Tips for learning lines

Here's a selection of drama games and exercises we use in our weekly classes to help the children to learn their lines. Why not give them a go at home?

Click on the game titles to read more. 

Hey! That's my line...

This is a quick and easy game to ensure your child knows their own lines and get them listening to other lines within the script.

Read a selection of random lines from the script. When your child recognises their own line they jump up and shout "Hey! That's my line." They then complete the phrase you started or recite the whole line back to you.

Cue me in

Encourage your child to learn their cues and know exactly when to say their lines.

Start by having a look at the scene and discussing the characters that we meet and who your child is having a conversation with. Then read the line before theirs (the cue line) and see if they can recite their line back to you. 

Try to make sure they know the final words of the line before theirs to save them cutting off their scene partner or leaving too big a gap between lines.

Project not shout

We spend so long working on our lines and putting the show together, but it's very important that our audience can hear what we're saying. At Perform we focus on vocal projection to ensure that we are loud and clear but never shouting.

Ask your child to choose a line from the script. Standing about a metre away from you, ask them to recite their line. If you can hear them clearly, they take a step backwards. The aim is for them to end up on the opposite side of the room and you still be able to hear them without them needing to shout.

Encourage them to speak slowly and annunciate every letter to ensure they speak with great diction and clarity.

Line lucky dip

This is a game suggested to us by one of our Perform Parents. Her son, Oliver, finds this exercise helpful and fun!

Start by writing all of the lines on individual pieces of paper (writing them out might also be useful to help the children remember the line) . Pop all of the pieces in a bag or hat. Pull one piece out of the bag and give them 5 seconds to read over it before reciting the line back to you.

Challenge them further by seeing if they are able to tell you at what point in the show they say the line.