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
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- 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)
The Greatest Showman
A musical film depicting the achievements of P.T.
Barnum, who found success as a showman in the 19th century.
Its dramatic story evokes the phrase “truth is stranger than fiction,” and would likely convey a palpable, realistic energy even on a school festival stage.
Though it’s a biographical film, the inclusion of song and dance keeps it from feeling too heavy while still allowing for depth—easy to imagine as a compelling piece.
It’s the kind of performance that will particularly resonate with high school students on the verge of adulthood, and its basis in a true story is sure to move their hearts.
High School Musical
Released in the United States in 2006, High School Musical is a work that strongly blends comedy, music, and coming-of-age elements.
Since it’s set in a high school, the scenario fits perfectly with a school cultural festival.
The story begins at a New Year’s party, so one of the strengths is that students can perform as their authentic selves without focusing too much on age.
Because the characters’ songs and musical numbers are pivotal scenes, it’s also important to cast people who can sing well.
While the characters are all high school students, some aspects of American high school culture may feel unfamiliar.
If you find certain parts hard to portray, try adapting the lines and performances to reflect your own daily life.
That approach might make it more relatable and allow for a more relaxed, natural performance.
Spirited Away
An animated feature film by Studio Ghibli that, since its 2001 release, held the top spot in Japan’s all-time box office for about 20 years.
Because it features many distinctive characters with non-human appearances, the production stage offers plenty of opportunities to showcase skill.
With its striking setting and rapidly unfolding story, it’s the kind of piece that both performers and audiences would enjoy presenting at a school festival.
In 2022, a stage adaptation—the first ever—was performed to commemorate Toho’s 90th anniversary, a testament to this masterpiece’s enduring appeal across generations.
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!
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.
Usami-kun’s big sister
This is the play that was chosen as the Best Work at the 2015 National High School Theater Festival.
As you’ll see when you watch it, it’s a heartwarming comedy that piles on the laughs and has a charm that keeps you watching.
Each character is wonderfully well-defined, and you can’t help but like every single one of them.
The level as a piece of theater is quite high, but if we’re going for it, why not aim for this level of quality? Let’s pour our theatrical spirit into it!
