A solo own-choice speech and drama class in which one performer presents a character recital or monologue dressed for the part, marked as a single performance with the costume counting as part of the character.
Character Recital/Monologue in Costume is a solo class in which one performer chooses a piece, a poem told in the voice of a character, a speech from a play or a short passage of prose, and performs it from the point of view of one person, dressed to look like that person. The title of the class matters: the costume is not decoration added after the fact, it is named in the class itself and so forms part of what the adjudicator sees, alongside the voice, the movement and the memory work.
In the Wagga Wagga speech and drama schedule we build from, the piece is the entrant's own choice and every entry is one named performer in one age class. The class is run as a ladder of eight age tiers: 7 years and under, then 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 years and under, then Under 15 Years and Open. Time limits rise with the age band: two minutes for the youngest tier, three minutes for each of the tiers from 8 to 12 years and under, and five minutes for Under 15 Years and Open. The very youngest entrants, the 6 years and under band, do not have this class at all; their costume options in the same schedule are a poem or nursery rhyme in costume and a solo mime.
A round runs entrant by entrant within the tier. Because there is only one performer, everything the audience learns about the character has to arrive through that one person: a few well-chosen lines, a clear way of standing and moving, and a costume that tells the story before the first word is spoken. A good entry has an obvious starting position, a beginning that is clearly in character and a held stillness at the end before the performer steps out of the role.
Organisers run the class because it gives children and adults who enjoy dressing up a proper competitive home, and because it is easy to schedule: one performer, one slot, one short piece. It sits naturally beside the duologue in costume at the same festival, which uses the same idea for two performers, and it gives the speech and drama section a lively, visual item between the more formal reading and recital classes.
Where Character Recital/Monologue in Costume is run
In eTalenter's data Character Recital/Monologue in Costume appears in one template, a Wagga Wagga (New South Wales) eisteddfod speech and drama section, where it runs across eight age tiers from 7 years and under to Open. Similar solo costume classes appear in other New South Wales and Queensland syllabi under names such as Character Recital in Costume, Monologue in Costume and Characterisation in Costume; the catalogue keeps these separate because their age bands, time limits and rules differ.
- Australia - New South Wales (eisteddfod speech and drama section)
Key facts
- Solo entry: one performer, one character, dressed for the part.
- Own choice of piece; the costume is named in the class title and so counts as part of the entry.
- Eight age tiers: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 years and under, then Under 15 Years and Open; there is no class for 6 years and under.
- Time limits: 2 minutes for 7 years and under, 3 minutes for 8 to 12 years and under, 5 minutes for Under 15 Years and Open.
- The same schedule offers a Duologue in Costume for two performers, so a character recital is the natural solo partner to it.
- Idea starters, not rules: a lighthouse keeper writing a last log entry, a market stallholder selling the final fish of the day, a grandmother's letter read aloud, or a nervous new pupil on a first day at school.
On eTalenter, Character Recital/Monologue in Costume is filed under Action and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 1 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Character Recital/Monologue in Costume is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to 2–5 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Character Recital/Monologue in Costume
What a Character Recital/Monologue in Costume panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- A clear, consistent character: age, background, mood and attitude are decided before the performance and stay the same from the first line to the last.
- Costume that earns its place: every item supports the character and is worn comfortably, so it helps rather than distracts or restricts movement.
- Voice and diction: audible and clear in the hall, with pace, pitch and any accent chosen to suit the person and kept steady.
- Physical life: posture, gesture and eye line belong to the character and do not slip when the words get difficult.
- Memory and timing: the piece is secure, the pauses are chosen, and the performance finishes inside the limit for the tier.
- Commitment and truth: the performer believes the situation and avoids commenting on the character or playing for easy laughs.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Character Recital/Monologue in Costume under Scoring Setup, or start from the full mono act judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Character Recital/Monologue in Costume
How entrants and their teachers usually get Character Recital/Monologue in Costume right on the day:
- Choose a piece that gives the character something to want or to reveal, not just a description of events, and that suits your age tier.
- Write a short profile of the character in your own words: where they live, what they fear, what they want right now and how they speak.
- Plan the costume from the character outwards, choosing a few items that each say something about the person, and practise the whole piece wearing them well before the day.
- Cut the text with a stopwatch to the limit for your tier, leaving a breath of silence at the start and a held stillness at the end.
- Pick two or three physical habits, such as the way the character sits, holds a prop or looks at other people, and repeat them the same way each run.
- Learn the words until you can say them while doing something else; once the lines are automatic you can think about the person.
- Rehearse for someone who does not know the piece and ask them to describe the character back to you in three words.
- On the day, check hats, shoes and any prop before you go on, introduce the piece clearly, take a breath and stay in character until the final stillness is over.
Frequently asked questions
Is Character Recital/Monologue in Costume judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Individual entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
How is a character recital in costume different from an ordinary monologue?
Both are solo performances of a single voice, but here the costume is part of the class title and so part of what is judged. A plain monologue class puts the weight on the delivery of the words; this one also asks you to look the part.
Can I choose any kind of piece?
In the schedule we build from the piece is the entrant's own choice. Pick something that suits your age tier and that you can learn securely from memory.
How long can my performance be?
The limit depends on your tier: two minutes for 7 years and under, three minutes for 8 to 12 years and under, and five minutes for Under 15 Years and Open.
Is there a class for 6 years and under?
Not for this item. In the same schedule the youngest band is offered a poem or nursery rhyme in costume and a solo mime instead.
Is it the same as a duologue in costume?
No. A duologue in costume is a class for two performers who act a scene together; this is a solo class for one performer and one character.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full mono act judging criteria guide, or browse every action competition item.
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