Musicline School Musicals
The Pied Piper Cover

The Pied Piper

by Malcolm Sircom

Pricing & Order Info.
Ideal Cast Size 92
Speaking Roles 92
Minimum Cast Size 40
Duration (minutes)50

Now with alternative upbeat ending (The mayor gets his comeuppance!)

Why choose this Musical?

92 Speaking Roles

Flexible casting options to suit your needs

Full instructions given for cast sizes of 92, 61 or 40 actors.
Totally adaptable. See "Casting" tab below.

Editable Word Doc Script available

Unlimited chorus parts

Easy to stage and costume

Sing it! "Karaoke-Style" learning! Check out the video below...

TOP TIP: unmute the video to have a listen and a sing along!

CD of Backing Tracks & CD of Vocal Tracks available

No pianist required! Both these CDs include ALL Songs, Special Effects and Instrumentals in the order you need them enabling production and direction to take place without specialist musical expertise.

Full Performance Piano/Vocal Score available

Encompasses ALL Songs, Instrumental Music, Cues and Chord Symbols (Grade 8 standard). Click "Performance Score" in the "Script & Songs" tab below.

Easy Play Rehearsal Piano/Vocal Score available

Grade 5 Standard. Click "Easy Play Score" in the "Script & Songs" tab below.

Easily constructed and manageable props

Age range: Key Stage 2 Production (7-11 years)

A great choice for your Lower Juniors (7-9 years).

Duration: 50 minutes
NEW! Instant Scenery with our digital backdrops
A different backdrop for EVERY scene change

Supplied in both a PowerPoint presentation and as individual JPG files.

School Play Backdrop
No more Scenery Painting!

This imaginative working of the well-loved story involves a large cast - children and adults from Hamelin, the Rat Pack and a gospel chorus of young rats. The principal parts - Pied Piper, Mayor, Old Rat etc. are not so large as to be over-taxing for junior actors, whilst there are plenty of cameo parts plus a choir. This challenging work is well within the scope of juniors.

Probably best known from Robert Browning's humorous poem, this show adds extra layers and facets with some delightfully modern touches - a hippy guerrilla rat pack, a rapping Pied Piper and a lively, tuneful score which includes ballad, rock and gospel styles. None of the poignancy however, has been lost, and the comedy emphasises the highly-charged emotional content. Another sure fire hit from the same stable as Ebenezer.

The musical opens with a busy street scene, early morning; Market traders setting up their stalls, with their goods carefully covered from sight. Passers-by gather round gossiping, children bowling hoops, playing hop-scotch, etc. [Song: "MARKET DAY".]

The self - important Mayor, together with his cronies on the Town Council, appear to declare the Market open. The Mayor's wife Eulalie gives him a hard time about his neglect of her interests. The citizens too are rude about his habits in the tavern, which persuades him and the council to leave the opening to an "underling" and depart for their civic (freebie) breakfast.

The "underling" - the Town Crier - declares the Market open, but when the traders reveal their wares, they find to their horror they've all been nibbled at by the rats that are plaguing Hamelin. Talk of the devil, the rats appear, and the crowd scatters. [Song: "RAT PACK".] The rats, flushed with success, reveal their plans to take over first Hamelin, then the world, then exit. [Reprise: "RAT PACK".]

The young Hamelin children enter, playing games - all except the lame Young Hans who can't keep up, but is befriended and helped by young Heidi. They rebel against playing the game - "grown-ups". [Song: "GROWN-UPS".] Their parents enter and gather them up, still scared of the rats. When the Town Crier reveals the sumptuous civil breakfast the Mayor and Corporation have just had, ignoring the rat peril, the citizens decide to revolt. [Song: "PEOPLE POWER".]

Next we see the Council Chamber, where the Mayor and Corporation are sleeping off the heavy breakfast. The citizens invade the Chamber and demand action. The Mayor and Corporation panic, not knowing what to do, thinking they'll be booted out of office, when there is a knock on the door and the Pied Piper enters. [Song: "TROUBLE-SHOOTER".] He promises to get rid of the rats and the Mayor promises a reward of a thousand guilders. The Pied Piper invites everyone to step into the street with him. [Reprise: "TROUBLE-SHOOTER".]

Outside in the street, the rats march boldly on, but are bedazzled by the Pied Piper, who then plays his pipe and leads them into the river, where they all drown. The Mayor declares that there will be a big party to celebrate. [Song: "CELEBRATION".]

We switch to a scene of an Old Rat telling a group of young rats about the Rat Wars, how he/she was the only survivor from Hamelin and the incredible music that came from the Pied Piper. [Song: "SWEET, SWEET MUSIC"] with a short Reprise of it to end the scene.

Back to the Council Chamber, where the Mayor and Corporation have giant headaches and hangovers after the previous night's celebrations. The Pied Piper turns up to claim his fee of a thousand guilders, but the Mayor reneges on the deal and offers him fifty. The Piper demands the full amount, or he will pipe in a different fashion. The Mayor & Corporation order him out of town. [Song: "GET OUT OF TOWN".]

