Run lines by yourself
blablabla is an app for running lines by yourself: it reads the other parts in distinct voices, pauses on your cue for as long as you need, and never talks over you. It is the best way to run lines when nobody is free to read with you.
Import the sides, pick your part
Drop in the PDF from casting, a Word file, Fountain, Final Draft, a photo of paper sides, or pasted text. blablabla splits the scene into turns, works out who speaks each one, and lists the characters. Tap yours.
If the parser gets a name or a line wrong, fix it in the scene editor before you run. Rename a character everywhere, retype a line, split or merge turns, or delete a watermark that got read in as dialogue.
Every other character in a distinct voice
Cast each character before you start. A four-hander sounds like four people, so you always know whose cue you are waiting on, and the scene sounds like a scene rather than a list.
Recast any time. The lines stay the same; the partner changes.
It waits on your cue, for as long as you need
blablabla listens while you speak and moves to the next line when you finish. Stumble, restart, take a breath: it holds the silence until you are done. There is no timer and no fixed recording to catch up with.
It speaks only what is on the page. No coaching, no extra words, no talking over you.
Run lines hands free
Auto-advance means no tapping and no scrolling from the first line to the last. Put the phone in your pocket, put in headphones, and run the scene on the walk to the theatre.
For a manual cue, advance with Siri, a Shortcut, or a tap on your Apple Watch, so the phone can stay across the room.
After the first pass the audio is cached, so the second, tenth, and fortieth pass play instantly and offline.
Run lines with a real partner too
A person still wins at the things a person does: an unexpected choice, a reaction you did not plan for. Use the app to get the lines in and the timing yours, then spend a friend's evening on the scene rather than on the words.
Listen mode plays the whole scene, your lines included, which is a quick way for a partner to hear the scene before you run it together.
Questions actors ask
Is there an app that runs lines with you?
Yes. blablabla reads every part except yours in a distinct voice, waits while you say your line, and moves on when you finish. It runs the scene as many times as you want, at any hour.
What is a line runner app?
A line runner app plays the other characters' lines so you can rehearse yours without a partner. blablabla is one: import the script, choose your part, and it speaks the rest while it waits for you.
Can it skip my lines and only read the others?
Yes. In Practice your lines are silent. The app pauses on your cue and picks up the next line once you have spoken. Listen reads every line, yours included, when you want to hear the whole scene.
Does it cut me off?
No. It waits indefinitely. If you need a minute to find the word, it gives you a minute. It moves when you finish, not when a clock runs out.
Run your next scene tonight
No favours to ask. Free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.