SpeechesWhat is an anchoring script?
An anchoring script (also called a compering script or an emcee script) is the set of lines the host of a function speaks: the welcome, the introductions to each speaker and item, the small links in between, and the close. It is different from a speech. A speech carries a message of its own; an anchoring script carries the programme. The best anchoring is brief, warm and correct, and keeps the attention on the performers.
How the scripts here are set out
Each script is divided into the usual parts of that kind of function, in order. Lines for two anchors are marked A and B. Names and details to fill in are in [square brackets], and directions that are not to be read aloud are in (round brackets). You can copy the whole script, send it to your co-anchor on WhatsApp, or print it.
Before you use one
- Get the final list of items from the organiser and strike out the parts of the script you do not need.
- Fill every bracket, and check each name and designation with someone who knows.
- Watch the rehearsals and write one sentence of your own to introduce each item.
- Practise with your co-anchor, standing, with the real microphones if possible.
The full method is in how to anchor a function. If you are nervous, this page will help. For a shayari-free stock of lines in plain English, see opening and closing lines.
A note on style
Many anchors in India decorate their scripts with borrowed couplets. We have left those out on purpose. A borrowed line belongs to its poet, and the same few are heard at every function. A simple, sincere sentence that fits your own programme will serve you better. At a family function, feel free to mix in Hindi or Punjabi; the language of the home is always right there.