Lose Not Thy Head

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

Lose Not Thy Head

by Gary Rodgers

Joan has been sentenced to lose her head for impersonating her famous brother William Shakespeare.

 About 35 minutes

Times given are approximate and do not include intermissions/scene changes/breaks


 13
1 M | 3 W | 9 Any Gender


Simple set


 34 pages

Comedy Black Comedy Shakespeare
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“No! But my lord, you love beheading. You were born to do this, and if it wasn’t for your fine work, who would chop the heads off people? Hmmm? Who?”

The Viscountess is in a funk. She’s lost her passion for her job as lead executioner. This may or may not help the next victim.

Joan has been sentenced to lose her head for impersonating her famous brother William Shakespeare. He’s disappeared with all his earnings and Joan has been trying to finish his latest play about Henry VIII. Joan pleads for her life, Death waits for Joan to die, a severed Head says beheading isn’t so bad, a Sigmund Freud-type doctor tries to convince everyone that you can’t sew a head back on a body, and then things get weird.

If you like Shakespeare, Monty Python, a little love, a little death, a lot of laughs and lunch at the pub, you must read Lose Not Thy Head!

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Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

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