Five great plays… for diverse casts

Chaos

Cast: 8–30

Synopsis: A girl is locked in a room; a boy brings another boy flowers; a girl has tied herself to a railing; a boy doesn't know who he is; a girl worries about catastrophe; a woman jumps in front of a train; a boy's heart falls out of his chest; a butterfly has a broken wing. Together this series of chaotic scenes builds to show a variety of characters searching for meaning in a complicated and unstable world.

Why it's great for diverse casts: With a flexible and diverse cast that does not specify genders, pronouns or group size, Laura Lomas’ play has had proven success in schools as part of the 2019 National Theatre Connections series. Described as a ‘symphony of dislocated and interconnected scenes’, characters range from numbers to individual names and groups.

I Love You Mum, I Promise I Won't Die

Cast: up to 25

Synopsis: The words of the title are the last ones spoken by sixteen-year-old Daniel Spargo-Mabbs to his mother before his death at an illegal rave after taking MDMA. Told through the words of his school friends and family, it is a fast-paced, tragic, vibrant piece of verbatim theatre, which should engage teenage performers and offer vital talking points within, and beyond, the classroom.

Why it's great for diverse casts: Published in Methuen Drama's Plays for Young People series, this is a fantastic text that offers opportunities for large cast ensembles of up to 25. Told in sections, it's perfect to break down for different cast and group sizes and can be expanded to include ensemble and chorus roles.

Wilkommen

Cast: 30+ (can be doubled)

Synopsis: Asif Khan's play follows 11-year-old Ammar on the most dangerous journey of his life, from a war-torn country, across sea and land, to take up the offer of a new life in Europe. Created alongside the award-winning Tamasha theatre company and London's Migration Museum, this contemporary play was written and devised in collaboration with groups of secondary school children.

Why it's great for diverse casts: With a huge cast of characters that can be brought to life by different sized groups of any gender or ethnicity, this is a perfect classroom play to explore with students.

Devised through school workshops, students worked alongside the writer on exercises designed to develop their understanding of, and feelings about, migration. The result is a lyrical and fast-moving play that touches on contemporary themes and is presented in a highly theatrical way. Wilkommen was published as part of an anthology of Migration Plays. Each of the four plays are perfect for large ensemble casts and offer roles for a diverse set of students, including featured roles, chorus roles and opportunities for devising.

Pigeon English

Cast: up to 40

Synopsis: Newly arrived from Ghana with his mother and older sister, Harrison Opoku lives on the ninth floor of a block of flats on a London housing estate. The (second) best runner in the whole of Year 7, Harri races through his new life in his personalised trainers unaware of the danger growing around him.

But when a boy is knifed to death on the high street and the police appeal for witnesses draws only silence, Harri decides to start a murder investigation of his own. In doing so, he unwittingly breaks the fragile web his mother has spun around her family to keep them safe…

Why it's great for diverse casts: Described as a powerful and unforgettable tale, the play remains relevant for young adult performers. With a large, expansive cast it offers great potential for young performers, as well as a breadth of featured, supporting and ensemble roles.

I Told My Mum I was Going on an R.E. Trip

Cast: Up to 33

Synopsis: With one in three women in the UK having had an abortion, I Told My Mum I Was Going on an R.E. Trip… explores what seems to be one of society's last taboos. A play written for a young, multi-talented female ensemble, I Told My Mum I Was Going on an R.E. Trip… uses verbatim text, live music, beats and rhyme to portray the stories of real women who’ve experienced pregnancy and abortion. This funny, frank and moving play is about as far from a run-of-the-mill sexual health lecture as is imaginable.

Why it's great for diverse casts: Perfect for Drama students, this play is also a fantastic springboard for classroom discussions in personal, social, health and economic education. Due to its flexible structure, the parts can be played by multi-role performers or separated out to give numerous opportunities for performers of different ages and experience.