The Frog King
A full-length play by Barbara Hockley.
Surreal, strange and completely bonkers, with a nod to a few favourite fairy tales.
The plot
The Frog King tells the story of a rogue storyteller and the havoc created by her/him making up different endings (not to mention middles) where different endings shouldn't be. Characters dispossessed of their stories are wandering around fairytale-land looking for new stories to be in. It's chaos in fairytale-land - and it's all the fault of one storyteller - Chester Ulysses Wordsmith... But when Grand Inquisitor Bardman finds Wordsmith, he insists they enter fairytale-land (with all its perils for the unwary) and put at least one story back to rights. What could possibly go wrong...
(Look out for a completely bonkers Hansel and Gretel scene involving cake - naturally)
Characters
CHESTER ULYSSES WORDSMITH: A rogue storyteller who delights in making up different endings (and middles) to fairytales.
GRAND INQUISITOR BARDMAN: The voice of the establishment, trying to put order back into the stories. Pompous and arrogant.
THE KING: A somewhat bored king secretly pining for a different life.
THE QUEEN: Distracted and slightly obsessed with a mirror.
THE PRINCESS: Stroppy, loud and spoilt. Remains a princess throughout*
THE NURSE: Loyal, patient and practical. Good organiser.
THE MAID: Works in the royal court. 'Love at first sight' for Bardman.
THE FROG KING: The King transformed. Could be a puppet. No lines, but croaks a lot.
GUARD/S: One guard to start & the King transforms into another in Act II. You could have more.
VOICE OF A TROLL: Lives in the wardrobe in the 'Lost & Found'.
Little Red Riding Hood, various Heralds, Guards, Townsfolk as required.
*Most characters transform into another character or situation during the play
Download a sample of the script
The first couple of scenes to get you into the complete madness of The Frog King.
A travelling storyteller, Wordsmith, has arrived at The Frog Inn to tell tales and make money. But Bardman (from the Story Correction Unit, Storytellers Guild) is right behind him.
Download the sample to read on...
The full script can be purchased below.
Details
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Although originally played by adult actors (except the Princess), this script is ideal for a teenage/young adult cast!
- A full-length play - approx. 80 minutes (+ interval)
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A cast of 9 + extras
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A great show for children (over 7 as a guide) to watch!
- An opportunity for an ensemble cast to be very creative
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Completely mad, but the cast need to play their parts quite straight.
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Loosely based on a few well-known fairytales
Why perform The Frog King
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Deliciously silly roles to embrace
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A completely absurd and crazy romp through fairytale-land
- Opportunities for the production crew to be very inventive!
- Puppet-making anyone? The frog's head needs to be full size for an actor to wear (or something else that works)
- Wonderful sound effects to find (not supplied)
- Just so much fun - the audiences for the original production loved it! See their feedback below.
Staging
Although the original production was somewhat immersive - with the audience following the cast to different places, but not actually being involved - it could quite easily be staged in a theatre - or any space big enough. You'll get the idea when you read through.
There are 5 scenes & 4 different locations.
The Cost
Interested?
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Script + photocopying rights | £15 |
| PR 1 performance | £25 |
| PR multiple performances | £50 |
The purchase link takes you to my store on PAYHIP. My plays on this site are available there and you can download instantly.
You can also CONTACT me to buy the script if you wish.
Feedback from the original show
We asked the audience to write their thoughts all over the walls (on paper). They did.
"Brilliantly bonkers
Magically silly
Frogtastic!
Divinely bonkers
Hilariously bonkers
Fantastic fun!
Perfectly nuts! Loved it
Madtastic!"
Audience
"Just back from the final show and still smiling. What a show, and what clever storytelling by Barbara Hockley"
"Deliciously mad – I wish I could live in fairytale-land!
Fabulous! Very funny"
Audience
"The Frog King – Well… I have never seen anything like it. Totally wacky and brilliantly written."
"Quirky – fab – different
Awesome
Inspirational!
Brilliant!"
Audience
Artwork by Emma Beebee Art - link to Instagram