What is an "Italian" rehearsal? A guide to running lines at speed

An "Italian" is a rehearsal where actors say their lines fast and flat, without acting, blocking or looking for intention, to link the cues and set the text in memory. It is usually done seated, around a table, before moving on to work on the stage. In French theatre the same exercise is called a "répétition à l'italienne".

What is an Italian run for?

Linking cues. You work the mechanics of cue and response: everyone knows exactly when to speak.
Finding the gaps. At speed, hesitations and missing words show up straight away.
Separating memory from acting. By not acting, you learn the text without loading it with an intonation you will struggle to change.
Saving time. A whole scene takes a few minutes, so you can run it several times in a session.

How to do it

Pick a scene short enough to repeat several times in the session.
Say the text flat and fast, staying clear and accurate. No expressive pauses, no gestures.
Do not stop on a mistake. Note it, carry on, and come back to it at the end.
Run the scene again, trying to go slightly faster with fewer glances at the script.
Hide your script gradually: first the ends of your lines, then whole lines.

What about rehearsing alone?

An Italian is normally done with other people, and that is where the difficulty starts: you need a partner who is free. Meanwhile you end up saying your part into the void, without the cues, which greatly limits the point of the exercise. A rehearsal partner, human or software, who reads the other lines and goes quiet on your turn, solves that.

That is the idea behind Tirade: you import your play, pick your role, and the voice reads the other characters and waits as long as you need for your line before carrying on. You can set the voice speed, your speaking speed and the margin left between lines.

What it does not replace

An Italian prepares the text, not the acting. It does not replace work with a director, nor rehearsals with real scene partners, who bring listening, eye contact and intentions. Think of it as a stage: you know the text flat, then you play it.

In French

The French name for this exercise is "répétition à l'italienne": see our page on the répétition à l'italienne.

Frequently asked questions

Should you move during an Italian?

No, you generally stay seated and concentrate on the text. Blocking comes later.

How fast should you go?

As fast as you can while staying clear and accurate. The goal is a correct, linked text, not a performance.

Is it useful for a monologue?

Yes, for fluency and for finding the gaps. A monologue has no cues to work on, but speed and testing without the script are still useful.

Run your lines now.

Import your scene: the voice gives the cues, you carry on.

Open Tirade