Musical Play: “Macbeth, the Musical Comedy”

The Show

We want you to know what you're getting, so the cast list and first third of the script are available here! Bad Wolf shows are written for flexibility and can be edited however you like to meet the needs of your actors, school, curriculum, parents, astrological chart, latest whim, etc. If you have questions about the portions of the script not shown, please contact us.

Casting

Flexible casting from 11-40 students. Use as many Messengers, Scottish Citizens, etc. as desired. Actors can easily play several roles, or a single role can be divided between multiple actors. All parts can be played by any gender.

CHARACTERS:

Eleanor Roosevelt and the First Ladies
Banquo, friend of Macbeth
Macbeth, General of the Scottish army
Witches (set 1)
Messengers
Lady Macbeth
Porter
Duncan, King of Scotland
Malcolm & Donalbain (Duncan’s sons)
Macduff, Scottish nobleman
Servants of Macbeth
Ghost of Banquo
Witches (set 2)
Doctor
Servants of Lady Macbeth
Soldier
Scottish Citizens (Cheerleaders)
and a CHORUS made up of all students who are not playing roles at the time.

Script

This is the first one-third of the script.

(ELEANOR ROOSEVELT sits in a big stuffed chair at the front of the stage, a table and lamp at her side. The FIRST LADIES sit in smaller chairs on either side.)

ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: Good evening, and welcome to Masterworks Theater. I am Eleanor Roosevelt, your host for our presentation of Macbeth. Helping me tonight are some of my fellow first ladies.
(THEY wave)
We have formed Masterworks Theater to bring classic literature to life. One thing we have always noticed about Shakespearean tragedy is that, well, it’s a bit bleak.

FIRST LADY #1: Very depressing.

FIRST LADY #2: And long.

FIRST LADY #1: Long and depressing.

ELEANOR: So we’ve set out to change all that. Ladies?

(THEY STAND)

Song 1

ELEANOR:
Time to do
Something new,
Something different.
Let’s rewrite the bard

FIRST LADY #1:
Go ahead
Shakespeare’s dead
He won’t notice
It’s not all that hard to do

FIRST LADY #1 and FIRST LADY #2:
No one’s gonna mind a change or two.

ELEANOR: Tell them about Macbeth!

FIRST LADY #2:
He’s a guy
Riding high
Heaped with glory
Coming back from war.

FIRST LADY #1:
It’s the law
Tragic flaw
Will soon get him
He’ll be toast before it’s done

ALL FIRST LADIES:
There’s nothing like a tragedy for fun!

Masterworks Theater
Tragedy for common folks
Masterworks Theater
Tragedy with lots of jokes
Tragedy without the fuss
Tragedy for folks like us
Tragedy that’s not too sour

ELEANOR:
Best of all—it’s half an hour!

ALL and CHORUS:
End our song
Move along
With the story
All the stuff you need
Song and dance
And romance
Not too sappy
Just a touch of greed and death
It’s Masterworks’ production of Macbeth…
of Macbeth…
of Macbeth…
of Macbeth.

(MACBETH and BANQUO enter, fresh from battle)

BANQUO: Macbeth, my friend, we should be proud. We’re heroes coming home from battle. We have saved Scotland and preserved the rule of good King Duncan.

MACBETH: Well, technically, Banquo, I’m the hero. I mean, you did some brave stuff, but you’re mostly just my sidekick.

BANQUO: It is a role I cherish.
(THREE WITCHES appear)
Whoa! What are these, so withered and wild in their attire?

WITCH #1: We’re witches.

WITCH #2: Hail, Macbeth.

WITCH #3: Hail, Banquo.

MACBETH: How do you know our names?

WITCH #1: We know everything, past and future.

WITCH #2: We have prophecies for both of you.

MACBETH: Well, what are they?

WITCH #3: How ’bout a tip first?

MACBETH: Well sure. “Neither a borrower, nor a lender be.”

WITCH #1: That’s from Hamlet, you twit. You want the prophecy or not?

MACBETH: If it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly…

Song 2

WITCH #1: I’ll take that as a yes.
Macbeth you’re gonna be promoted
Why do you look glum?
You will be immensely quoted
For many years to come.

