A SAMUEL FRENCH, INC. TITLE

The Swine of Avon

Short Play, Comedy  /  12any gender (adult)

Thomas Hischak

Here is the story of Shakespeare and his plays as told by pigs! Blasphemy? More a delightful farce with a large, flexible cast. And the play actually sheds light on the famous Swan of Avon. This action-packed comedy is filled with puns, satire, silliness, and even brief scenes from Shakespeare given a new porcine twist!

The Swine of Avon

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  • Cast Size
    Cast Size
    12any gender (adult)
  • Duration
    Duration
    30 minutes
  • SubGenre
    Subgenre
    Farce, Adaptations (Shakespeare), Parody / Spoof
  • Audience
    Target Audience
    Adult, Senior, Pre-Teen (Age 11 - 13), Teen (Age 14 - 18)

Details

Summary
Here is the story of Shankspeare - author of such theatre classics as Loins Labors Lost, King Porkrind the Third, A Midsummer Night's Pig Roast and MacBoar, and the creator of such unforgettable characters as Julius Razorback, Brute Chops, Katherina Pigiron, Swineo and Drooliet, and Hamhock, Prince of Denmark - as told by pigs! Blasphemy? More like a delightful farce with a large, flexible cast. And the play actually sheds light on the famous Swan of Avon. We follow Shankspeare from a humble birth in Fatsford-on-Avon, to fame in the city of Loin-don, and ending with the monument in Westhamster Abbey. This action-packed comedy is filled with puns, satire, silliness, and even brief scenes from Shakespeare given a new porcine twist!
Keywords
Performing Groups

PIGSKIN and PIGSTY - two tour guides.
SHANKSPEARE - the greatest playwright in all of Swinedom.
MAMA - Shankspeare's mother.
BOARBAGE - a famous actor and manager of the Glob Playhouse.
SWILL KEMP - a comic actor.
GOOD QUEEN BLT - the First, reigning monarch of Swinedom.
SIR FRANKFURT BACON - a scientist and scholar.
A SPY, STRANGER, PUBLISHER, PIGLETS, TOURISTS, ACTORS THEATREGOERS, and STUDENTS

The same actors play the following characters from Shankspeare's plays
DON ARMADILLO - a Spanish nobleman
MOUTH - a youth
KING PORKRIND THE THIRD - a villainous swine
PORKCHOPIO - an Italian ruffian
KATERINA PIGIRON - a shrew.
PORKERON - king of the fairies.
CANADIAN BACON - queen of the fairies.
PICKLED-PIG'S-FEET - a mischevious spirit.
HOGWILD - a union foreman.
PETER CURLTYAIL - a union worker.
JULIOUS RAZORBACK - a Roman general.
BRUTE CHOPS - a Roman nobleman.
MACBOAR - thane of Scotland.
LADY MACBOAR - his wife.
HAMHOCK - Prince of Denmark.
BURPTRUDE - Queen of Denmark.
BALONEYUS - a courtier.
SWINEO and DROOLIET - two young lovers.
PORCINO - a wizard.

Parts for up to 24 actors. All roles can be played by male or female actors. Doubling indicated in script.

  • Time Period Contemporary, Present Day, 16th Century / Elizabethan
  • Setting

    A bare stage with props works best.

  • Features Contemporary Costumes / Street Clothes, Period Costumes
  • Additional Features No intermission, Physical Comedy, Stage Combat
  • Duration 30 minutes
  • Cautions
    • No Special Cautions

Music

  • Musical Style N/A (Not a musical)
  • Vocal DemandsN/A (Not a musical)
  • Chorus Size N/A (Not a musical)

Licensing & Materials

  • Minimum Fee: $65 per performance

Scripts

Available Formats:
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Authors

Thomas Hischak

Thomas Hischak
Thomas Hischak is an internationally recognized author and teacher in the Performing Arts. He is the author of over forty published plays which are performed in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, and Australia. His playwriting awards include the Stanley Drama Award (Ne ...
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