Playscripts for children and teens
Why should kids read playscripts? For starters, they’re a backstage pass to understanding the plot and characters in a whole new way. By diving into the dialogue and stage directions, kids can explore emotions, challenges, and motivations – and maybe even see the world from someone else’s shoes (hello, empathy!). Playscripts also encourage them to think critically, breaking down the story like a detective piecing together clues. Plus, they’re brilliant for performance prep, helping young actors master their lines and bring the story to life. Think of playscripts as part story, part puzzle, and a whole lot of fun! This list features books by Julia Donaldson, Roald Dahl, Louie Stowell, Alan Ayckbourn, Sarah Walden, Ted Hughes, Jacqueline Wilson, Michael Morpurgo, David Grant, Malorie Blackman, Zizou Corder, Piers Torday and Evan Placey.
Playscripts for children and teens – our recommendations
Playscripts for KS1
The Gruffalo Play by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler. 
The Three Billy Goat’s Gruff and Other Plays by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Kate Pankhurst. 
The No-Rehearsal Nativity by Janine Gillion. The Tantrum: A book about meltdowns and bawling bards! by Louie Stowell and Isobel Lundie
This lively and engaging picture book introduces young readers to the world of theatre through the story of Bill Bear, who stages plays in a woodland theatre. When a performance goes awry, Bill’s spectacular tantrum becomes the central drama. Structured like a play, the book will help children aged 3-6 understand big emotions while sparking an interest in theatre and Shakespeare. It’s ideal for reading aloud and discussing with EYFS classes. Highly recommended.
The Twits: The Plays by Roald Dahl, adapted by David Wood. 
The Trial of Wilf Wolf and Other Plays by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Kate Pankhurst. 
The Monster Under the Bed by Kevin Dyer. A Midsummer Night’s Drama: A book at bedtime for little bards! by Louie Stowell and Isobel Lundie
When Bill the Bear and his woodland friends pull off a triumphal dramatic performance at the Glade, he gets so excited he can’t sleep! But Sir Bun Bun comes up with a cunning plan to help him drift off. With atmospheric and imaginative illustrations and theatrical references throughout, It’s the perfect fun bedtime story to introduce 3-6-year-old budding bards to Shakespeare.
Playscripts for KS2
The Boy Who Fell Into a Book by Alan Ayckbourn. 
Bombs and Blackberries by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Thomas Docherty. 
Fantastic Mr Fox: A Play by Roald Dahl, adapted by Sally Reid. All The World’s A Stage by Sarah Walden
This dazzling nonfiction hardback will entrance any child who dreams of a life and career in film or on the stage. Covering practical tips on how to make short films and plays, guides to behind-the-scenes roles in TV and Holywood, and a history of performance since ancient times, ‘All The World’s A Stage’ will motivate children to get involved in drama, musicals and the screen. It’s perfect for KS2 classroom libraries and to inspire extended learning projects.
Shakespeare’s First Folio by William Shakespeare, illustrated by Emily Sutton. 
The Machine Gunners by Ali Taylor, adapted from the book by Robert Westall. 
Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl, adapted by David Wood. 
Collected Plays for Children by Ted Hughes. 
The Witches: The Plays by Roald Dahl, adapted by David Wood. 
The Suitcase Kid by Jacqueline Wilson, adapted by Vicky Ireland. 
The BFG by Roald Dahl, adapted by David Wood. 
The Lottie Project by Jacqueline Wilson, adapted by Vicky Ireland. 
James And The Giant Peach: A Play by Roald Dahl, adapted by Richard George. 
Spotlight on Plays by Eleanor Boylan, illustrated by Penny Jensz. 
Plays for Children by Helen Rose. 
Masquerade: the Play by Kate Mulvany, based on the book by Kit Williams. 
Much Ado About Nothing for Kids by Lois Burdett. 
Books and Crooks and Other Plays by Julia Donaldson, illustrated by Kate Pankhurst. 
Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Stuart Paterson. Playscripts for KS3
Free! by David Grant. 
King of Shadows by Susan Cooper, adapted by Adrian Mitchell. 
Vesuvius by Dick Burnell. 
The Turbulent Term of Tyke Tiler by Gene Kemp. 
Coram Boy by Helen Edmundson, based on the novel by Jamila Gavin. 
Forty Short Plays by Ann Cartwright. 
The Amazing Maurice and his Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett, adapted by Stephen Briggs. 
Crowstarver by Dick King-Smith, adapted by Daniel Jamieson. 
Midnight by Jacqueline Wilson, adapted by Vicky Ireland. 
The Demon Headmaster by Gillian Cross, adapted by Adrian Flynn. 
The Garbage King by Elizabeth Laird, adapted by Oladipo Agboluaje. 
My Swordhand Is Singing by Marcus Sedgwick, adapted by Adrian Flynn. Playscripts for KS4
White Poppies by Sue Saunders. 
The Peasant Prince, based on the book by Li Cunxin, adapted by Eva Di Cesare, Sandra Eldridge and Tim McGarry. 
Six Plays for Theatre in Education and Youth Theatre by Geoff Gillham. 
The Terrible Fate of Humpty Dumpty by David Calcutt. 
Sherlock Holmes and the Limehouse Horror by Philip Pullman. 
Across the Barricades by Joan Lingard, adapted by David Ian Neville. 
Lord of the Flies Acting Edition by William Golding, adapted by Nigel Williams. 
Let the Right One In, based on the novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist, adapted by Jack Thorne. 
Noughts & Crosses by Dominic Cooke, adapted from Malorie Blackman’s novel. 
Christmas Carol: A Fairy Tale by Charles Dickens, adapted by Piers Torday. 
The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, adapted by Mike Kenny. 
Lionboy by Zizou Corder, adapted by Marcelo Dos Santos. 
Chaos by Laura Lomas. 
George Orwell’s Animal Farm by George Orwell, adapted by Ian Wooldridge. 
His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, adapted by Nicholas Wright. 
My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell, adapted by Janys Chambers. 
Jekyll and Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, adapted by Evan Placey. 
Fractured Fairy Tales for Student Actors by Jan Peterson Ewen. 
Eight Plays for Children by Coleman A. Jennings. 
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein by Patrick Sandford. 
Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay, adapted by Tom Wright. 
Pronoun by Evan Placey. Click the buttons below to purchase all of the books in this playscripts for children list, as well as class sets of any of these books and many more, from Bookshop.org UK. Or buy the 20 most popular titles from this list from Amazon – ideal for gifts or your classroom library.
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Playscript and drama resources for teachers
- Oak National Academy has free drama resources including lesson plans, slides, videos and quizzes for KS1, KS2 and KS3.
- BBC Teach offers a range of drama resources including free CPD for non-specialist teachers and drama teaching strategies. There’s also a series of free KS1 & KS2 musicals and dramas, each supported by song tutorials, scripts, music and sound effects (SFX).
- National Theatre’s bank of free resources for secondary schools includes activities linked to West End plays, ideas to encourage enthusiasm for Shakespeare, and diverse voices to enliven curriculums in KS3, KS4 and KS5.
- RSC’s free teacher packs are fantastic sources of inspiration for teaching and drama activities in KS1, KS2, GCSE and A Level settings. These packs are thorough and cover characterisation, staging, performance, narrative and cultural themes.
- Inspired by over a decade of providing theatre workshops and CPD in the West End, Theatre Workout has compiled a series of free resources and CPD opportunities for teachers.
- Trinity College London’s website includes a Drama Games resource including ideas for warm-ups, improvisation, team building and devising.
- Shakespeare’s Globe has a Teach Shakespeare site with resources that can be searched by play, theme, language and character. Teachers can save and annotate resources.
BISAC JNF017000, YAN017000 Drama and performing arts | Thema YNDS
