Cenarth Fox · Fox Plays
Musicals worth staging.
30 scripts, 63+ individual musicals, six collections — written for schools, youth theatre and community groups, and staged from Wisconsin to Auckland, London to Brazil.
One playwright, six shelves worth of shows.
Every script below comes from the same source: playwright-composer Cenarth Fox. The catalogue runs from two-minute mini-musicals built for a single class, right through to full two-act productions with three-set stagecraft and forty-strong choruses — with scripts, music manuscripts, guitar chords and (for most shows) an optional backing CD included. Pick a collection below, or email the box office directly if you know exactly what you're after.
Mini Musicals
Five to fifteen minutes each — quick to rehearse, royalty-free, and built for concerts, camps and classrooms.
25 Mini Musicals
A mini-musical is exactly that: a play with music lasting between five and fifteen minutes, most with one song, some with two — the shortest is a two-minute opera. Thousands of copies have sold around the world, and the collection has been built so that any school, camp or drama group can stage a full one-hour concert of short, polished pieces.
What you get
- Each show is quick and easy to rehearse — and great fun
- Little or no expense on set, costumes or props
- A full script and music manuscript with guitar chords for every mini-musical, plus an optional backing CD
- Ideas to get started, and heaps of follow-up classroom activities
- Royalty-free to purchasers
- Works for almost any size group, from a handful of performers to a large cast
- Topics and themes chosen to entertain and to educate
- Suits every age group, and makes a terrific stand-alone concert item
- String a few together for a full evening of entertainment
A few of the 25
- A melodrama where the audience cheer the goodies and boo the baddies
- A two-song mini-musical where every character is an insect
- A mini-musical where the whole cast lives inside a fridge
- A multi-media piece where photos on screen are sung and played live
- A body-percussion piece performed entirely by clapping and stamping
- A Christmas mini-musical
- A show where every character is a writing implement
- A strange tale of a TV that hypnotises its viewers
- A mini-musical where the girls take over the football
- Mad Martians, famous nursery-rhyme characters, and a runaway train
One-Act Musicals
Fifty to eighty-five minutes, one set, the school and youth-theatre workhorses of the catalogue.
Germs
The most-produced Fox musical ever staged. Set inside the human body, a colony of germs is trying to kill the human they live inside — with injections and pills fighting back. A rebellion brews, a bloodless coup is whispered about, and then the human goes on a date, because for germs, falling in love is the most dangerous thing of all. The story builds to a gripping climax that isn't resolved until the very last moment.
“We loved performing Germs and enjoyed it immensely.”
“GERMS held the audiences spellbound.”
“A remarkably sophisticated, energetic and humourous production.”
Rat Race
A giant pile of rubbish dominates the stage, home to a colony of rats facing starvation, disease and marauding cats — and now the council wants to clear the streets and destroy their home. Enter Snortle Tozer with a plan: make a movie to convince humans that rats are nice. But one rat is dealing with the enemy cats, and Snortle is hiding a secret of their own. Confetti, balloons and a full 1930s Hollywood finale follow.
“RAT RACE is fast-moving, packed with action and guaranteed to generate laughs.”
“RAT RACE comes very close to the perfect primary and secondary school production.”
“Smash hit! Great feedback. It was a great experience for us all.”
Jungle
A spooky jungle full of animals worrying about disappearing plants and increasingly odd humans — students who can spell, honest politicians, rock stars who can actually sing. Zebra wants a pedestrian crossing named after him, Hippo is disgusted by bad manners, and when news arrives of a travelling circus with performing humans, the animals must decide whether that's cruelty or care. The finale is the moving Animal Anthem.
“JUNGLE has proved so popular it's been a sell-out for each of the three nights.”
“Bright music, witty dialogue, magnificent masks, a wonderful production.”
“A magnificent night of entertainment.”
Suburban Circus
A prize-winning salute to your own suburb, staged as a circus — except the jugglers, clowns and high-wire walkers are the people you meet every day. Garbage collectors juggle the garbage, paperboys ride skateboards, road workers balance shovels, and the parking inspector books you with a cream pie to the face. Only one speaking role (the ringmaster, disguised as your mayor), with easy-to-rehearse scenes and lots of small ensemble chorus work.
“Musical spoof in Marx Bros. style. Deals hilariously with garbage collection, public transport.”
“An amazing spectacle. A must for any school.”
“Once again the show was fantastic — it got great reviews.”