WITCH #2:
Macbeth you’re gonna be promoted
You’ll be duke by noon
Resume is getting bloated
You’ll be the king real soon.

MACBETH:
Are you nuts? Are you crazy?
Have you fallen off your brooms?
Did you drink too many potions?
Have you sniffed too many fumes?
These prophecies don’t jibe
Both the Duke and King Duncan are alive!

WITCH #1: And there’s more!

WITCH #3:
Banqo you won’t be promoted
Look what fortune brings
Though you will not live to note it
Your children will be kings.

(MESSENGERS approach)

BANQUO: Wait, who comes?

MESSENGER #1: We’re messengers from good King Duncan.

Macbeth you’re gonna be promoted
The Duke of Cawdor’s dead
He was weak and not devoted
Now you’re the Duke instead.

MESSENGER #2:
The king would like to thank his vassal
A deal you can’t refuse
He is coming to your castle
So tell your wife the news.

MESSENGERS and CHORUS:
He is coming to your castle
Tell your wife the news.

MACBETH (to MESSENGERS): The king? At my house? Tonight? Ride to Lady Macbeth at once. Remember, if it were done when ’tis done, then ’twere well it were done quickly…

BANQUO: Would you stop saying that? It’s really annoying.

(MESSENGERS and WITCHES exit)

MACBETH (to BANQUO): Can you believe it? I’m Duke of Cawdor. Maybe king someday. Isn’t that great?

BANQUO: I live to bask in your shadow, my friend

Song 3

Am I happy you’ve become the Duke of Cawdor?
Am I glad it’s always you and never me?
Am pleased to serve as just dramatic fodder?
Yessiree! Yessiree! Yessiree!

Am I happy that you’re getting all the glory?
Am I glad you’ve got a kingly destiny?
Do I like your wife? Well that’s another story…
(MACBETH glares at him)
Yessiree! Yessiree! Yessiree!

We’re pals
We’re chums
We’re buds
A couple Scottish studs
What’s good for you is good for me
Yessiree.

BANQUO and CHORUS:
Am I happy always walking well behind you?
Am I glad to wash your horse and pour your tea?
Do I know that you’re a jerk and still not mind you?
Yessiree! Yessiree! Yessiree!

(BANQUO exits as MACBETH walks across stage to his castle, where LADY MACBETH waits for him)

MACBETH: Hello, my dearest wife. Did you get the message? King Duncan will be spending the night in our castle. Can you believe my string of luck?

Song 4

LADY MACBETH:
Macbeth my dear you’re finally home
You know I hate to be alone
You didn’t write you didn’t phone
It gives a girl a fright.

Macbeth my dear let’s skip all that
But we should have a little chat
I got your note we’re sitting fat
If we strike the king tonight.

MACBETH: What are you talking about?

LADY MACBETH:
This is our chance
Let’s grab the throne
Can’t wait for Duncan to choke on a bone.
My dear I’ve really had enough
Of this milk of human kindness stuff
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
What will it be? Now you’ve got to choose.

MACBETH: Stop this.

LADY MACBETH:
Macbeth my dear oh don’t be mean
I really need a change of scene
And I would make a lovely queen
I look so good in a crown.

LADY MACBETH (continued):
So grab a knife a sword or two
Let’s put some poison in his stew
We really have so much to do
The king has come to town.

MACBETH: But what if we’re caught? No, we can’t.

LADY MACBETH and CHORUS:
This is our chance
Let’s grab the throne
Can’t wait for Duncan to choke on a bone.
My dear I’ve really had enough
Of this milk of human kindness stuff
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose
What will it be? Now you have to choose.

MACBETH: How could we do it?

LADY MACBETH:
It’s a tiny bit illegal
To get rid of someone regal
So we need a rather clever kind of plan
It is not considered loyal
To bump off a guy who’s royal
So let’s do it so they blame some other man.

MACBETH: Well, okay, you win. Let’s kill the king!

BOTH and CHORUS:
So grab a knife a sword or two
Let’s put some poison in his stew
We really have so much to do
The king has come to town.

(THEY exit. A loud knocking is heard. More knocking. Finally a PORTER enters.)

(This concludes the first one-third of the script.)