Browse Acting Monologues & Scenes

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Dr. Godwin Baxter introduces his student, Max McCandles, to his experimental creation, Bella. Max is immediately captivated by Bella's striking appearance and erratic, childlike behavior as Baxter explains her unique neurological condition and assigns Max to document her progress.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

After witnessing extreme poverty, Bella decides to give away Duncan's gambling winnings to two stewards she believes will help the poor. When Duncan wakes up and realizes his fortune is gone, Bella tries to explain her newfound philosophical awakening while Duncan descends into a violent rage.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella informs her creator and father figure, Baxter, of her intention to run away with the rakish Duncan Wedderburn to experience the world. She challenges Baxter's control over her, demanding her independence while navigating her burgeoning sense of self and desire for adventure. The stakes involve Bella's personal autonomy versus Baxter's protective, scientific paternalism.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella enthusiastically shares her discovery of sexual pleasure with the household staff and Max, unaware of social taboos. Her objective is to spread joy through her new discovery, while Max and Mrs. Prim struggle with the intense awkwardness and societal boundaries she is breaking.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Max confronts Baxter after discovering disturbing medical files, leading Baxter to reveal the macabre truth behind Bella's existence. Baxter explains how he salvaged a pregnant suicide victim's body and performed a radical brain transplant to create a new life, forcing Max to grapple with the ethical horror of Bella's origin.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella Baxter explains the scientific markings on her thighs to a bewildered Duncan Wedderburn during a sexual encounter. Her blunt, clinical honesty regarding a previous encounter with another man causes Duncan to abruptly lose interest and leave the room.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella prepares to leave on a grand adventure with a charming rake, leading to a confrontation with her fiancé, Max. While Max attempts to assert his protection and outrage through threats of violence, Bella remains singularly focused on her journey, eventually taking drastic measures to ensure her departure.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Following their first sexual encounter, Bella questions why society doesn't prioritize pleasure while Duncan attempts to assert his sexual prowess and emotional unavailability. The scene highlights Bella's blunt, unfiltered curiosity and Duncan's growing realization that he may have met his match in her insatiable appetite for life.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

On a ship deck, Harry confesses his cynical motivations for trying to shatter Bella's worldview, admitting his actions were born of cruelty and bitterness. Bella rejects his nihilism, identifying him as a broken soul and choosing to maintain her own sense of hope despite his warnings about the harshness of reality.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella expresses her growing disillusionment and emotional numbness while working in a Parisian brothel. Swiney, the madam, reframes Bella's existential crisis as a necessary 'dark period' required for personal growth and wisdom.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella returns home to find her creator, Baxter 'God' Godwin, on his deathbed. She confronts him with difficult questions regarding her true biological origins and the existence of a child, forcing him to reveal the scientific truth of her resurrection.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Swiney, a cynical brothel madam, manipulates the naive and inquisitive Bella into accepting the harsh realities of sex work. By using her sick grandchild as emotional leverage and framing degradation as a necessary path to worldly wisdom, Swiney secures Bella's compliance.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella reveals to a horrified Duncan that she has experimented with sex work to earn money and compare his performance to others. As Duncan spirals into a dramatic, misogynistic breakdown, Bella calmly concludes that their romantic adventure has reached its end due to his lack of a forgiving disposition.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Duncan, a debauched lawyer, impulsively proposes marriage to Bella after realizing he has fallen in love with her. Bella, possessing a literal and detached worldview, calmly rejects him by citing her prior engagement and her view of their affair as merely temporary fun, driving Duncan into a comedic rage.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella enthusiastically explores the world and its culinary delights while Duncan struggles with his growing jealousy and possessiveness. The scene highlights the power shift in their relationship as Bella's independence begins to frustrate Duncan's desire for control.

Poor Things

by Tony McNamara

Bella confronts her former husband, Alfie, demanding her freedom after discovering the truth of her resurrection. Alfie attempts to assert patriarchal dominance through threats of violence and mutilation, leading to a tense physical struggle for control.

POOR THINGS

by Tony McNamara

Bella reveals to a devastated Duncan that she has engaged in sex work as both a financial necessity and a personal experiment. Duncan spirals into a misogynistic meltdown while Bella remains logically detached, ultimately deciding their relationship is over and revealing she had emergency funds hidden all along.

POOR THINGS

by Tony McNamara

After witnessing the horrific squalor of a slum from her hotel balcony, Bella attempts a grand act of altruism by giving away Duncan's gambling winnings to ship stewards. When Duncan discovers the money is gone, he descends into a rage, only for the couple to be informed they are being evicted from their luxury accommodations for lack of funds.

POOR THINGS

by Tony McNamara

Bella confronts her former husband, Alfie, declaring her independence and revealing the surreal truth of her resurrection. When Alfie threatens her with a forced medical procedure and a firearm, Bella must use her wits and physical strength to escape his control. The scene reaches a climax as a struggle for the gun results in Alfie being incapacitated.