My monologues are, and always have been, FREE... but if you wanted to show some love - or gain some good karma points before heading in to that big audition, feel free to...

Free Comedic Monologues

written by award winning writer Arthur M. Jolly

Use these for auditions or classes with no restrictions. Use them for public performances with permission. You may not publish or distribute these without written permission.
YOU-TUBE, TIKTOK and VIMEO: If you share your performance, include my full name credited as author and you MUST provide a link to the publisher, or if unpublished, to this page in the video description. Thank you!

There's also a page just for Dramatic Monologues!


If you require PERMISSION for a Thespian State Festival, contact me. Note: Permission for monologues from plays published by YouthPLAYS are automatically included with a purchase of the play!

These monologues are available in a dyslexic-friendly font Dyslexie Font on request - just email me!

 The Queen of Worrying Monologue

The Queen of Worrying.
comedic, w, young teen. Two minutes.

A teenage girl goes ballistic about how her mother over-worries.
This monologue is published in Kids' Comedic Monologues That Are Actually Funny.

  Past Curfew

GETTING FAMOUS from Past Curfew.
comedic, m, teen, 1 minute.

A monologue from the AOPW Fellowship winning play PAST CURFEW.
Michael, on his first date ever, lays out his dreams to his dream girl.
The play is published by NEXT STAGE PRESS.

 Perfect Jimmy Monologue

PERFECT JIMMY from What the Well Dressed Girl is Wearing.
comedic, w, teen. 1 Minute

Sandra tells her best friend exactly how she feels about Jimmy... the guy her friend is dating.
This play is published by YouthPLAYS.com.
Kirstie
KIRSTIE from Past Curfew.
dramedy, w, teen. 1 minute

A monologue from the AOPW Fellowship winning play PAST CURFEW. Kirstie realizes her mother's favorite story - about a tiger trying to put out a fire - makes no sense. This is kind of comedic, but with dramatic subtext.
The play is published by NEXT STAGE PRESS.
The monologue is also available in The Theatre Audition Book 2. The Theatre Audition Book 2

 No Quarter Given Monologue

NO QUARTER GIVEN.

dramedy, any, young adult. Two minutes.

A barista reveals a penetrating truth about the customers of their dad's coffee shop, and their reaction to a quarter glued to the sidewalk in front of the store.
The monologue is also available on the New Play Exchange.

 Hot Water Monologue

IN HOT WATER from my most produced play The Four Senses of Love.

comedic, w, adult. 3 minutes

Melita - a woman born without the sense of taste - talks to her support group for the sensory-deprived about an awkward date and a disastrous cup of coffee.
The play is published by SMITH & KRAUS.

  The Passport

AMUSEMENT PARKS from The Passport
dramedy, m, adult, 2 minutes.

Published in The Best Men's Monologues from New Plays 2019

A comedic moment in an otherwise dramatic play, Dan tries to convince his boyfriend to go to Orlando rather than Scotland while he packs.
    The Best Men's Monologues from New Plays 2019
This play is available from the playwright or can be downloaded free by members of the New Play Exchange.

 Teacher from There Is No Play Monologue

CANCELED from There Is No Play.

comedic, any gender, adult, 1 Minute

A drama teacher tells their students that their competition performance of Twelve Angry Dogs has been canceled for an awkward reason.
This play is published by YouthPLAYS

 Tina Monologue

TINA from A Very Modern Marriage.

comedic, w, adult, 1 Minute

Tina confronts her husband's lover Chris.
This play premiered in June 2015 at the Hollywood Fringe Festival.
This play is available from the playwright or can be downloaded free by members of the New Play Exchange.

 Sales of a Dead Man Monologue

Ellen from Sales of a Dead Man.

comedic, w (or any), adult, 2-3 Minutes

Published in The Best Women's Monologues from New Plays 2020
An office manager has to break bad news to her sales team.
This monologue can be played by any gender, and can be shortened to a one minute version very easily.
    The Best Women's Monologues from New Plays 2020
This play is available from the playwright or can be downloaded free by members of the New Play Exchange.
You Can't Fight for Pie
YOU CAN'T FIGHT FOR PIE from Every Battle, Every War., available from Original Works Online.
comedic, m, adult, 1 minute.

A short comic monologue in a British Accent. An uptight British Lieutenant confronts a belligerent American Doughboy in the World War One trench they share.

The play is published by ORIGINAL WORKS PRESS.

  Long Joan Silver

SQUIRE TRELAWNEY from Long Joan Silver.
comedic, m, adult, 2 minutes.

A monologue adapted from LONG JOAN SILVER.
Squire Trelawney convinces his cohorts that stealing stolen goods is ultimately ethical - and inadvertently mocks Jim's dead father while he's at it.
The play is published by YouthPLAYS.

  The Copilot

RANDY AND THE BEAR from The Copilot.
comedic, m, adult (parent of adult daughter), 2 minutes.

A monologue from my new play THE COPILOT.
Randy, trapped on top of a "Do Not Feed the Bears" sign by an angry bear, tells the college girl perched next to him how his daughter broke his heart.

  The Lady Demands Satisfaction

LORD ABERNATHY from The Lady Demands Satisfaction
m, adult. Comedic. 1 minute.

A monologue from the Todd McNerney National Playwriting Award Winning play!

Lord Abernathy, in spectacularly useless fashion, counsels a young woman on her upcoming arranged marriage.
This play is published by Next Stage Press.
Rest in Peace
REST IN PEACE.
comedic, w, adult or older adult (widow). 3 minutes.

An original contemporary monologue from The Coop Theater Company Workshop. An older Southern Woman confronts her husband about his philandering, in spite of the fact that he's already in his grave. Good character humor.
The photo is Jill Bess performing the monologue at the 2014 Last Frontier Theatre Conference.

On Writing Monologues


A drama teaching friend of mine asked me to muse on what makes a strong standalone monologue for her class... so here's my take on it!