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The Pied Piper (Wood)

Full-Length Play, Drama  /  3w, 5m, 20any gender (adult)

David Wood, Dave Arthur, Toni Arthur

Book by David Wood
Music by Dave and Toni Arthur

The Piper, as a modern busker, delights the children with his music. Their parents soon put a stop to the energetic dancing. Music has been banned on this street for hundreds of years. The townsfolk act out the story of the Pied Piper, but the Piper once again enchants the children with his music. I…

The Pied Piper (Wood)

  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    3w, 5m, 20any gender (adult)
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Theatre for Young Audiences, Fables/Folktales

Details

Summary
The Pied Piper is based on the traditional tale made famous by Robert Browning, and uses much of Browning’s poem. This adaptation has the Piper making his first appearance as a modern busker, delighting the children with his music. Their parents, though, are not so delighted and soon put a stop to the energetic dancing, telling the children and the busker that music has been banned on this street for hundreds of years. The children ask why. In reply, the townsfolk act out the story of the Pied Piper, playing their medieval counterparts and involving the children and the busker as the Piper. But when the tale is told, the Piper once again enchants the children with his music, and the horrified townsfolk suddenly realise that he has come back to claim his fee, refused to him all those years ago. All ends happily, however, for it seems that, consumed by guilt, the medieval townsfolk put aside the thousand gilders, just in case the Piper should ever return. The Piper accepts his fee, and frees Hamelin from his curse at long last. 
History
First produced by Orchard Theatre at the Octagon Theatre, Yeovil in 1988
Cast Attributes
  • Additional Features Play w/ Music

Media

“A magical musical show with lots more than a touch of mystery, a spice of terror and lots of happy tunes to send the audience home happy … children love it.”
Evening Herald

“This interpretation of Browning’s famous poem has the joy of invention as, with wit, song and dance, the haunting strains of the pipe adopt a hypnotic quality.”
Express & Echo

“Wood has retained the darker undercurrents of the original, which gives the piece more depth and solidity than many ‘Christmas Shows’.”
Event South West

Videos

  • David Wood on Doing It Yourself youtube thumbnail

    David Wood on Doing It Yourself

  • David Wood on Getting Started As a Playwright youtube thumbnail

    David Wood on Getting Started As a Playwright

  • David Wood on Challenges In His Plays youtube thumbnail

    David Wood on Challenges In His Plays

  • Interview with David Wood youtube thumbnail

    Interview with David Wood

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: £70 per performance plus VAT when applicable.

Authors

David Wood

David Wood has been called “the national children’s dramatist” (London Times). His plays are performed worldwide, and include The Gingerbread Man, The Plotters of Cabbage Patch Corner, Save the Human, Aladdin, Hijack Over Hygenia, Jack the Lad, Larry the Lamb in Toytown, Old ...

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Author

Dave Arthur

Author

Toni Arthur

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