Outside in the street all the citizens and children gather, curious. The Mayor declares the Piper to be a charlatan who is leaving town whereupon, the Piper pipes the children away and up into the mountain. Hans explains to his mother the beauty of the music and what it meant to them, how he desperately wanted to join them, but couldn't keep up, and how everything will be so dull now. [Song: "WITHOUT OUR CHILDREN".]

During this song the Mayor stands alone, a broken pathetic figure. He tries to convince the people of Hamelin that this was not his fault. The people firmly reject his pleas and tell him to leave the town. [Finale: "GET OUT OF TOWN" REPRISE.]

The musical ends with an upbeat song for the cast walk-down (bows). [CURTAIN REPRISE: "CELEBRATION".]

Full Cast List (92 Actors) In Alphabetical Order

NB. In the following list, the number shows how many spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character's name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines. There is also a solo line for one of the children of Hamelin in Track 4.

Character NameNumber of Lines
Cagney Rat4
Carl2
Christina1
Citizen 11
Citizen 21
Corporation 110
Corporation 26
Corporation 35
Corporation 43
Corporation 55
Corporation 64
Crier15
Crowd 16
Crowd 22
Crowd 32
Crowd 43
Crowd 51
Crowd 63
Crowd 72
Crowd 82
Crowd 91
Crowd 101
Crowd 111
Crowd 121
Crowd 131
Crowd 141
Crowd 151
Crowd 161
Crowd 171
Crowd 181
Crowd 191
Crowd 201
Eric3
Eulalie (Mayor's Wife)23
Father 12
Father 22
Father 32
Father 41
Frederic1
Hans17
Heidi3
Hippie Rat1
Hooligan Rat 12
Hooligan Rat 22
Hooligan Rat 31
Klaus2
Character NameNumber of Lines
Leader of the Rats18
Ludwig2
Man 15
Man 22
Man 32
*Mayor102
Mother 11
Mother 22
Mother 32
Mother 42
Mother 52
*Old Rat28
Parent 12
Parent 22
Parent 31
Parent 41
Parent 51
Parent 61
Parent 71
Parent 81
Parent 91
Parent 101
Parent 111
Parent 121
Parent 131
Parent 141
Parent 151
Pied Piper70
Psycho Rat8
Rat 11
Rat 21
Rat 31
Rat 41
Rat 51
Rat 61
Rat 71
Sophie3
Trader 110
Trader 25
Trader 310
Trader 42
Woman 14
Woman 23
Woman 33
Woman Rat2
Young Rat2

Suggested Cast List For 61 Actors

NB. In the following list, the number shows how many spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character's name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines. There is also a solo line for one of the children of Hamelin in Track 4.

Character NameNumber of Lines
*Mayor102
Pied Piper70
*Old Rat28
Eulalie (Mayor's Wife)23
Leader of the Rats18
Hans17
Crier15
Corporation 110
Trader 110
Trader 310
Crowd 20
also plays Man 1 & Man 3
8
Psycho Rat8
Crowd 1
also plays Citizen 1
7
Corporation 26
Crowd 2
also plays Citizen 2 & Woman 2
6
Crowd 3
also plays Parent 10 & Woman 3
6
Corporation 35
Corporation 55
Crowd 9
also plays Woman 1
5
Crowd 11
also plays Father 1 & Parent 1
5
Crowd 12
also plays Father 2 & Parent 2
5
Trader 25
Cagney Rat4
Corporation 64
Crowd 4
also plays Parent 11
4
Crowd 6
also plays Parent 13
4
Crowd 13
also plays Father 3 & Parent 3
4
Crowd 16
also plays Mother 2 & Parent 6
4
Crowd 17
also plays Mother 3 & Parent 7
4
Crowd 18
also plays Mother 4 & Parent 8
4
Crowd 19
also plays Mother 5 & Parent 9
4
Corporation 43
Crowd 7
also plays Parent 14
3
Crowd 8
also plays Parent 15
3
Crowd 10
also plays Man 2
3
Crowd 14
also plays Father 4 & Parent 4
3
Crowd 15
also plays Mother 1 & Parent 5
3
Eric3
Heidi3
Sophie3
Carl2
Crowd 5
also plays Parent 12
2
Hooligan Rat 12
Hooligan Rat 22
Klaus2
Ludwig2
Trader 42
Woman Rat2
Young Rat2
Christina1
Frederic1
Hippie Rat1
Hooligan Rat 31
Rat 11
Rat 21
Rat 31
Rat 41
Rat 51
Rat 61
Rat 71

There is also a Choir, which takes part in most of the songs. However, this is optional, and the choir part may either be omitted, or allocated to an on-stage Chorus.

Suggested Cast List For 40 Actors

NB. In the following list, the number shows how many spoken lines each role has. An asterisk (*) before the character's name indicates that this character ALSO has solo or featured sung lines. There is also a solo line for one of the children of Hamelin in Track 4.

