←Recommendations of THE UNDERSTUDY

Paul Smith is truly a brilliant writer. This monologue, written in verse, with clever interior rhyming, is a joy to read! No doubt it would be a joy to perform for an actor or witness from the audience.

Paul Smith is truly a brilliant writer. This monologue, written in verse, with clever interior rhyming, is a joy to read! No doubt it would be a joy to perform for an actor or witness from the audience.

Read it!! It's a black comedy monologue piece that is extremely relatable for someone working in the industry as a performer and anyone else who is drawn to self-reflection. The piece is clever and rich. The reader in drawn into the world of the character and lives with him through his ups and downs.

Both hilarious and darkly sad, this one person play about a hapless understudy named Malcolm is a tour de force for any actor. It reaches into the depths of despair at missed opportunities in life, or in this case a life in the theatre, but it hums along like a freight train in it's almost poetic listing of sleights and insults at the hands of the star known as Sir Giles, and we find ourselves rooting for Malcolm in his increasingly macabre quest to get his shot. Simply brilliant!

Brilliant monologue about a person who usually is heard a few times in their careers, but poor Malcolm is never allowed on stage once in all of his time as an understudy to Sir Giles. We are drawn into Malcolm's world of heartache and revenge and we the reader and audience are left breathless with his final word which is so defiant and brings about much closure for us the reader and I hope for man who never got his chance to dazzle the stage.

If you miss in-person theatre, that's slowly reemerging, but it's been a minute, or if you bemoan the fact that there are only three seasons of "Slings & Arrows" - this monologue about the missed opportunities and misadventures of The Stage will be balm for the soul. "Malcom" has been sidelined, literally his whole career. What does it do to a person to always play second fiddle, yet be required to show up? Although this is is about theatre, of course the subtext is deeper and darker, asking us to reflect on the choices we make.

An absolutely brilliant monologue about having to watch your dreams play out from the sidelines, while another gets the glory. Paul Smith's wonderful dialogue is both heart-breaking and blisteringly funny. Although Malcolm, the understudy, never EVER gets the chance to act, the real, more interesting drama is happening with him directly on center stage. His final act of playing a role of significance is hilariously appropriate, and he just might, as he says, find a better class of people where he's going. I loved this piece!

I am always amazed at people who can do so much with a monologue and this is a clear example. Such a wonderful insight into the world of professional theatre. You can feel the characters frustration building regarding his situation and you do feel for him. I loved the ending, despite it being slightly dark and I think this could make a great piece for a single actor in a festival. Brilliantly done Paul.