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The Comedy of Errors by John Minigan play script cover

The Comedy of Errors

cutting and notes by John Minigan from the original by Shakespeare

Two sets of twins, separated at birth, end up in the same town. A comedy of errors and mistaken identity ensues.

"I gave you the money! You promised me a chain. Why did you lock me out? You ate dinner at home. Where’s my money? Where’s my chain? Demons and ghosts surround us!"

A great combination of Shakespeare, physical action, and slapstick humour.

Comedy Classical Adaptation Shakespeare Shakespeare in an Hour

Average Producer Rating: 5.0 out of 5

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

At a Glance

Running Time
About 60 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
18 Characters
5 M 5 F 8 Any Gender
+ jailers, officers, and attendants, Doubling Possible
Set
Simple Set
Length
41 pages
Free Excerpt

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Performance Royalty Fees

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.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

18 Characters

  • 5 Males
  • 5 Females
  • 8 Any Gender
  • + jailers, officers, and attendants, Doubling Possible

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

The Twins

  • Antipholus of Ephesus Male 58 lines
    Married to Adriana
  • Antipholus of Syracuse Male 74 lines
    Twin brother of Antipholus of Ephesus
  • Dromio of Ephesus Male 40 lines
    Slave to Antipholus of Ephesus
  • Dromio of Syracuse Male 59 lines
    Twin brother of Dromio of Ephesus, slave to Antipholus of Syracuse

Male

  • Egeon 14 lines
    A merchant of Syracuse, father of both Antipholuses

Female

  • Emilia 16 lines
    Lost wife of Egeon and mother of Antipholuses, now an Abbess in Ephesus
  • Adriana 63 lines
    Wife of Antipholus of Ephesus
  • Luciana 34 lines
    Her sister
  • Luce 4 lines
    Her servant
  • Courtesan 9 lines
    A prostitute

Either

  • Solinus/Selena 18 lines
    The Duke/Duchess of Ephesus
  • Balthazar 2 lines
    A friend of Antipholus of Ephesus
  • Angelo 27 lines
    A goldsmith
  • First Merchant of Ephesus 2 lines
    Friend to Antipholus of Syracuse
  • Second and Third Merchants of Ephesus 7 lines
    To whom Angelo is in debt
  • Doctor Pinch 5 lines
    A conjuror
  • Servant of Adriana and Antipholus of Ephesus 2 lines
  • Jailers, Officers, Duke’s Attendants, Pinch’s Attendants

Praise for The Comedy of Errors

5 out of 5 stars
Jamie Gann
Centennial Middle School
This one-act adaptation was the perfect fit for my middle school students doing a Shakespeare play for the first time. My cast included 6th, 7th, and 8th graders and the show was a tremendous success.

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