Garden Folk
At the bottom of the garden lives a village of tiny, very human creatures: a fusspot ladybird, a fitness-fanatic grasshopper, a praying (and preying) mantis, a caterpillar getting fatter by the day, and Ant, who's new in town and looking for somewhere to live. When the killer spray comes out and a plot is hatched to get rid of Ant, the story races towards a genuinely surprising conclusion. One production put the whole school — 440 students — on stage at once.
“A complex play, well written, rich in ideas.”
“Garden Folk has considerable contemporary appeal and has been a most valuable experience.”
“Our cast included the whole school — 440 students.”
Music!
Part play, part choral piece, part history-and-science lesson — Music! answers the big questions: what is music, when did it start, and how do we actually hear it? It roams from the blues to Beethoven, Mozart to MIDI, covering composers, notation, instruments and advertising jingles along the way, before a choral finale that brings the whole company together.
“The last performance played to a packed house — such a fun play for an all-boys school.”
“The choir remembered all of the words, an indication of how catchy the songs were.”
“The students gave a dazzling display of energy and enthusiasm.”
Lollies
One night, in a lolly shop, after the owners have gone home — the lollies come alive. Then a bombshell drops: everyone's life is threatened, and someone turns up missing. Finding the body isn't pleasant. Was it murder? A candy-coloured mix of music, mayhem and mystery that's given hundreds of students real solo moments on stage — one school cast all 362 of its students.
“This year we have 362 children to perform Lollies. Bright, happy, melodic and bubbly.”
“The reason we like this musical is because it gives so many students a chance to solo and have a REAL part.”
“Lollies entered into the hearts of all who came to see it.”
Doctor Pimples
A perfect first-up musical for teenagers. Doctor Pimples is an evil con-merchant who's convinced gullible Lulu Smith that she's ugly, while managing a flawless pop star, Dave Sunshine — until Dave discovers a single pimple and the corrupt empire starts to crumble. Inexpensive, striking costumes and a proper melodrama structure make it an easy, lively first production.
“From the beginning the cast found the script stimulating, humourous and discreetly didactic.”
“Students, staff and the whole community just loved it.”
“We really enjoyed the show. It's a hoot!”
Smokies
A sharp, funny cabaret revue about tobacco, staged as the floorshow at a nightclub called Smokies. Stand-up comics Smoke-It and Croak-It, hypnotist Pierre Pressure, addictive magician Nick O'Teen and the all-singing, all-dancing Virginia Fats present the facts and let the audience make up their own minds — a genuine anti-smoking programme that doesn't lecture.
“The kids — 75 4th and 5th graders — did a dynamite job.”
“The year 6 students have enjoyed the experience in preparing for and presenting the musical.”
Rubbish
Below the street where you live is a stormwater drain, and in it, the village of Garbage. The residents of Trash Street are just like the folk in your street — some tidy, some messy, some who simply don't care. A modern environmental musical about the neighbours you never see.
“The more we rehearsed, the more humour we found. Very clever.”
“It was a tremendous event with our small hall struggling to cope with 160 kids on stage.”
“Rubbish gave us a chance to think about our environment.”
Trivia
The musical where your performers help write the script — trivia quizzes are built around your own local questions. Whiz-kids Debbie and Kenny hog the family spotlight while their forgotten sister Tracey quietly becomes a trivia champion. When a media promoter arrives wanting to make a star, he doesn't want either of the golden children — he wants Tracey.
“A witty and lively musical, great fun and with something for everyone.”
“With a cast and orchestra of over 100 students, Trivia explores failure, success and family.”
“We got good publicity for the show. Thank you for such a great musical.”
Far Out
On the undiscovered planet Soil — just like Earth, but 500 years behind — a crash-landed rocket from Earth causes chaos among doomsday preachers, home-made astronauts, and a gossip network in meltdown. Then a second, very different spaceship arrives, carrying Martians. Fast, funny, and genuinely far out.
“The play was great fun, a terrific success. Dialogue and songs are spot on for primary and secondary schools.”
“It was a huge success, as is usual with Fox Plays.”
Fish 'n Ships
On the ocean floor, marine creatures with very human problems: a con-merchant herring, an old-school-tie penguin, an overworked sardine, a vain octopus, and a friendly diver with a "never-to-be-repeated offer" involving gourmet garbage and mysterious black sludge under the seabed. Narrated throughout by a worm dangling from a fish hook, it all builds to a wedding — and a very inconvenient truth.
