Lungs Duncan Macmillan Monologue May 2026

If you’ve been assigned the male monologue from Duncan Macmillan’s Lungs , you already know it’s deceptively simple. Two characters (W and M), no set, no props, just two people in a bare space navigating a high-stakes conversation about having a child. But the monologue often referred to as the “I’m not a bad person” speech (M’s breakdown in the middle of the play) is a beast of anxiety, love, and eco-guilt.

The monologue appears in Act One of Lungs (published by Oberon Books / Bloomsbury). Watch the Old Vic production with Claire Foy and Matt Smith for a masterclass in stillness and panic. lungs duncan macmillan monologue

Here’s how to make it land.