The Kidnapped Call

Written by J Blakeson for the contemporary thriller film The Disappearance of Alice Creed, this intense dramatic monologue places the actor directly into an immediate survival crisis. Alice, a kidnap victim held captive in an unknown flat, seizes a rare window of opportunity to dial emergency services for help before her captors return. Across one to two minutes of breathless communication, she struggles to pinpoint her location while reckoning with the imminent danger of being caught.

Alice is a young woman in her twenties thrust into a terrifying, life-threatening situation. Though she is profoundly frightened and vulnerable, she does not succumb to helplessness; instead, her survival instincts remain sharp and active. Her emotional palette moves quickly from frantic desperation to sharp anger at the emergency operator, eventually giving way to cold, calculated focus when she realizes she must take her escape into her own hands.

This selection provides an actor with an undeniable, life-or-death objective that instantly commands an audition panel's attention. Phone monologues can easily fall flat, but this piece requires active, detailed listening that reveals your ability to react truthfully to an imaginary scene partner. It also showcases rapid emotional transitions, moving an actor from terrified pleading to practical problem-solving in under two minutes.

Ideal for female actors aged 18 to 25, this piece fits casting types ranging from ingenue and vulnerable to tough and relatable everyman. It provides exceptional dramatic material for drama school auditions, agent showcases, self-tape submissions, and intensive craft practice.

Avoid the trap of playing Alice's panic at a single, unrelenting volume. Because her captor could return at any moment, genuine terror often manifests as urgent, hushed whispering rather than outright shouting. Allow yourself specific beats to hear the operator's questions, ensuring that every shift in your voice responds to new information. When your eye catches the gun on the table, let the physical discovery silence you, visibly changing your character's breathing and intention from waiting for rescue to executing an escape.