1-minute comedic monologue
Reply All
Funny one-minute monologue for adults: an office worker begs IT to unsend a reply-all disaster, until the director's answer flips everything.
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Length
- 148 words · ~59 sec
- Skills
- comic escalation, reversal, breath control
- License
- CC BY 4.0
The script
(out of breath)Hi. Hello. I need you to unsend an email. Right now. Before lunch. Ideally before the next ten seconds.
It was meant for one person. Teresa. It went to everyone. All four hundred of everyone. Including the regional offices, which I didn't know we had.
What did it say? It doesn't matter what it said. It said someone keeps microwaving fish at eleven a.m., and that person has the soul of a parking ticket.
I can't unsend it? You're the IT department. You can do anything. You reset my password in four seconds last month. Make it go away. Pull the plug. Pull all the plugs.
(a ping; reading the screen)Oh no. Someone replied. Oh no. It's the director.
(the turn, reading slowly)“Agreed. It's been going on for months. Thank you for your courage.”
(straightening up)...You know what? Don't unsend it. Leave it right where it is. I'll be at my desk. Accepting my award.
Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0. Original script drafted with AI assistance and edited by SceneDub; any resemblance to existing characters is coincidental.
Practise it now
The teleprompter scrolls at the speed you set in words per minute. Tick "Record audio while reading" to capture a take; the audio stays in your browser until you download it.
Coaching notes
- Start at a sprint. 'Before the next ten seconds' should sound like you mean it literally, which sets the panic the whole piece runs on.
- Don't apologize for the fish line. Say 'the soul of a parking ticket' with total conviction, because you still believe it. That's where the laugh lives.
- The director's reply is the turn. Read it word by word, as if you're checking it twice, then let your posture change lift your voice on 'You know what?'
Try it three more ways
- Play it as a quiet, rule-following employee who has never caused a problem in their life.
- Read it as if the IT tech is clearly enjoying this, and you can tell.
- Try it with the dawning fear that the fish microwaver might be standing right behind you.
Take it further
More scripts to practise
Frequently asked questions
How long is the "Reply All" script?
148 spoken words, about 59 sec at a conversational 150 words per minute and 1 min 8 sec at a slower 130 wpm. Your take will vary with pauses and character choices.
Can I use this script in my voice acting demo reel?
Yes. SceneDub's original scripts are licensed CC BY 4.0. You can perform, record, edit, and publish them, including in demo reels, classes, and auditions, as long as you credit "Script by SceneDub (scenedub.com), CC BY 4.0" where you share the recording or the text.
How should I practise this script?
Read it silently once, then perform it with the direction above: panicked, then smugly vindicated, fast and breathless, braking hard for the turn. Record a take with the teleprompter, listen back, and try one of the alternate reads to stretch your range.