Memorising Monologues with AI: The First-Letter Technique Guide

Following on from our last blog post, I thought I’d go into more detail about one memorisation technique that many actors find particularly helpful, especially when it comes to learning monologues:

Step 1

Write the first letter of each word of the monologue on a piece of paper. Keep all the punctuation and all the capitalisation.

Step 2

Read the text multiple times.

Step 3

Recite the text several times using the piece of paper with the letters as cues.

Step 4

Recite the monologue without any visual cues.

Here are two great videos breaking this technique down:

1. YouTube Guide: Memorisation Technique
2. YouTube Explainer

At Acting Pal, we’ve built an easy solution to help actors use this technique for memorising lines — switch on memorisation mode and we’ll transform the text into letters for you. Follow the steps above and by step 4 you’ll be one step closer to being off-book!

See also

• How to Memorise Lines Fast with AI
• Best Line Learning AI Apps
• Top AI Tools for Actors

FAQ

How can I memorise a monologue fast?

The first-letter technique is one of the fastest ways to memorise a monologue. By reducing words to their initials, you force your brain to use active recall, strengthening memory pathways much quicker than passive reading.

Does Acting Pal work for monologues?

Yes. You can upload your monologue text, and Acting Pal's Memorisation Mode will automatically convert it into the first-letter format (preserving punctuation), saving you the time of writing it out by hand.

What is the best app for learning monologues?

Acting Pal is ideal for monologues because it combines the first-letter memorisation technique with AI voices (if you want to practice against a scene partner or just hear the text) and a teleprompter for self-taping your progress.