Character NameNumber of Lines
*Mayor102
Pied Piper70
*Old Rat28
Eulalie (Mayor's Wife)23
Leader of the Rats18
Hans17
Crier15
Crowd 1
also plays Crowd 11, Mother 1, Woman 1 & Parent 1
14
Corporation 1
also plays Corporation 4
13
Corporation 2
also plays Corporation 5
11
Crowd 6
also plays Crowd 16, Man 1, Parent 5 & Parent 13
11
Crowd 2
also plays Crowd 12, Mother 2, Woman 2 & Parent 2
10
Trader 110
Trader 310
Corporation 3
also plays Corporation 6
9
Crowd 3
also plays Crowd 13, Mother 3, Woman 3 & Parent 10
9
Crowd 4
also plays Crowd 14, Mother 4, Parent 3 & Parent 11
8
Crowd 9
also plays Crowd 19, Father 1, Parent 8, Father 3 & Citizen 1
8
Psycho Rat8
Crowd 7
also plays Crowd 17, Man 2, Parent 6 & Parent 14
7
Crowd 8
also plays Crowd 18, Man 3, Parent 7 & Parent 15
7
Crowd 10
also plays Crowd 20, Father 2, Parent 9, Father 4 & Citizen 2
7
Crowd 5
also plays Crowd 15, Mother 5, Parent 4 & Parent 12
6
Cagney Rat
also plays Rat 5
5
Trader 25
Eric3
Heidi3
Hippie Rat
also plays Rat 1 & Rat 6
3
Hooligan Rat 1
also plays Rat 2
3
Hooligan Rat 2
also plays Rat 3
3
Hooligan Rat 3
also plays Rat 4 & Rat 7
3
Sophie3
Carl2
Klaus2
Ludwig2
Trader 42
Woman Rat2
Young Rat2
Christina1
Frederic1
Resource Image

Title Artwork

Great for creating your own customised artwork for your show!
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Resource Image

Cover Artwork

Printable book cover artwork. Great for posters and programmes!
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5 Star Rating

The Pied Piper

"I love the song 'market day' and the songs are really good"
Cast Member, Berkshire

5 Star Rating

The Pied Piper

"it was a hilarious performance"
yeti, Oxhey First School Biddulph, Stoke-On-Trent

5 Star Rating

The Pied Piper

"A lively, funny show with great child and audience appeal. I have no reservations about recommending this show to others. The children loved singing and performing the catchy numbers and 'Without our children' was very moving. A testimony to its success was to hear children who had been in the audience singing the songs. "
St. Edward's Junior school Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Glos

5 Star Rating

The Pied Piper

"I loved acting in it at my school. I love the song 'Rat Pack'. "
Chelsea - Cast Member

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  Downloads

Instant Downloads allow you to pay online with a Credit/Debit Card or PayPal and instantly download your materials as PDFs and/or MP3s.

Product Name Product Price Qty
Script (Non-editable PDF) US$14.00
Script (Editable Word Doc) US$17.00
PDF & Word Doc Scripts US$21.00
PDF Easy Play Rehearsal Piano/Vocal Score (Grade 5 Standard) US$14.00
PDF Performance Piano/Vocal Score (Grade 8 Standard) US$17.00
MP3 Backing Tracks US$14.00
MP3 Vocal Tracks US$14.00
Sing it! (PC)What's this? US$14.00
Sing it! (MAC)What's this? US$14.00
Project it! (PowerPoint and JPGs)What's this? US$21.00

  Posted

The traditional means of getting your items. Most of our works are RING BOUND books or CDs of recorded music.

U.K. schools can order posted items with a school order number.
This facility is available at the end of the ordering process.

All UK posted orders are now sent via Royal Mail's 24 hour, fully tracked service. You will receive a tracking number via email once we have despatched your goods.

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Product Name Product Price Qty
Script US$24.00
Pack of 5 Scripts US$60.00
Pack of 10 Scripts US$94.00
Easy Play Rehearsal Piano/Vocal Score (Grade 5 Standard) US$22.00
Performance Piano/Vocal Score (Grade 8 Standard) US$27.00
CD of Backing Tracks US$18.00
CD of Vocal Tracks US$18.00
Sing it! CD-ROM (PC & MAC)What's this? US$21.00
Project it! CD-ROMWhat's this? US$27.00

  Performing Licence: valid for 12 months from date of issue for THIS musical only

The Musicline Performing Licence covers you to perform this musical.

It is illegal to perform ANY published musical without the appropriate licence which is only available from the publisher of that musical.

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Size of your School Size Price per Performance Price Number of Performances Number
200+ Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$43.00
150-199 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$35.00
100-149 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$28.00
50-99 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$21.00
0-49 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$14.00
Youth Theatre (any size) US$71.00

  Copying Licence: valid for 12 months from date of issue for THIS musical only

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Size of your School Size Price of Licence Price Qty Qty
200+ Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$43.00
150-199 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$35.00
100-149 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$28.00
50-99 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$21.00
0-49 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$14.00
Youth Theatre (any size) US$71.00

  Video Licence: valid for 12 months from date of issue for THIS musical only

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Size of your School Size Price of Licence Price Qty Qty
200+ Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$43.00
150-199 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$35.00
100-149 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$28.00
50-99 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$21.00
0-49 Pupils on Total School Roll (Ofsted Figures) US$14.00
Youth Theatre (any size) US$71.00