Simon Dunmore's List
of Female Shakespeare Characters and Speeches Too Often Used for
Audition
Adriana (The Comedy
Of Errors)
Beatrice (Much Ado
About Nothing)
Constance (King John)
Emilia (Othello)
- the "Yes, a dozen..." speech (Act 4, Scene 3)
Gertrude (Hamlet)
Goneril (King Lear)
Helena (A Midsummer
Night's Dream)
Helena (All's Well
That End's Well)
Hermia (A Midsummer
Night's Dream)
Hermione (The Winter's
Tale)
Imogen (Cymbeline)
Isabella (Measure For
Measure)
Joan la Pucelle (Henry
VI, part 1)
Julia (The Two Gentlemen
of Verona)
Juliet (Romeo And Juliet)
Katherine (The Taming
Of The Shrew)
Lady Anne (Richard
III) - the funeral scene speeches (Act 1, Scene 2)
Lady Macbeth (Macbeth)
Lady Percy (Henry IV,
part 2)
Luciana (The Comedy
Of Errors)
Marina (Pericles)
Olivia (Twelfth Night)
Ophelia (Hamlet) -
"My lord, as I was sewing..." (Act 2, Scene 1)
Paulina (The Winter's
Tale)
Phoebe (As You Like
It)
Portia (Julius Caesar)
Portia (The Merchant
Of Venice)
Puck (A Midsummer Night's
Dream)
Queen Katherine (Henry
VIII) - the court speeches (Act 2, Scene 4)
Queen Margaret (Henry
VI, parts 1, 2 & 3)
Rosalind (As You Like
It)
The Jailer's Daughter
(The Two Noble Kinsmen)
The Nurse (Romeo And
Juliet)
Titania (A Midsummer
Night's Dream)
Viola (Twelfth Night)
- I have cited specific
scenes/speeches against a character, when there is material elsewhere
for that character which doesn't tend to be used.
- This list is based on
a survey of approximately three years of auditions.
- I'm not saying that
you shouldn't use any of the material above - there are
some wonderful characters and speeches cited. However, you should
feel very, very sure (in the moment of audition) that you can
do your choice very well. Remember: experienced auditioners have
seen all the above many times before.
If you are having trouble
working out who is related to whom in Shakespeare's history plays
have a look at <http://www.royalist.info>
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