Looking for One Act Theatre scripts?
Here are all of our One Act Theatre Scripts for Theatre Groups, Drama Clubs, Schools, Colleges, Professional Theatre, Classroom use and Youth Groups in one place for you to browse, read in full online and download instantly in both PDF and Docx formats. There are scripts with a range of themes. Length and number of characters can vary so you might find it easier to go here and use the search engine on the right of the page to narrow down your search.
These are One Act Theatre scripts which are generally less than 45 minutes in length.
(Narrow the scripts down by run-time, number of characters etc. by using our search engine. Or to find something completely different!)
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The Emperor and the Nightingale
The selfish Emperor sends his childhood friend away only to realise he needs her more than ever. (1M, 1F, 3E)
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Murders Under Sail
There’s been a murder on a luxury yacht; comedy ensues as Inspector Gridlock investigates (11F, 12M)
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Keep Your Distance
Jean opens her chip shop after lockdown but will her customers keep their distance? (1F, 2M)
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The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Poe’s detective, Dupin, solves the gruesome murders in the Rue Morgue. (1M, 1F, 4E)
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Grimstone Halt
Three TV executives check out a run-down hotel for a new show; they soon discover it’s haunted! (2F, 3M)
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Endings are Hard
A writer tries several different endings to an action movie – some better than others… (2F, 5M)
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The Great Bear of the North
Freya meets and befriends a bear cub. However, he soon grows too large and has to undertake a dangerous journey back to his home in the North. (1M, 4F, 2E)
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The Man in the Moon
A radio ham accidentally contacts a stranded cosmonaut and makes plans to get him back to earth. (3F, 6M)
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Star Voyage
Fans of cult ’80s show ‘Star Voyage’ kidnap the star to make him film one more episode (4F, 7M & 1E)
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The Other Woman
Infidelity, blackmail and murder abound in this one act drama with a twist. (4F & 1M)
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AI (Artificial Irritation)
3 Septuagenarians acquire an AI assistant who goes just a little too far in ‘improving’ their lives. (3F, 3M)
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Breaking and Entering
In this one-act award winning comedy, two burglars get more than they bargained for when they realise they recognise their victims. (2F, 2M)
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The Town that Spoke with Forked Tongue
In a town full of liars, new resident Mr Hope soon discovers that nobody can be trusted. (3F, 7M)
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The Third Riddle
A wizard and his Gargoyles pose 3 riddles to rescue the Prince and Princess. (6M, 4F or 10E)
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The Ghost Writers
The ghosts of Coward and Austen help a couple navigate a tricky situation. (4F, 3M)
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Digging the Dirt
After vandals trash an allotment, five affected plot owners reveal more about their personal lives than they would have before. (4F & 1M)
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The Cleverest Cat (or Puss in Boots)
A mysterious cat turns up and helps solve the mystery of the missing princess. A play for kids with audience participation. (1M, 3F, 2E (or 3 actors with doubling))
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Shade
What happened to William Hare after the notorious Edinburgh murders? (2F & 3M)
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Matters Arising
A retirement home resident has his will to die transformed into a renewed lust for life. (5F, 3M)
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The Case of the Disappearing Dame
A fairy-tale-themed Noir Detective story for all the family. (5M, 7F & 3E)
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Sofia and the Sleeping Prince
Some magic shoes take Princess Sofia on an adventure to wake a sleeping prince. (3M, 4F, 2E)
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Murders at Highcliffe House
There’s been a double murder at Highcliffe House; comedy ensues as Inspector Gridlock investigates (6F, 8M)
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Phoebe
After 30 years, a woman meets her biological daughter, having been swapped at birth. (3F)
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Daisy, Baby, Pixie, Queen, Elephant, Monkey, Tangerine
Can Inspector Hazzard work out who the Tattoo killer is in this comedic mystery? (6F, 5M, 1E)
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One Night Stand
A one night stand is ruined by Nick’s nerves, some awkward home-truths and a blocked toilet. (1F, 1M)
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A Merry Widow or Two
A widow’s supposedly dead husband turns up and faces a dark twist (4F, 1M)
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The Fall
Telling the story of Adam & Eve’s dalliance with the Forbidden Fruit, The Fall is based on the epic poem Paradise Lost. (8E)
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Frankenfather!
Are Igor and Dr. Frankenstein ready for the responsibility of bringing a life into the world? (1F, 4M & 4E)
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Murders at The Cosmopolitan
There’s been two murders at the Cosmopolitan hotel; comedy ensues as Inspector Gridlock investigates (11F, 10M)
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Free Birdie
An exotic stranger turns a widower’s life upside-down. (2M, 3F)
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Murder in Time
A professor travels in time to knock off ancestors of those ahead of him in the queue for the deanship. (9F, 10M, 3E)
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Mightier than the Sword
After being challenged to write a story by his father, the son’s fantasy story comes to life. (4M, 2F)
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The Monkey Paw
An enchanted Monkey Paw causes tragedy with a twist in this one act play. (2M, 1F, 2E) 👂
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The Night Shift
A burger restaurant and a memory erasing gun combine for a night of chaos! (1F, 4M)
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Nothing Happened
A couple find a time machine and use it to prevent a past tragedy – only to find that it’s going back in time that causes it! (3F,4M & 3E)
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Slice of Life
A local reporter interviews Lucifer who presents her with a moral choice. (4F, 3M, 1E)
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At ODDS
Has a curse left the pages of a play, or is something else causing the unfortunate events at the Ollynsmead and District Dramatic Society? (6F, 1M, 1E)
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Hen Night
In this one-act comedy, revelations and surprises ensure this Spain-set hen night descends quickly into farce. (5F, 2M)
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Right on Time
An unusual train station turns out to be something decidedly other-worldly. (2F, 2M and 5E)
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Collections
The staff of a collections call centre have to deal with the news they’re losing their jobs. (5F, 5M)
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A Christmas Carol
A 1 hour adaptation for stage of Charles Dickens’ classic tale of redemption. (27 adult/child roles)
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Edgar Allan Poe’s ‘The Black Cat’
Edgar Allan Poe’s demon cat sends its owner into madness and murder. (2M, 2F, 3E)
Looking for something else? Try our Script Search Page.