Character: A child asking a friend to make room for a new pupil.
Suggested playing age: 8–11.
Tone: Dramatic · friendship.
Length: 113 spoken words; approximately 45–90 seconds.
Casting: any gender; one child speaking to a silent listener.
The age range is a starting point for choosing material. Read the whole piece together and time the actor’s own delivery, including pauses.
One Seat on the Bus: full monologue
I know you saved that seat for me. I saw your bag on it. But Sam is standing by the door, and everybody keeps saying their seat is saved for somebody else.
I'm not asking you to stop being my friend. I still want to sit with you. I just remember my first trip, when I pretended I liked sitting at the front by myself.
I could sit with Sam on the way there. You can sit with us at lunch. Then we can swap on the way back.
Will you tell Sam the seat is free? I'll move my bag. It will sound nicer if the invitation comes from both of us.
Who are you talking to?
The friend saving a seat on the school-trip bus.
What you want: Agree on a way to include the new pupil without abandoning the friendship.
What changes: Asking the friend to move becomes offering to make the first change yourself.
Three acting questions
- Why does your friend think the saved seat matters?
- What do you remember about your own first trip?
- What small response tells you the plan might work?
Try it two ways
Begin with the wish to keep your friend close, rather than the wish to teach a lesson. Ask a partner to imagine feeling left out too. Try to make the proposed plan answer both people's worries.
A parent, teacher or rehearsal partner can be the silent listener. They do not need to supply extra lines. Imagine their answer before moving to the next thought.
Rehearse One Seat on the Bus free
Open the real CueRoom rehearsal room with this exact monologue divided into four thought beats. Practice my lines lets you try the words from memory. Use Prompt when you need the current beat, or choose Listen to the recording to hear the prepared reading.
No account, purchase or replay credits required. The demo has fixed text and a saved voice. You can repeat the same section as often as you need.
Rehearse this monologue free →
No microphone is needed to read, listen or advance manually. Timed hands-free practice is available; optional Voice Control depends on browser support and microphone permission.
A simple way to learn the words
Follow the saved seat, the remembered trip, the practical swap, and the shared invitation. Keep the memory quieter if that helps distinguish it from the plan.
Try one beat before revealing it. Check the wording, correct one small section, then join it to the next beat. The recorded voice offers a reading to practice with; the young actor can use their own natural voice and choices.
For a class or audition
Ask what kind of material is accepted before learning the speech. This is a complete CueRoom original, not an extract from a published play. If the brief requires a named play, choose qualifying material instead. Time the performance yourself for any strict limit; the demo’s waiting time is not an audition timer.
Content: Mild social exclusion and a considerate invitation; no threats or insults.
For a younger reader, explain unfamiliar words before working from memory. Keep the first rehearsal focused on the listener and the request rather than asking for a particular facial expression.
You may use this original for personal rehearsal, classes and auditions that permit original material. Do not republish or sell it as your own. A teacher’s or audition’s specific requirements still apply.
Try another situation
Compare Captain of the Quiet Game with Please Keep the Crooked Star. Read both and choose the situation the actor most wants to explore.
Browse all 12 monologues for kids · Explore monologues for older performers · Plan a monologue rehearsal
Parents and teachers: rehearse your own material
These prepared demos stay free. If you want to import your own scripts, choose reader voices and organize a personal rehearsal library, explore the full CueRoom app.
Considering this piece for an audition? Compare it with the audition monologue shortlist, including source requirements, time-limit checks and contrasting-pair suggestions.
Choosing for a limited performance slot? Compare this 113-word piece with the other short monologue selections, then time your own complete take with the pauses you need.
Explore this piece alongside the other dramatic monologue selections, with guidance on the listener, the request and the change you can rehearse.
Compare this original with the other contemporary monologue selections, with comic and dramatic situations and guidance on audition source requirements.