Learn a part in a week: a day-by-day plan

Seven days is enough for a medium-sized part if you work steadily rather than in one block. The principle: understand first, learn in short sessions, then test off book and in situation. Adjust the length to the size of your role.

Day 1: read and understand

Read the whole play, not only your scenes. Note what your character wants in each scene and what changes for them. No memorising yet: you are laying foundations.

Day 2: chunk and first units

Break your lines into units of sense. Learn the first two or three scenes, aloud, with the cues. A short session, but a serious one.

Day 3: learn with the cues

Carry on with the next scenes, always with your partners' lines (with someone, or a synthetic voice like Tirade). Quickly review what you learned yesterday before moving on.

Day 4: spaced review and Italian run

Go back over everything learned, first from memory, then check. Do an Italian run of the scenes you know: fast, flat, without stopping.

Day 5: off book

Hide your script and note every gap. Go back to the shaky passages first. This is the most useful day for solidity.

Day 6: in situation

Say your scenes standing, moving, varying the tone. If possible, rehearse with real partners. The text must hold up under the acting.

Day 7: full test, then rest

Do a full pass off book in the morning, fix the last gaps, then let it rest. A good night's sleep consolidates a lot.

Adapting the plan to your part

For a small part, you can merge days 2 to 4 into one or two sessions. For a very large part, double each stage and keep at least two days for the test off book. The order matters more than the calendar: understand, learn, space, test.

To keep the plan on track

• Short, regular sessions beat a single three-hour block.
• Check your text against the source before learning it.
• Note your gaps to rework the next day.

Frequently asked questions