Event: Monologue Slam UK
Venue: Rich Mix
Price: £10; free for actors to compete via audition
Review by Mesha McNeil
Monologue Slam UK, a monthly event, takes place at Rich Mix in the heart of east London. The capacity audience, which includes industry professionals, spills over into the upstairs gallery to watch 20 aspiring actors showcase their thespian talents.
Monologue Slam UK is hosted by Jimmy Akingbola, best known for his role as registrar Antoine Malick in Holby City. Akingbola is one of the managing directors of Triforce Promotions, the company behind an event which provides actors with a platform to showcase their talents and network with industry professionals.
The formula is simple. Each actor has to perform their chosen monologue to a panel of industry judges, in this case director James Dacre, artistic director Kerry Michael, agent John Markham and actress Dona Croll.
It consists of three rounds. A “One Minute Smack Down” where 10 of the actors have one minute to perform their monologue. While the judges deliberate, six of the contestants come on stage for a “Two Minute Bare-Knuckle Improv” round. After the judges return, the “Three Minute Heavy Weight” monologue begins.
The audience is invited to suggest styles, props and lines, a la Whose Line is it Anyway? Items from people’s pockets are literally chucked onto the stage causing Akingbola to duck and dodge. The interactive element creates a real buzz and the high energy of the crowd is infectious. The random suggestions generate hilarious scenarios such as a Bollywood/Nollywood bucket sales transaction and a Jedi training session.
All the monologues are incredible. My personal favourite, Amma Boateng, wins the one minute round with her passionate monologue from The Woman that Cooked her Husband by Debbie Isit. “I’m so shocked. I wasn’t expecting it,” says Boateng of her win.
Jaz Deol (pictured above) wins the three minute round with his piece from Immaculate by Oliver Lansley. A special mention is given to Dexter Jermaine Flanders for his monologue from Before it Hits Home by Cheryl L West. Flanders admits “I chose the piece as it was quite deep and it was something which allowed me to be vulnerable”.
Monologue Slam UK is a real diamond. It allows a diverse mix of aspiring actors at different stages of their theatrical education or career to showcase their skills and “plug” themselves to agents.
The event also gives the audience an alternative dramatic experience instead of a traditional night at the theatre. It is exciting being able to intensely experience new actors and engage directly in their performances. Thoroughly recommended.
To see some of the winners in action visit:
Dexter Jermaine Flanders http://dexterftv.tumblr.com
Amma Boateng www.spotlight.com/9495-1207-1502