What Should I Do With My Hands?

Here’s a common question we get all the time about audition monologues. What should I do with my hands?

Or, what should I do with my body?

It’s an interesting question because it shows the focus is in the wrong place. It shows that your ‘Actor’s Monitor’, the bit of your brain that watches you to make sure you don’t fall off the stage or bump into the furniture, is too large and it’s too noisy. 

Usually if you’re worrying about what to do with your hands and body it’s because you’re not focusing on what you’re trying to do at that moment, usually to the other character. You’ve lost the thread of what your job is in that scene. If you’re really focused on what you’re doing, the body will follow. You have to trust that the focus will mean that the body will follow the thought and they’ll be connected together.

So it’s not really about what you should do with your hands and body, it’s about where should your focus be? Are you connected to your task at hand?

If you'd like some help with your audition, get in touch by emailing hello@actingcoachscotland.co.uk or checking out our 1-2-1 private coaching options here.