearsal conditions - nerves tend to speed delivery, so most actors find their material runs shorter under pressure than in practice.