ABSTRACT
All of the boards offer the opportunity to perform a dramatic excerpt in the course of their examinations; quite often plays of the past are either specifically instanced or the work of a given playwright, such as William Shakespeare, is stipulated. Where the choice is left to the discretion of the candidate, it is worth remembering that period plays can be most effective vehicles for demonstrating your ability in performance. In this chapter I would like to consider the classical Greek theatre, the Elizabethan theatre and the Georgian theatre, choosing a play of each era as a key text from which I use an excerpt to demonstrate the technique of solo performance. This demands a very different approach to the staging from that using a full cast in a theatrical setting. In a solo recital you have not only to convey to your audience your own role but also such other characters as might be on stage, the setting, your costume and your relationship to the audience. This places considerable demands on you as an actor. There is some advice covering the three key texts I would wish briefly to give you. Let me present this as a set of imperatives:
(a) Know your words with absolute certainty; (b) Know your role; (c) Know the costume your role dictates you should wear; (d) Know your relationship with the audience; (e) Know the limitations of your acting area.
