A monopolylogue is a form of entertainment in which one actor plays many characters. Pioneered by English actor Charles Mathews and Albert Smith^[1] and first used in 1824,^[2] later used in Shakespearen performances by the performer Henry Kemble from 1846 to 1859.^[3] Matthews referred to the genre meaning where he would play "half a dozen characters",^[4] and he would switch between characters through quickly changing costumes, ventriloquism, and "sharp differentiation of character".^[1] The genre is believed to had influence on the writings of Charles Dickens.^[4][1]

The term and genre has been revived in the late 20th and early 21st century.^{[citation needed]}