Belling the Cat Play Script

Belling the Cat is the comical adaptation of the classic fable. In a farmhouse, there live three mice that are driving the farmers crazy. They’re living comfortably, watching TV, sleeping, and stealing food from next door until the farmers get a cat! The mice must decide how to escape before they get eaten. One mouse gets the idea to place a bell around the cat’s neck so they’ll know where he is at all times. A brilliant idea but who will do the dangerous task? You’ll never guess in this hysterical tale! An entertaining play for young performers!

Andy Pavey is Drama Notebook’s resident playwright. He is a student who attends UWC-USA. He previously spent nine years with Davenport Junior Theatre, the second-oldest children’s theatre in the United States, where he acted in productions, managed the props building, and wrote plays for young actors to perform. In addition to writing, Andy is an avid backpacker!

Excerpt from the play:

CAST OF CHARACTERS

Narrator
Mouse 1
Mouse 2
Mouse 3
Farmer 1
Farmer 2
Cat

At rise: MOUSE 1 and MOUSE 3 are lounging on a couch, reading a magazine or watching television. The NARRATOR stands to the side, watching the action.

NARRATOR
In a farmhouse, there live three mice. They live comfortably, watching lots of TV, sleeping a lot, and stealing food from the farmers next door.

MOUSE 1
I’m the one who watches lots of TV.

MOUSE 3
I’m the one who sleeps a lot.

MOUSE 2 enters carrying platters of (preferably very oversized) food.

MOUSE 2 (proudly)
And I’m the one who steals food from the farmers next door.

MOUSE 3
What’s on the menu tonight?

MOUSE 2
Well, let’s see, we’ve got month-old strawberries, some cereal, and a bunch of crumbs I found under the table.

MOUSE 1
Score! Crumbs are my favorite!

The MICE begin to eat.

MOUSE 3
I can’t believe the strawberries are only a month old. So fresh!

NARRATOR
That’s sort of nasty, you guys. Cut it out.

MOUSE 2 (mouth full of food)
It’s better than eating garbage like our city-dwelling cousins do!

NARRATOR
I guess you have a point. Kinda.

MOUSE 1
Those farmers give you any trouble today?

MOUSE 2
Well, one of them kept yelling about cutting my tail off with a carving knife, but otherwise, no problem.

MOUSE 3
That sounds horrifying. Thank goodness they’re both buffoons, or we’d have to go live in the Taco Bell across the street.

MOUSE 1
Yikes, there’s nothing edible there…

NARRATOR
As you can see, our protagonists aren’t exactly the sharpest mice in the shed.