Get the Crowd Going at Your High School Culture Festival! A Collection of Ideas for Plays and Musicals
When it comes time to put on a play for your high school cultural festival, the choice of work can dramatically change the feel of the stage.
From moving fantasies to relatable comedies and heartfelt musicals, each has its own unique appeal and key directing points.
Because it’s a production everyone in the class creates together, you’ll want to pick something that’s fun for the cast to make and a joy for the audience to watch.
Here, we introduce a wide range of plays that are perfect for high school cultural festivals.
Find the one that fits your class!
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- I want to adapt these for the school festival! A roundup of comedians’ manzai, sketch comedy, and one-liner gags
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- [By Genre] Cultural Festival / School Festival Booth Catalog [2026]
Disney, Fairy Tales, and Fantasy Works Special (21–30)
Little Red Riding Hood
The famous fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood might be an easy choice for a play.
There aren’t many characters, and the story is short, so even members who aren’t in the drama club should find it approachable.
If you make the exchanges between Red Riding Hood and the Wolf more humorous, it could be even more fun! It might also be interesting to try various adaptations, such as using an animal other than the wolf or reversing the genders in the casting.
The Little PrinceNEW!
This piece is based on the world-famous novel by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
In Japan, the novel has been published in various translations, and musical theater productions based on the work have also been staged.
It is a story of love and life that begins when “I,” an airplane pilot, meets the Little Prince.
You can perform it by following the storyline as it is, or take inspiration from the musical versions and incorporate songs.
It’s a dramatic work that evokes a range of emotions in each viewer—be sure to try performing it at your school festival.
Harry Potter
If you can create the world of Harry Potter through a play, you’ll definitely set your class apart from the others.
Since there are many works in the Harry Potter series, it’s hard to decide which one to adapt, isn’t it? The production begins with discussing it as a class or taking a vote.
By the time the performance day arrives, I think your class will be united as one.
Costumes, lighting, and sound are also very important to capture Harry Potter’s unique atmosphere.
Working together to create a single production will become a lifelong memory.
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.
Anime, Manga, and Contemporary School-Set & Variety Works (1–10)
Detective Conan
Detective Conan is a mystery manga in which the protagonist, turned into a child, solves cases.
It unfolds a unique story that blends elements of mystery and romance.
Since Shinichi Kudo—the original form of Conan before he became a child—and the heroine, Ran Mouri, are set as high school students, it’s easy to get into character.
It can be fun to set the crime scenes at school or liken the characters to classmates.
During the case-solving scenes, spotlight the person playing Conan and amp up the excitement with dynamic sound effects.
How about giving the audience surprises like, “It was this unexpected person who was the culprit!”?
hero show
No matter how old you are, why not transform into the hero you’ve always admired on the stage of your school’s culture festival? From Gorenger to Kamen Rider, there are so many heroes kids love.
Of course you can use existing heroes, but creating an original hero and putting on a show is also highly recommended! Costumes can be handmade or easily purchased, so go ahead and become the hero you dreamed of when you were little.
The peace of the culture festival is in your hands!
Nintama Rantarō
The humor- and energy-filled world of Ninjutsu Academy brings brightness and laughter to the cultural festival stage.
With many characters—including uniquely quirky students and teachers—it’s easy to assign roles even in large classes, making it a performance where everyone can stand out.
Slapstick antics and chase scenes allow for action and prop-based staging that keeps the audience engaged.
Period-style costumes and backdrops look great, and the handmade touches are part of the charm.
With the familiar theme of ninjas, it becomes a lively, crowd-pleasing play that everyone can enjoy.