A two-person own-choice speech and drama class in which a pair perform a short scene dressed for their characters, entered and marked as one pair with costume counting as part of the characterisation.
Duologue in Costume is a class for exactly two performers who present one short scene together, each playing a character and each dressed to look like that character. The words "in costume" are part of the class name, so the costumes are not an optional extra: they are one of the things the adjudicator sees as the scene opens, and a pair that has thought about how its two characters look gains a head start before a line is spoken.
In the speech and drama schedules we build from, the pair chooses its own piece, which may be a scene from a play, a dialogue written for the class or an original two-hander, and the pair is entered once as a single entry. The class is run in age tiers, and the tiers differ from one festival to the next. One Wagga Wagga schedule uses three: Under 9 Years with a four-minute limit, Under 13 Years with five minutes and an Open class with seven minutes in which at least one performer must be 13 or over. A Wollongong schedule uses four tiers (10, 12 and 14 years and under, then open age) with limits of six, six, eight and eight minutes, a Hawkesbury schedule uses a 12-and-under tier at five minutes and a secondary tier for school years 7 to 12 at eight minutes, and a Narrabri schedule uses school-year bands from Year 2 and under to Open, with three minutes for the younger bands and five for Year 9 upwards.
A round runs pair by pair within a tier. Because there are two voices, a good entry is built so that the characters want different things: one asks, the other refuses, one hides something and the other suspects it. The scene has to establish who the two people are, give them a small problem to play and reach a clear ending inside the time limit, all while the pair stay in costume and in character, listen to each other and share the stage fairly.
Organisers keep the class because it is the natural step between the solo costume classes and larger group drama. It lets friends, siblings or a teacher and a pupil enter together, it fits a single stage slot, and it is easy for an audience to follow. It also makes a good test of listening, since a pair cannot hide behind a single memorised monologue.
Where Duologue in Costume is run
In eTalenter's data Duologue in Costume appears in four New South Wales eisteddfod templates, at Wagga Wagga, Wollongong, Hawkesbury and Narrabri, each with its own age tiers and time limits. It is a regional-festival class in the Australian speech and drama tradition rather than a worldwide item, and the same idea appears at other festivals under names such as Duologue, Scene for Two or Duologue Acting; the catalogue keeps those separate where their rules differ from this costume-based class.
- Australia - New South Wales (eisteddfod speech and drama sections)
Key facts
- Team entry of exactly two performers, entered once and marked as a pair; boys, girls and mixed pairs all enter together.
- Own choice of scene; the costumes are named in the class title and so count as part of what is seen and judged.
- Age tiers vary by festival: for example Under 9, Under 13 and Open in one schedule, and 10, 12 and 14 and under plus open age in another; in the Open class at one festival at least one performer must be 13 or over.
- Printed time limits range from three minutes for the youngest school-year bands to eight minutes for the oldest tiers, so check the limit for your own tier.
- Not the same as a plain Duologue class: in the plain class the scene is judged mostly on voice and interplay, here the dressing of both characters is part of the picture.
- Idea starters, not rules: a lost-property clerk and a child describing a missing hat, a lighthouse keeper and a stranded sailor, a market trader and a customer who wants a refund on a parrot, or two neighbours arguing over a hedge.
On eTalenter, Duologue in Costume is filed under Action, Drama and typically scored with Marks. It appears in 4 ready-made event templates — each one can adjust its time limit, age-group assignment and scoring setup independently.
Across the templates that use it, Duologue in Costume is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 100, commonly time-limited to 3–8 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Duologue in Costume
What a Duologue in Costume panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Two clear characters: each performer is a different person with a different aim, and the difference stays visible from the first exchange to the last.
- Listening and response: lines are answered, not just waited for, so that each reply is shaped by what the partner has just done.
- Costume as part of the pair: both costumes suit their characters and each other, are comfortable to move in and do not slow the entrances, exits or changes of position.
- Balance between the two: neither performer dominates the scene, the lines and the stage space are shared fairly and the weaker partner is supported rather than carried.
- Clarity of voice and diction: both performers can be heard at the back of the hall, with pace and pitch chosen for the character and not rushed by nerves.
- Shape and timing: the scene has an opening, a problem and an ending, and it finishes inside the limit for the tier.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Duologue in Costume under Scoring Setup, or start from the full drama and skit judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Duologue in Costume
How entrants and their teachers usually get Duologue in Costume right on the day:
- Choose or write a scene in which the two characters want different things, so there is something to play every minute and not just a conversation.
- Cut the script with a stopwatch to the limit for your tier, leaving room for the entrance and a held stillness at the end.
- Decide the costumes together, picking one or two strong items for each character and testing that the two outfits look right side by side.
- Rehearse eye contact and reactions as hard as the words: practise the moments when one of you is not speaking and the audience is watching the listener.
- Mark the stage positions and entrances with tape in rehearsal so that you share space without bumping or blocking each other.
- Run the whole scene fully dressed several times, including any quick changes or prop handling, so nothing is being tried for the first time on the day.
- Agree a recovery plan for a lost line, such as a prompt word or a way of improvising a cue, so one slip does not stall the pair.
- On the day, arrive ready dressed or with time to dress, check props at the side of the stage and begin and end together, staying in role until the lights or the adjudicator release you.
Frequently asked questions
Is Duologue in Costume judged individually or as a team?
Across eTalenter's templates it's most often run as an Team entry, though an organiser can set either participation type when assigning the item to an age group.
How is a duologue in costume different from a plain duologue?
The structure is the same, two performers and one scene. In this class the costumes are named in the title, so the way each character is dressed counts as part of the performance as well as the voices and the interplay.
How many performers can take part?
Exactly two. A scene for three or more belongs in a trio or group class, and a single costumed performer would enter the solo character or monologue class instead.
How long can the scene be?
It depends on the festival and your tier. The schedules we build from print limits from three minutes for the youngest school-year bands up to eight minutes for the oldest tiers, so always check the limit for your own tier.
Can the two performers be different ages?
The pair is normally entered in one age tier. In one schedule the Open class is set up so that only one of the pair needs to be 13 or over, but the other festivals use their own age rules, so read the eligibility line for your tier.
Do we have to write the scene ourselves?
In the schedules we build from the piece is the pair's own choice, so it may be a published scene or an original one. Check the festival's rules on permitted sources before you enter.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full drama and skit judging criteria guide, or browse every action competition item.
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