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The Owls’ Dorm

A comedy in three scenes for nine children

  • Youth theatre
  • Comedy
  • 9-character play
  • 5 women, 3 men, 1 either
  • 15 min
  • Beginner
  • Ages 8+
PDF Word Free, no sign-up

Synopsis

The first night of a school residential trip, at an outdoor centre in the mountains. After lights out, the nine pupils in the Owls’ dorm hear a strange noise in the corridor, then under a bed. Calling Sir is out of the question, or it’s goodbye to tomorrow’s marmot walk: they need guard shifts, a leader, and some courage. The trouble is, everyone wants to be leader, and nobody really has any courage.

A nine-bed dormitory in an outdoor centre in the mountains, on the first night of a school trip, the present day.

Casting

200 lines
  • MARCO Male role, Child 10, Year 6, won the school cross-country race.
  • ALMA Female role, Child 10, Year 6, class rep.
  • ROSA Female role, Child 10, Year 6, has brought a head torch and a notebook.
  • INÈS Female role, Child 9, Year 5, reads every animal book in the school library.
  • ZOÉ Female role, Child 9, Year 5, slept with the light on until last year.
  • LINA Female role, Child 9, Year 5, has never slept anywhere but home.
  • LÉO Male role, Child 10, Year 6, can do twenty animal noises.
  • TOM Male role, Child 10, Year 6, has hidden a bag of sweets under the pillow.
  • SAM No gender marker, Child 9, Year 5, doesn’t say much in class.

Contents

  1. Scene 1: Lights Out
  2. Scene 2: Taking Turns
  3. Scene 3: The Beast

Excerpt

Scene 1: Lights Out

(Nine mattresses on the floor, in two rows. The children are lying down, in pyjamas. A light goes off. In the corridor, an adult’s voice: “Lights out, Owls. Bags stay in the corridor. Goodnight.” Footsteps going away. Darkness, then a faint night light. A pause.)

LÉO

Hoo hoo.

LINA

Shh!

LÉO

What? We’re the Owls.

ALMA

Sir said: we go to sleep.

LÉO

Owls sleep in the daytime. It’s nature.

195 more lines, 3 scenes

The rest is waiting in the file.

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