“Fish 'n Ships was fantastic!”
“A meaningful, professional show. The dramatic ending made all think about our waterways.”
“Romance, comedy, music and morals, all narrated by a worm dangling from a fish hook.”
Squawk!
Two million chickens (three million, if you round up) live in a barn full of surprisingly deep characters — a boss cocky who thinks he knows best, a would-be explorer named Columbus, a cock-fighter training for a title bout he doesn't realise is exploitation. When a fox arrives disguised as "Miss Understood" offering a happy new hen house, the chickens don't see the trap until it's too late.
“I thought SQUAWK! was really great, a super play, the best ever, fun to do, excellent, fantastic, a hit.”
“It was huge! It went really, really well.”
“Squawk! was a great success. The kids really respond to your music.”
Two-Act Musicals
Ninety minutes and up — full-length productions for a big company and a big night out.
Fairy Tales
An adult musical for children, and vice versa. The annual Fairy Tales convention brings together every famous character — Cinderella unhappy about her footwear, Snow White questioning the gender politics of fairy tales, Wolf revealed as a sheep in wolf's clothing — and when censorship threatens to ban some tales outright, the characters swap roles for a day to see how the other half lives.
“Fairy Tales was a huge success with both evening performances sold out.”
“How wrong I was! Fairy Tales this year was superb.”
“We had close to 50 in the cast. The kids had so much fun!”
Shakespeare the Musical
We know the plays — but what of the man? Shakespeare the Musical follows the schoolboy, the teenage father, and then the actor-playwright loose in licentious London, with snippets of the plays woven seamlessly through his own turbulent story of spies, plague, romance and danger. Entertainment with education built in.
“A fantastic, lively, jam-packed musical — a great introduction to Shakespeare.”
“Your play Shakespeare the Musical is lively and entertaining.”
“Everyone asked about the show and had great praise for the great script and fabulous music.”
Toys
2am on Christmas morning. Ted E. Bear and Cowboy plan a secret escape to the North Pole to warn Santa that some humans mistreat their toys — but Ted is quietly prejudiced against Golly, and when disaster strikes on the stairs, only Golly's stuffing can save him. A family show operating on two levels: pure fun for children, real questions about prejudice for everyone else.
“In pure entertainment terms, Toys is hard to beat. Fine, family entertainment.”
“Toys tackles issues of prejudice, justice, love and life.”
“'The best ever' was one comment. Thanks again for a great show.”
Sherlock, Stock & Barrel
Three men and two women race through 25 of Conan Doyle's 60 Sherlock Holmes stories — including The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Speckled Band — while Mrs Hudson keeps urging Holmes and Watson on to the next tale. A madcap, non-stop musical comedy, and a genuine fitness test for five very busy actors.
“A non-stop comedy, a hansom cab gallop through 25 of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.”
“Dramatic, tuneful, ingenious, and above all very funny.”
“What a breathless hoot! The wittily-penned dialogue was fabulously projected.”
Don Bradman Lives Next Door
Cricket heaven, today. Don Bradman and W.G. Grace are next-door neighbours, and cricket's most prolific writer wants the warts-and-all truth about Grace's suspect Victorian-era dealings. A two-hander comedy with songs that turns out to be for the non-cricket fans as much as anyone.
“Brilliant play, brilliant production, brilliant playwright. I would happily go again.”
“A very clever play and the actors were superb.”
“A fantastic play, well performed and directed! A must see!”
Roll 'n Rock
Dullsville, 1947. Church organist Flip discovers a new tempo he calls "roll 'n rock" — and Pastor Mustard and Mayor Loophole are convinced it threatens civilisation itself. A toe-tapping origin story for rock and roll, with the company doubling as dancers, parishioners, teenagers and over-the-hill vaudevillians.
“Roll 'n Rock is a great show — the best one we've had from you.”
“You couldn't help enjoying Roll 'n Rock because everyone on stage was having such a great time.”
“I felt like jumping from my seat and dancing along with the grand finale.”
Fogies
At the Smileaway retirement home, Matron Iris Blatt treats the residents with contempt — until the fogies decide to fight back. When Smileaway goes up for sale, a mix-up over a very old chequebook sets off a chain of events that only a family reunion can put right. A comic but serious look at old age, often performed by teenagers playing decades older.
“Fogies ran for four nights and was an outstanding success with catchy songs and memorable characters.”
“The performances were even better than those in Rat Race. The crowds loved it.”
