Ask any actor who has done time in repertory theatre what is the most frequently asked question by keen theatre-goers and I’d wager the answer would be:
“How do you learn the lines?”
I might have answered “with difficulty“, after drying on my first line (saying “Grace”) as the Vicar in Murder at the Vicarage on opening night at Salisbury Playhouse in the mid-60s .
It’s the nuts and bolts of the job–but never gets any easier.
Telly Savalas as Kojak had his lines taped all over the set and even–hard to believe–to the other actors’ foreheads!
Even if I’d been able to read them without my glasses, I couldn’t be shamed into that!
Samuel West‘s contribution to this article in The Guardian recently–actors’ advice to fellow actors–reminded me of the run-up to filming my two short scenes in the new adaptation of POLDARK*.
To anyone learning lines for a day’s filming where there is NO rehearsal, he says:
Learn your lines with a friend the night before filming. Say them looking into your friend’s eyes. Your friend will be distracting you. You will think you know the scene because you can do it looking at the floor, but human contact is distracting – and you want there to be human contact when you film the scene.
Learning the night before? I’ve always needed time for lines to settle and stick (slow study it’s called in the trade)–but I know what he means.
Meredith volunteered to hear my lines weeks before my first day’s shoot for POLDARK and eventually I took up her offer.
I’d been pounding them into my reluctant brain on my daily walk for weeks.
She suggested, like Samuel West, that I aimed them directly at her.
But for a while I was unwilling to engage with her spirited rendition of Captain Poldark–and continued doing exactly what Samuel West warns against–saying the lines, very convincingly, to nowhere in particular–sometimes to the floor.
In the end, I did engage. It was, as Sam says, usefully distracting–good preparation for when I had to project them across the chasm of the crowded, noisy courtroom.
Meredith watched the shooting of the trial of Jim Carter [Me-lud presiding!] on a monitor in a freezing anti-room of the medieval hall where we were filming.
In a pause while they were re-setting the lights she popped outside for a coffee to warm herself up.
There was Aidan Turner (aka Ross Poldark)…
…pacing up and down, going through his lines.
They hadn’t formally met at this point.
So as not distract him, she discreetly tucked herself into a corner with her coffee.
Suddenly, becoming aware that there was just the two of them, he confided:
“This scene is important and I want to get it right!”
“I know it well,” she said. “I rehearsed the lines over and over with Robin–playing YOU!”
Aidan roared with laughter.
Meredith sensibly didn’t offer to hear his lines….
*The new adaptation of Winston Graham’s POLDARK saga is being produced by Mammoth Screen for the BBC and PBS’ Masterpiece in the USA, to be broadcast next year.
Robin Ellis 
Interesting article on how to find the right method for learning lines until they’re finally absorbed. Luckily the final result looks seamless. Looking forward to seeing the next generation’s production of Poldark. 🙂
Thanks for this. Just experienced the horror of learning a whole play in a week for a fringe show in new york because the director was going away before we opened and everything was accelerated. Knew the lines if I covered them with my hand but once we were up on our feet…. Ended up ok of course. I got a couple of nice notices even. But every night it felt like jumping off a cliff, never knowing if or what lines or words might be dropped. My fellow actors were having the same problems it turned out. The lines, as you say, never settled. Much better to have a person there to run the lines!
Thanks for this. Just experienced the horror of learning a whole play in a week for a fringe show in new york because the director was going away before we opened and everything was accelerated. Knew the lines if I covered them with my hand but once we were up on our feet…. Ended up ok of course. I got a couple of nice notices even. But every night it felt like jumping off a cliff, never knowing if or what lines or words might be dropped. My fellow actors were having the same problems it turned out. The lines, as you say, never settled. Much better to have a person there to run the lines!
Where were you playing in the city?
We were at the Flamboyan Theater in the Lower East Side. I had never done a Fringe Festival play before. Guerilla theater at it’s best!
Another useful trick is to toss a tennis ball (gently!) between you and your helper while you say the lines. Also – get the helper to stand a long way away and shout the lines, especially if others can hear. It removes that awful inhibition the first time you say them in public.
Look forward to seeing the show!
Great idea, Constantine. Next time–if there is one.
Meredith is my hero!
Mine too!
Partners are brilliant, aren’t they? I did my psychology degree as a mature age student and my poor long suffering husband proof read every single one of my 48 assessments. He also lived with a picture of the brain on the fridge for months as I tried to memorise what went where. I really felt he deserved an honory degree when I graduated.
I can really relate to this, as well. As a musician, I have had to memorize solos many times. If I found a piano accompanist, and rehearsed, I had less chance of a memory slip, and played very well. When I just learned the solo on my own, standing in front of an orchestra to play it became frightening! Thank goodness you have Meredith!
I am wondering how Roberto Benigni (“La vita è bella”) can know all the Divine Commedy by heart! He has recited the whole text in a few nights some years ago in front of the Florentine spectators, I think in Santa Croce square. He is amazing!
It astounds me when people can tell me a few lines from a Shakespeare’s play or tell me a poem by memory. I walk around with paper and pen in my purse to make lists…write reminders…I enjoyed reading about your experience with learning lines. You are obviously good at it!
Delightful story! As an aside, I sponsor a student storyteller’s club at our elementary school, and while I discourage the children from memorizing their story (except for the first and last lines), I have them practice in the mirror looking into their own eyes and then videotape them so that they can see their mannerisms as they speak. They tell their stories with peer partners to work on eye contact. I think it is amazing how they self-correct flaws in their presentations. Children can be so wonderfully natural….or irritatingly artificial, with too much adult intervention.
Thanks for this, Joy.
Ha this is really interesting.Learning lines.Well I think it depends from person to person some do it quick some slow it depends also who difficult the part is, it’s not just the lines it’s the total pack lines aka text, face & aditude.You Robin have so many years experience.If I would be a actress I would try to get in the roll being a part of the story, easy said not done.Then there’s the difference from the part of cap.Poldark to a Judge.But you Robin with the Shakespeare experience you can do this no problem.And there’s no bizz like showbizz it’s a world apart and I love it!
Robin, You always gave a perfectly passionate and intense performance as Ross. May have been a slow study but it paid off. Picture of Aiden is riveting, even for this old gal. Something about a Brit in a redcoat!! Terrance Stamp in “Far From the Madding Crowd” comes to mind. Can’t wait for this to hit the States! Can’t wait to see YOU performing again.
You threw us redcoats out–and quite right too, Joanne!
Comforting to know that we ALL get stage fright at times. It’s so interesting to hear these anecdotes, Robin…You could tell us ALL the details of the trade & we would never tire. Great helper, Meredith! 🙂
My husband and I have just re-watched the 1970s series for about the tenth time. Looking forward to seeing and hearing you in this new series.
This is educational as well as fascinating. Thanks for sharing, I have gained some hints for studying for my citizenship exam, believe it or not . . .
I know precisely what you are talking about. Learning lines when I was in college many years ago was never an issue as I could learn them fairly quickly. The last time I was onstage (1986), it was pure drudgery. So now I am much more comfortable writing lines for other people to speak. The prospect of having to learn lines now would be quite disconcerting.
Leave it to Meredith to have the right response to any situation .
;0) Norma
P.S. In case you did not know ACORN is having a big DVD package sale on all the original POLDARK series here in the US. I encourage everyone to get it as a keepsake.
… a very nice post. Meredith does take good care of you, Robin! — Chris
Thanks Chris–you’re right!