Looking for short play scripts?
Here are all of our Short Play 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. They're all less than one act in length. 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 Short Play Scripts with various themes.
(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 Perfect BFF
In this 30-minute musical for schools, a pupil at a new school tries to find a new best friend. (15E or 20E or 30E)
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Five Ways to Remember
Five short plays set during World War I, but not the usual themes. (2F, 2M)
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Free Birdie
An exotic stranger turns a widower’s life upside-down. (2M, 3F)
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About Dad
Henry’s father is trying to make amends with his son, from beyond the grave. (5M, 2F)
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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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Green Grows the Garden
Accused of arson, Toby confesses; but is there more to his story? (2M, 1F)
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The Angel of the Odd
Edgar Allen Poe’s comedy about chaos and unfortunate events. (1M, 2F, 2E)
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The Facts in the Case of M. Valdemar
Edgar Allen Poe’s short story about the afterlife. (1M, 6E)
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Linda’s Bagels
Talking Bagels help a ‘Horrible Boss’ change her ways. (2F & 1E)
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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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We’re All Zoomed!
An Amateur Theatre Group meet on-line to plan their new socially distanced season. (3M, 2F & 1E)
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Princess Puffery
A conceited princess has lost her charm but a series of adventures help her find it once more. (3M, 4F & 1E)
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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)
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Hop-frog
Edgar Allen Poe’s short story about humiliation and revenge. (2M, 1F, 5E)
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The Masque of the Red Death
Edgar Allan Poe’s tale of inescapable mortality. (2M, 1F, 2E)
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Tell-tale Heart
Edgar Allen Poe’s tale of murder and guilt. (5E)
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Mummers Play – The Turkish Knight
A traditional Christmas folk play featuring St. George and a troublesome Knight! (7E)
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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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Out of this World
A select few humans must prevent a race of aliens (who invented chocolate) from taking over earth! (3M, 3F, 2E)
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Nora’s Ark
Nora is tasked with building an Ark – a trip to IKEA beckons! (3M, 3F)
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Anywhere but Rotherham
Margaret arrives at the Pearly Gates in this Angelic tale with a Devilish twist. (2M, 1F)
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A Small World Indeed
Two strangers meet without knowing they’re meant to meet in an interview later. (3M)
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One Little Snowflake
A play to be performed by children with a strong message about global warming (4F, 4M, 20E)
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High Seas and Misdemeanours 👂
Two P.I.’s and three suspects but what was the crime and who has the answers? (1M, 6E) (Audio version) 👂
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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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The Antiquities Roadshow
Some unusual items are brought to be valued by the Antiquities Roadshow (6F, 2M)
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Mummers Play – Robin Hood
A traditional folk play featuring Robin Hood and some odd characters! (6E)
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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 Errand Boy
Set in the 1820s, a tale of the meeting between a political giant and a literary legend. (1F, 2M)
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The Raven
Edgar Allen Poe’s most famous poem adapted for stage. (1M, 1E)
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Humpty Dumpty
Did Humpty fall or was he pushed? Anchorman William Winkie investigates. (1M, 6E)
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Left Behind
A left-handed employee joins a company which seems to take issue with ‘lefties’ (4E)
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Dooba Dooba
Tensions run high as a Guinea Pig is introduced to a Hamster Cage in a pet shop. (5E)
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Love Under Construction
A set-designer interrupts a show, thinking it’s just a rehearsal. (3E)
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Keeping Distance
After receiving a less than friendly message from outer space, a scientist must come up with a reply to save the world. (2E)
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The Goodlands
Plans for a new utopian life soon fall apart (3M)
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The Ant Farm
Those who put humans on Earth are back to check on their experiment. (2E)
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Further Stories from the Snug 👂
Five short Monologues with mystery, intrigue, smugglers and a helpful dog! (1E or 1F, 1M and 5E) 👂
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The Smugglers Rest 👂
With the Revenue Men around, how will the smugglers unload their contraband? (1E or 8E) 👂
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The Old Ship 👂
A new man in the village revisits his past. (1E or 3E, 1M & 1F) 👂
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The Fastening Penny 👂
Two agricultural workers have too much of a good time at the hiring fair. (1E or 5E, 1M & 1F) 👂
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The Body in the Snug 👂
An insurance investigator can’t get a case out of her head (1E or 8E) 👂
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Captain and the Jolly Sailors 👂
A dog discovers a WWII German Spy! (1E or 3E) 👂
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The Heist
First-hand account of a plot to obtain unlimited free samples at the Mall food court. (1E)
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Finding Maria
Whatever happened to Snow White. We find out as she encounters the Huntsman, many years later. (1F, 1M)
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The Truth Within
The proof of a divine being seems to be someone’s birthday present! (4E)
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The Perfect Couple
A marriage counselor encounters a couple with an unusually challenging problem: they are too perfect. (3E)
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Genius
A short moral tale about telling the truth (3F)
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Nuclear Strike
The hero stops an evil villain, but not until contracts are negotiated (1F, 1M and 2E)
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Super Lunch
Two retired super-heroes meet for lunch and decide to show society that they’re not ‘past-it’ (3E)
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Plastic Funeral
A group of male accountants hold a funeral with a twist for their female colleague (1F, 1M)
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The Waiting Room
A melancholy drama in which a father waits patiently for his family to return because where he is now, it’s the only thing he can do. (1M, 1F, 2E)
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Smee
A House party on Christmas Eve in the 40s has a ghostly visitor? (6F, 5M)
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An Inconvenient Crime
A burglar turns up with a question… “is it convenient to rob you right now”? (1F, 2M)
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More Stories from the Snug 👂
Three short Monologues with scruples, mistrust and ghosts! (1E) 👂
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The Travellers Rest 👂
A search for a missing ruby-eyed eagle yields surprising truths for Brother Dominic (1E) 👂
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The Queen’s Head 👂
What would you do if Queen Elizabeth I wanted your teeth? (1E) 👂
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The Lady in Grey 👂
A new employee at a supposedly haunted pub sees something in the cellar! (1E) 👂
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Stories from the Snug 👂
Four short Monologues with mystery, intrigue, deception and magic! (1E) 👂
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The World’s End 👂
A seed from the tropics causes concern at the World’s End. (1E) 👂
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The Pardon 👂
Set in Victorian times, the Gallows Inn is the scene of an unexpected pardon. (1E) 👂
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The Bell Inn 👂
There’s something odd about the Inn in the mist; could it really be frozen in time? (1E) 👂
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The Angler’s Catch 👂
Melanie catches an enchanted fish who grants her a wish, but does she ask for too much? (1E) 👂
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The Insurance Salesman
An insurance company are selling something unusual and deadly. (2E)
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Goldilocks and the Three Bears
Short play for kids based on the famous fairy tale. (1M, 2F, 2E)
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Park Bench Stories
Three short plays set on a park bench (7 characters, 3 actors with doubling)
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Three Short Christmas Plays
Three short Father Christmas themed plays for children. (12E)
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The Yellow Hollyhock
A man meets a woman on a park bench, but only through a wild mis-interpretation of why she’s there. (1F & 1M)
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Moving On
Two women from very different social circles meet on a park bench and find out they’re both potentially facing the same fate – that of being forced to move home. (2F)
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Samson Agonises
Samson has lost his motivation in this short adaptation of the Milton Play. (4M, 1F & 1E)
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A Night Under the Stars
A man on a park bench encounters someone who may not be ‘of this world’ (2M, 1E)
Looking for something else? Try our Script Search Page.