“A great time performing the show — very much a success in building teamwork and morale.”
Dinkum Poppies
A musical salute to Australia's statesmen, shearers, soldiers, suffragettes and swindlers. At a struggling fairground sideshow, someone suggests they "spin a yarn" — and the real heroes and heroines of Australian history stroll in to tell their tall-but-true tales.
“A frolic through Australian history, enjoyed by everyone. A superb show.”
“Dinkum Poppies helped the students recognise themselves as Australian.”
“We are still singing the tunes in our head!”
Cobbers
Three young English siblings sail for Sydney in 1897, arriving in a colony gripped by Federation fever — and an all-singing, all-dancing Queen Victoria who is not ready to "cut those apron strings." A serious-then-light-hearted look at Australia just before and after Federation, built around the stirring anthem Australia.
“Teachers thought it was a terrific way to teach Aussie history. It was fun to do.”
“The audience loved the historical approach — they found out more than at school.”
The Originals
Cenarth Fox's first stage show, first staged in 1974. In early-1800s Sydney, two free-settler families, a band of convicts and Governor Macquarie's regiment collide with the original Australians who were there thousands of years before any of them. The people are fictitious; the settings, characters and battles are drawn from the real early history of the colony.
“A bright show with catchy tunes and an interesting story.”
“All connected with The Originals were amazed by the enthusiasm and vitality of the show.”
“The Originals was a perfect foil for the talents of the students.”
One-Person Musical
A complete ninety-minute show built for a single, exceptional performer.
Moving On
Middle-aged Maggie returns to clear out her recently-deceased mother's house, a home full of forgotten photos, toys and "things" left behind by a lifelong hoarder. A childhood hat, a half-remembered eisteddfod routine, a teddy bear, a photo she never wanted to see — memory by memory, Maggie works out who her mother was, and who she is now. A showcase for one exceptional singing-and-dancing actress, ending with the belter I Got Me.
“WOW WOW WOW is all I can say. Angela Glennie knocked it out of the park.”
“A compelling piece. You'll laugh, you'll cry, and come away totally satisfied. It's a winner.”
“The best night of theatre since Shakespeare in Saigon — funny that, same playwright!”
All-Female Musicals
Five-woman casts, built for community theatre, youth theatre and drama groups.
Scrubbers
Five women clean a large office complex overnight, meeting each shift in a small tea-room to trade dull, hard days and harder home lives. But one cleaner has hopes for a better life beyond the mop bucket, and her dream drags the others along with her — transforming the drab tea-room into a showbiz stage. Toured across the UK, with a season in London.
“Scrubbers is gritty, challenging, then heart-warming and finally triumphant.”
“Scrubbers was hilariously entertaining and brought many people to theatre who had never been before.”
“A strong point is multi-talented Cenarth Fox's terrific lyrics and music.”
Stage Mothers
Five mothers — one of them a grandmother pushing her granddaughter — gather in a theatrical waiting room, all convinced their child deserves the lead in a new musical. For these women, winning isn't everything, it's the only thing: "second place is first place for losers." In Act Two the auditionees themselves finally appear, played by their own mothers.
“Really enjoyed Stage Mothers last night. It was amazing how polished the cast were.”
“The tunes were TOO good — I haven't been able to get any of them out of my head!”
“A brilliant addition to your perceptive and skilful playwriting.”
Christmas Musicals
Cantatas and short shows for end-of-year concerts, school assemblies and churches.
Christmas of the Animals
The Christmas story as told by the animals who were actually there: the donkey who carried Mary, the camels who brought the wise men, the innkeeper's dog, and a chorus of tiny, terrified, tap-dancing mice hiding under the manger straw. Works with keyboard, orchestra or backing CD, and welcomes a well-known community figure as narrator.
“I am amazed how such small people are tackling the many words in the songs and enjoying the variety.”
“A festive group of students would get top marks — help primary schools get into the festive spirit.”
Ten 30-Minute Christmas Musicals
Ten short, ready-to-stage Christmas musicals — Santa Forgot a Reindeer, Christmas Pudding, Christmas Presents, Christmas Decorations, Christmas on Mars, Computer Christmas, Letters for Santa, Christmas Angels, Mother Christmas and Time-Machine Christmas — each with a full script, music with guitar chords and an optional backing CD. No royalties for schools and churches that purchase the set.
“Santa Forgot A Reindeer fulfills every need. PLEASE publish more like it. A purchase is guaranteed.”