CALL OUT SUBMISSIONS OF MONOLOGUES
Green Curtain Theatre in conjunction with Manchester Irish Society invite all writers, beginners as well as the more experienced to create original first‑person performance monologues inspired by a mosaic from the list below.
These mosaics were created by world renowned mosaic artist Mark Kennedy. Each mosaic depicts an iconic Irish figure who at some point lived in Great Britain and is part of the Irish nation Collection. https://www.theirishnation.com/
Your monologue can be ‘external’ monologues where the subject is saying something aloud that they wish another person(s) to hear. Alternatively, they can be an ‘internal’ monologue of their most private thoughts that they do not wish anyone else to hear. Both should be performance monologues, that is monologues written to be performed aloud.
Your monologue must be set at a time when your subject either lived, worked or visited Great Britain.
TIPS ON HOW TO BEGIN
- Choose a meaningful subject from the list at the end of these instructions. .Select someone who matters to you, an individual whose artistic work you admire or whose achievements in any field resonate with you. A personal connection will strengthen your writing.
- Research their life. Build a partial portrait of their character through reading, listening, and watching. This will help you imagine their inner world. Consider the idea of mosaics: every person is made of many pieces—complex, sometimes contradictory.
- Set your monologue in Britain. Your piece must take place during a period when your subject visited, lived, worked, or performed in Britain. Research dates, locations, historical context, and the social atmosphere of the time.
- Study their voice. Look for old interviews, recordings, or articles to understand how your subject speaks. A distinctive voice that feels emotionally truthful will bring authenticity to your monologue.
- Choose the moment. Decide where and when your subject is speaking. What has prompted them to speak now? What do they need to express?
- Make it believable. Although you are imagining their words, the judges must feel that your subject could genuinely have said them.
- Explore shifting identities and displacement. Consider how Irish heritage, combined with living or working in the UK, might have shaped your subject. Writing from England while looking across the water to Ireland can create tension, depth, and dramatic energy.
- Write your first draft. Then read it through and note what you like, what feels unclear, and what might need strengthening.
- Read it aloud. Listen for rhythm and clarity. Are any sentences too long? Are there awkward phrases or words that are difficult to say?
- Redraft thoughtfully. Creative writing is a process of shaping and reshaping. Put your draft aside for a few days, return to it with fresh eyes, and refine it. Improvement often comes through rewriting.
- Add a brief introduction. In 50 words or fewer, explain when and where your subject is speaking, and why they have chosen to speak at this moment. Place this at the top of the page above your monologue.
Click on the links below to view the mosaic of a particular subject on the Irish Nation website.
Musicians
Luke Kelly — The Irish Nation
Sinéad O’Connor — The Irish Nation
Shane MacGowan — The Irish Nation
Phil Lynott — The Irish Nation
Morrissey of The Smiths — The Irish Nation
Writers and Poets
Oscar Wilde — The Irish Nation
Brendan Behan — The Irish Nation
Seamus Heaney — The Irish Nation
James Joyce — The Irish Nation
Samuel Beckett — The Irish Nation
Sportspeople
George Best — The Irish Nation
Katie Taylor — The Irish Nation
Politicians
John F. Kennedy — The Irish Nation
Constance Markievicz — The Irish Nation
Architect
Eileen Gray — The Irish Nation
COMPETITION RULES
- The call-out is open to anyone aged 18 or over who is resident in Great Britain. We particularly welcome entries from those born in Ireland or with Irish parents or grandparents.
- There is no entry fee.
- The monologue must be newly written for this call-out and must not have been previously published or performed.
- All entries must be typed and submitted as Word documents.
- Each monologue must be no longer than 500 words. There is no minimum length.
- Each monologue must be preceded by an introductory paragraph of 50 words or fewer, explaining when and where the subject is speaking and what has prompted them to speak at this moment.
- Entries will be judged anonymously. Entrants must therefore submit two separate Word documents:
– one containing the monologue and its introductory paragraph
– one containing the entrant’s contact details - Monologues that exceed the word limit—either for the monologue itself or for the introductory paragraph—will not be considered.
- Entries must be emailed to competition@greencurtaintheatre.co.uk no later than Tuesday 7 April 2026. The judges’ decision is final, and we regret that we cannot enter into correspondence with entrants.
- Selected monologues will be performed live in London later in the year, alongside an exhibition of the mosaics. Writers whose work is chosen will be notified by 30th April 2026 and invited to attend the performance.
IMPORTANT
As the chosen monologues will be performed, the judges reserve the right to amend words or phrases to enhance clarity and delivery. The judges work alongside the actors, who will be delivering the monologues and respond to requests for editing to help the flow of the text Changes will be kept to a minimum, but writers who are uncomfortable with this should not submit an entry.