A single performer presents a short dramatic scene or character piece alone, judged on characterisation, voice and stage presence within a set time limit.
Solo Drama is an individual stage item in which one performer carries a whole dramatic piece alone. The entrant may play a single character in a pivotal moment, or move between a few voices to tell a compact story, but there is no scene partner, set or accompaniment. Everything the audience understands has to come from voice, face, posture and movement.
In the festival templates that carry it, the item is split into age classes, each a separate competition with its own ranking. Boys and girls compete together and the performance is in English. The time limit grows with age: roughly two to three minutes for the youngest entrants, rising to five or six minutes for the oldest classes, and one overall mark out of ten is the nominal score the template carries.
A round is simple. Performers are called in running order, announce the title of the piece if the syllabus asks for it, perform, and leave. The adjudicator watches the whole performance and awards a mark, normally with written comments for the entrant. Most festivals expect the piece to come from a published play or story, so choosing a passage that suits the performer's age matters as much as delivering it well.
Organisers run the item because it needs almost no equipment, gives pupils a first experience of performing alone, and sits naturally beside separate duologue, group drama and verse-speaking classes. It lets a festival hold a full drama section with a small stage and a short timetable.
Where Solo Drama is run
In eTalenter's data this item appears in four templates: three English festival drama sections (Cheshire, Devon and Worthing) and one Queensland, Australia junior eisteddfod speech-and-drama section. Age bands and time limits differ by event, so always read the class list and time limit of the festival you are entering.
- United Kingdom - England (competitive festival drama sections)
- Australia - Queensland (junior eisteddfod speech and drama)
Key facts
- Individual entry; boys and girls compete together within each age class.
- Performed in English, with time limits that rise with age: about 2-3 minutes for the youngest classes up to 5-6 minutes for the oldest.
- Nominal score is one mark out of 10; the templates print no criterion breakdown.
- Different from a Duologue (two performers) and from Mime (movement without speech); Solo Drama uses speech and movement together.
- Idea starters, not rules: a character waiting for a message that never arrives, a pupil explaining a broken window to a head teacher, or a traveller who has missed the last train.
On eTalenter, Solo Drama is filed under Action 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, Solo Drama is most often entered as an Individual competition, typically scored out of 10, commonly time-limited to 2–6 minutes where a limit is set.
What judges look at in Solo Drama
What a Solo Drama panel is actually weighing up, and where the marks are usually won or lost:
- Characterisation: the audience should know who the person is, what they want and how they feel within the first few lines.
- Voice and diction: clear, audible speech with variety in pace, pitch and volume; no rushing the opening or losing the ending.
- Movement and physical control: gesture and posture that support the role, with no distracting fidgeting or random pacing.
- Stage presence and focus: staying in character throughout, using the playing area purposefully and recovering calmly from a slip.
- Choice of piece and timing: a passage suited to the performer's age that finishes within the class time limit with a proper ending.
Treat these as the judging focus, not a fixed rubric: publish your own weighted criteria for Solo Drama under Scoring Setup, or start from the full mono act judging criteria guide.
How to prepare for Solo Drama
How entrants and their teachers usually get Solo Drama right on the day:
- Pick a passage with one clear situation and a visible change, not just a long speech; cut it so it fits comfortably under the class time limit.
- Learn the words so well they can be said without effort, then rehearse until the thought behind each line is clear.
- Time every run-through with a stopwatch and aim for slightly under the limit, since going over is a common way to lose marks.
- Decide on a few simple physical choices: where the character sits or stands, who they speak to, and one change of position or posture.
- Perform in front of family or friends and ask what they understood, then rework the parts where attention dropped.
- Plan the first line and the final pose in advance so the piece starts confidently and ends cleanly.
- Check the syllabus for rules on props, costume and printed copies, and prepare only what the class allows.
Frequently asked questions
Is Solo Drama 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 Solo Drama different from a duologue?
Solo Drama has one performer who carries the whole piece alone. A duologue has two performers sharing a scene, so the partners react to each other. The two are separate items with separate classes.
How long can a Solo Drama performance be?
It depends on the festival and the age class. In the templates that carry it, limits range from about two minutes for the youngest entrants to five or six minutes for the oldest, so check the class you are entering.
Is Solo Drama marked on the script or the performance?
The templates give a single mark out of ten and print no breakdown. Adjudicators generally weigh characterisation, voice, movement and focus, and the suitability of the chosen piece.
Can I use props or costume?
That is set by each festival's syllabus. Many allow a simple prop or costume piece but not scenery, so read the rules for your class before preparing.
Want the full judging picture? Read the full mono act judging criteria guide, or browse every action competition item.
Try Solo Drama in eTalenter
See every ready-made template that runs Solo Drama, and install one as a live event — age groups, rules and scoring included.
