Recommended Plays and Musicals for Cultural Festivals, School Festivals, and School Performances
Want to make unforgettable memories with your school festival play? We’ve got you covered with a variety of works, from fairy tales and musicals to anime and trending hits.
Disney titles, Studio Ghibli films, and beloved classic stories—each one is full of charm that will captivate your audience.
There are plenty that are fun to perform, too, so bring your class together to create a moving stage filled with acting, dance, and music.
It’s sure to become a memory you’ll cherish for life.
You’re bound to find the perfect piece for your class!
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Youth/School Drama Works (1–10)
Les Misérables
If you want to create a truly professional production that stands out from other classes, we recommend Les Misérables.
While it’s common to stage plays based on Japanese works, we encourage you to try performing a French piece.
Many people know this story from its film adaptation.
It’s a work that both children seeing it for the first time and adults who already know it can enjoy.
Why not put on a full-fledged musical for your school festival? With singing, dancing, and acting, let’s create a production that will become a lifelong memory.
La La Land
La La Land is a jazz-themed film directed by Damien Chazelle, who made waves with Whiplash.
It’s a love story centered on two dreamers: a jazz pianist and an aspiring actress.
The music is, of course, wonderful—and if you can play the piano, you’re sure to attract even more attention! Let’s also do a good job of recreating the story, which is said to hide a big twist.
The Phantom of the Opera
Originally a novel written by Gaston Leroux in 1909.
Since then, it has been adapted many times into films and musicals, becoming a classic.
It may be a bit challenging to perform at a school festival or cultural festival, but collaborating with the wind ensemble to feature live music will add impact and surely make it a grand, unforgettable production.
My heart wants to shout.
An original feature-length anime created by the reunited staff of “Anohana.” The theme centers on putting on a musical for a high school cultural festival, and the musical within the story is perfectly suited to such an event.
In the play “Seishun no Moukashira,” they add original lyrics to well-known folk songs, and in the final chapter the way the melodies interlock in a mashup style is truly outstanding.
It might be fun for fans who got excited watching the anime to plan a similar project themselves.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time
It’s a timeless masterpiece that has inspired numerous remakes.
If you can capture a page of youth and a surrealism that feels real, you’re sure to earn thunderous applause! It’s hard to immerse yourself in the story, but that’s precisely what makes it such a rewarding theme.
West Side Story
A classic American musical inspired by Romeo and Juliet.
In New York, two rival teenage gangs collide, and a young man and woman from each side fall into a forbidden love despite knowing they belong to opposing groups—until, in the end…
It’s a masterpiece filled with countless famous songs, led by “Tonight.” It’s an especially wonderful story I’d recommend to high school students!
In This Corner of the World
In This Corner of the World, which drew attention when it was adapted into a musical in 2024, was originally based on a manga and later became a TV drama and an animated film.
Set in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, it explores the theme of war, making it a recommended choice when you want to stage a moving, impactful production.
Footage of the musical stage performance has been uploaded to YouTube, so why not use that as a reference and craft your version with care?
