Recommended plays for a high school cultural festival: popular, crowd-pleasing ideas
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!
- Recommended Plays and Musicals for Cultural Festivals, School Festivals, and School Performances
- Cultural Festival: Ranking of Popular Booth Ideas
- Classic plays performed by elementary school students: recommended works roundup
- [For High School Students] A roundup of recommended attractions for the school festival
- Ideas for stage events and attractions that will liven up a school festival
- Ideas for Performances That Inspire Laughter and Tears: Perfect for Upper Grades at School Arts and Learning Showcases
- Stage performance ideas to excite a cultural or school festival
- [Middle School] Cultural Festival Attractions: A roundup of popular exhibits, games, and stage performances
- [Short Movie] A collection of video project ideas you can use for cultural and school festivals
- [Cultural Festival / School Festival Theme] Carefully Selected High-Impact Recommended Phrases!
- I want to adapt these for the school festival! A roundup of comedians’ manzai, sketch comedy, and one-liner gags
- [Hilarious] One-Liner Gags That Kill at Parties and Events
- Ideas for exhibits recommended for school culture festivals. Film screenings, too.
Musicals • For Large Casts • Recommended Tearjerkers (1–10)
Yoshimoto Shinkigeki: Shoshiro’s Whimsical Romantic
Let’s create a fun space with a parody of Yoshimoto Shinkigeki, which is highly recognized especially in the Kansai region.
Shinkigeki has several classic, staple storylines, so using those as references should make scripting easier.
In Yoshimoto Shinkigeki, the most important element is the rapid-fire exchange of gags performed by its distinctive characters, so we’ll want to put special care into that.
Depending on the scenario, certain standout characters can be particularly memorable, so it might be a good idea to decide on the characters first and then write the script.
Is ~ Eyes ~
Is ~Eyes~ by Takako Okamura, a play frequently performed by student theater groups, features Sachi as the protagonist—a girl who can’t quite put herself into words.
The reason she struggles to express what’s in her heart is that, in fact, many different “me’s” reside within her.
The story follows Sachi as she interacts with those around her and searches for her true self.
One hallmark of the play is its uniquely theatrical staging, such as scenes where the many “me’s” inside Sachi hold a meeting.
The original runtime is about an hour, so if you’re short on time, you might consider arranging or trimming the story.
Les Misérables
An epic novel of French literature written by Victor Hugo, who was active as a Romantic poet.
Set in France after the July Revolution, the work—whose title means “the miserable” or “the wretched”—is grounded in the social conditions and the lives of the common people of the time.
Beginning in the 1980s, it was increasingly staged as a musical, and an abridged version focusing solely on the “silver candlesticks” episode has even been included in elementary school ethics textbooks, making it widely beloved for many years.
With its weighty narrative and famous songs, it is a work that is sure to command respect if performed at a school cultural festival.
My heart wants to scream.
A youth fantasy anime by the staff of “Anohana: The Flower We Saw That Day.” It centers on Jun Naruse, a high school girl who struggles to communicate due to trauma from a curse cast by an egg fairy, and depicts her growth alongside other high school students tackling a musical.
With its moving story, it seems perfectly suited for a high school cultural festival.
It’s approachable as an anime and its live-action adaptation was also a hit.
As you prepare for the event, it’s likely to deepen the bonds among classmates.
The cathartic cry from the heart at the climax will surely become a lifelong memory.
Musicals • Large cast • Recommended for moving/tear-jerking stories (11–20)
Romeo and Juliet
A tragic love masterpiece by William Shakespeare, frequently performed in musicals, films, and on stage including the Takarazuka Revue.
Set in 14th-century Verona, it tells the love story of Juliet of the Capulet family and Romeo of the Montague family, who are at odds with each other.
It’s very well known and often chosen as a staple play for school festivals, making it a great pick that everyone can enjoy.
Casting and direction can make it especially exciting.
The famous balcony scene with Juliet’s lines and the confession scene are absolutely essential!
In This Corner of the World
In This Corner of the World, which drew attention when it was adapted into a musical in 2024.
It originally began as a manga and was later made into a TV drama and an animated film.
Set in Kure, Hiroshima Prefecture, and centered on the theme of war, it’s a recommended piece when you want to stage a powerful production that can move audiences.
Footage of the musical’s stage production has been uploaded to video sites, so why not use those as references and craft your performance with care?
hairspray
A musical set in 1960s America that centers on dance and diversity.
It has the power to brighten the audience’s hearts at a school festival.
Through music, costumes, and choreography, it creates a bright, pop atmosphere that gets the crowd so excited they’ll start clapping along.
The characters who overcome differences in appearance and perspectives are easy for high school students to relate to, and performers can approach the show with a positive mindset.
Because it features a lot of singing and dancing, repeated practice builds a strong sense of unity, making it a production that brings the entire class together as one.
