As the entertainment industry finds itself in the middle of a steady downswing, plenty of performing artists are proverbially twiddling their thumbs at home.

This especially affects young up-and-coming artists who have very few opportunities to hone their skills.

The nine-year-old Hailey Keys is one such aspiring performer who’s been living out her dreams on the stage and wowing the crowds for three years. She hoped to have many more opportunities to act her heart out this year before the pandemic struck, but found herself practising in front of the mirror at home.

View her intro video for the world monologue games here:

Enter The Monologue Project’s inaugural World Monologue Games (WMG). “The excitement is palpable,” raved WMG founder Pete Malicki from Australia.

I’ve been flooded with emails from actors telling me this has been the highlight of their year. The competition is going to be fierce!”

Pete and his team wanted to host a massive, worldwide online event to showcase the skills of younger talents and give them the chance to compete against strong competition in front of expert judges ranging from filmmakers, successful performers and heads of international acting schools.

“I couldn’t believe it when my name was read out as one of the winners,” said an excited Hailey. “This puts me up against the best actors from around the world. No pressure, right?”

Please make sure to watch and vote for her on 17 October at https://youtu.be/jI8MWMOAp6k.

Hailey was chosen from among 3 000 initial entrants to go on to the Regional Livestream Finals of just 200 performers. She finished in the top 70 who will go on to the finals to be held online from 17 to 24 October.

The monologue I’m performing is about a scared and abused little girl who is seeking acceptance and love from her father. I’m really excited despite the pressure, and can’t wait to compete on the world stage.”

Hailey has been singing and acting since the age of six, has already done her Drama and Speech exam on Grade 3 level at the Trinity College, and completed her Ballet Grade 1 exam at the Royal Academy of Dance. She said her biggest dream is to travel the world to act and sing abroad. She has competed, placed high and won numerous competitions for her acting, dancing and poetry over the years.