How do you rehearse lines from a PDF script?

To rehearse a PDF script with Tirade, import a PDF containing selectable text, check the characters and pick your role. The app reads the other parts aloud and leaves an adjustable pause for your reply. You can try the built-in example without an account before importing your own play.

By the Tirade team · Updated November 3, 2026

1. Check that your PDF contains text

Open the PDF and try selecting and copying a few lines. If the result contains readable words, the document has usable text. A photograph of a page or a PDF made of scanned images is not enough: Tirade does not perform optical character recognition (OCR). Ask your company for a text version, or use an OCR tool before importing. Check character names, punctuation and any words the conversion may have misread. An internet connection is needed to load the PDF extraction tool.

2. Import the script and check the characters

Open Tirade, sign in by email to add your own play and import the file. You can also import a .txt file or paste the script. The clearest formats are "MARY: Hello.", "MARY. Hello." or a character name in capitals on its own line, followed by the dialogue. Keep the other characters' lines in the script: those are the cues you need to practise responding to.

Compare the imported result with your reference script before learning it. Multiple columns, headers and unusual PDF layouts can scramble the reading order. If the result is difficult to follow, paste a cleaned text version instead. On the script screen, tap an individual line to correct its text or character before rehearsing. Checking now avoids memorising a transcription error and having to unlearn it later.

3. Pick your role and choose the voices

Select the character you are playing. Tirade reads the other characters using text-to-speech voices available on your device. Listen to a sample and adjust the voices and speed so you can tell the speakers apart. Optional premium voices are available to accounts with a character quota; generating them sends the lines to the speech provider. Only accounts already activated with a quota can use them; subscriptions are not open yet. Device voices remain an option for rehearsing.

4. Practise a short sequence before hiding your lines

Start with your lines visible so you can check the cues. The pause before the next line is calculated from the length of your text and your speaking speed. Adjust it if you need more time. You can skip manually or enable microphone listening in compatible browsers. The default timing does not check whether you have spoken every word correctly, so compare your delivery with the script when reviewing a difficult passage.

Once the sequence feels familiar, show only the first words of your lines, then hide them. Repeat a short passage several times instead of rushing through the entire play. For a wider practice routine, read how to learn your lines and how to rehearse alone.

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