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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Disney & Famous Fairy Tales Musical (11–20)
Sleeping Beauty
It’s a famous fairy tale with numerous remakes, including Disney’s.
The Disney version, Disney’s re-remake “Maleficent,” the original Grimm tale, and the slightly altered “Briar Rose” version all offer variations and insights on the same story, so I highly recommend exploring them.
Snow White
As a musical, the classic “Snow White” is perfect to stage at a school festival: the story is widely known, easy to follow, and lends itself well to creative adaptations.
Be sure to make iconic props yourselves—like the Magic Mirror and the poisoned apple—that everyone associates with Snow White! And figuring out how to portray the seven dwarfs is another fun part of the production.
Descendant
The live-action film Descendants by Disney was released in the United States in 2015 and became a popular work that spawned sequels.
Its premise, which focuses on the so-called Disney Villains, and the appearances of characters from other Disney titles are particularly striking.
It also incorporates the musical elements that are essential to Disney productions, bringing a sense of dynamism to the performances.
When it comes to villains, their costumes and lines that convey a sense of menace are memorable, so keep that in mind when crafting your performance.
To clearly communicate each character, I think it’s best to use exaggerated acting to create a sense of approachability.
Little Red Riding Hood
I think Little Red Riding Hood, a famous fairy tale, is an easy subject to parody.
Since there are few characters and the runtime is short, if you creatively rework the banter between Red Riding Hood and the Wolf, it could be even more entertaining! It might also be interesting to use an animal other than the wolf.
Additionally, gender-swapping the cast could be fun as well!
Wicked
While everyone is doing straight plays, how about trying a musical? If you don’t want to overlap with other classes, we recommend Wicked.
It tells the story of Oz.
It’s a well-known Shiki Theatre Company production, so I think many people are familiar with it.
If you have classmates who are confident in their singing, Wicked is the perfect choice! A world that captivates with both song and acting is wonderful, isn’t it? Try creating that world at your school festival.
It’s sure to be the talk of the whole school.
Town Musicians of Bremen
The Town Musicians of Bremen, one of the famous Grimm’s fairy tales, is also perfect to showcase at a school festival! Not only is the story widely known, but making and wearing animal costumes will definitely create lasting memories.
And if you also practice instruments and perform the music yourselves, the production will be even more polished and memorable!
Fairy Tale and Picture Book Parody Play (1–10)
SING
Sing is a music- and entertainment-themed film created by the team behind Minions.
Set in a certain theater, one stage performance after another unfolds.
The movie features a fun lineup of songs by world-famous artists such as The Beatles, Lady Gaga, and Kyary Pamyu Pamyu.
Why not recreate the wonderful stages with animal-themed cosplay?