A short spoken-drama class for a pair or a trio of performers, entered by age band and marked together as one team performance on characterisation, interplay and clarity.
A Duologue/Trio is a team class in which two or three performers present a short piece of spoken drama together. It may be a scene from a published play, a dialogue from a story or a piece the group has put together, but it is acted rather than sung or danced. Offering the pair and the trio in one class means friends who could not find a third partner, or who found one too many, can still take part.
In the Australian eisteddfod speech section we build from, the class is not offered at every age. It appears in six of the thirteen age tiers: 8 and under, 10 and under, 12 and under, 14 and under, 16 and under and an open all-comers tier. Every tier uses the same limit of six minutes, which is shared with the Shakespearean class in that section's rules.
A round runs like any drama class. The performers are announced, set up whatever little they need, and play from a clear opening to a clear ending. The adjudicator listens for distinct characters, for lines that are picked up on cue, and for performers who react to each other instead of waiting for their turn to speak.
Organisers run the class because it gives pupils a first step into acting that is gentler than a solo and far smaller than a group play. It suits school friends, siblings and stage school partners, and it is easy to schedule because it needs only a bare stage.
Where Duologue/Trio is run
Pair and trio drama classes appear in many British, Irish and Australian competitive festivals, often with different names such as Duologue, Scene for Two or Trio. The template data we hold has this combined Duologue/Trio class in one New South Wales eisteddfod speech section, next to a solo Recitation class. Time limits and eligibility differ between organisers, so always read the syllabus of the event you are entering.
- New South Wales, Australia (eisteddfod speech and drama section)
Key facts
- Team entry: two or three performers acting together.
- Spoken drama only; no singing or dance is required.
- Offered in six age tiers in the template: 8, 10, 12, 14 and 16 years and under, plus an open all-comers tier.
- Time limit in the template: 6 minutes for every tier it appears in.
- Open to boys and girls in any combination; marked out of 10 in the template.
- Different from Duologue, which is for exactly two performers, and from Musical Duo, which adds songs.
- Idea starters, not rules: two neighbours arguing over a fence and a third who settles it, a lost-property clerk and two customers, or three pupils planning a surprise party.
On eTalenter, Duologue/Trio 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, Duologue/Trio is most often entered as an Team competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to around 6 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Duologue/Trio
What a Duologue/Trio panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Distinct characters: each performer needs a different voice, posture and attitude so the audience always knows who is speaking.
- Interplay: cues are picked up promptly, lines are listened to, and focus passes fairly between two or three people rather than resting on one.
- Clarity and projection: every line must be understood at the back of the room, even in a three-way overlap.
- Understanding of the text: the scene should have a clear want and a clear change, not a list of lines delivered one after another.
- Movement and staging: simple, purposeful positions that suit a bare stage and keep everyone visible to the adjudicator.
- Shape and timing: a complete opening, development and ending that finishes inside the six-minute limit.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Duologue/Trio under Scoring Setup, or start from the full drama & skit judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Duologue/Trio
How entrants and their teachers usually get Duologue/Trio right on the day:
- Choose a scene with a real conflict or secret; a piece where nothing changes gives the adjudicator little to reward.
- Give each performer a clear, equal share of the lines so no one is left as a passenger.
- Decide as a group who is where on stage and mark the positions, so the trio does not bunch up or block each other.
- Practise picking up cues quickly; gaps between lines are the commonest way these scenes lose pace.
- Rehearse listening and reacting during the other performers' lines, not only your own.
- Time the whole piece with a stopwatch and aim to finish about ten seconds under the limit.
- Run it in front of a small audience at least twice so the group is used to being watched before the day.
Frequently asked questions
Is Duologue/Trio 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.
What is the difference between a Duologue and a Duologue/Trio?
A Duologue is for exactly two performers. A Duologue/Trio class accepts either two or three, so a group of three can enter the same class a pair would.
Can a Duologue/Trio include singing or dance?
The class is spoken drama. A piece that depends on singing belongs in a musical class, so check your organiser's syllabus before adding music.
How long can a Duologue/Trio performance be?
In the template it is six minutes in every age tier where the class is run. Check your own organiser's syllabus.
Is a Duologue/Trio judged as separate actors or as a team?
As one team performance with a single mark, so the group succeeds or loses together; one dominant performer usually costs marks.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full drama & skit judging criteria guide, or browse every action competition item.
Try Duologue/Trio in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Duologue/Trio, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
