The Pied Piper of Limburg

5+m, 4+w
2m 40s, 1m 20, 1m pre-teen, 1+m adult; 1w 60s, 1w 40s, 1w 16, 1+w adult

The Pied Piper of Limburg transports the action of The Pied Piper of Hamelin to the town of Limburg, famed for its pungent cheese. The cheese has attracted rats, and the townspeople are desperate to get rid of them. Enter the Pied Piper, who promises to remove the rats for a generous payment. When the mayor and his councilman brother-in-law renege on the deal, the piper exacts his revenge by leading all the children from the town. The chastened townspeople realize the error of their ways.

The cast consists of the mayor; his unloved, crippled son; his aged mother; his sister, brother-in-law, and romance-obsessed niece; the piper; two or more townspeople; and the non-speaking, dancing Queen of the Rats. The setting consists primarily of the kitchen of the home shared by the mayor and his extended family, but some scenes occur at various spots in the town.

The action is leavened by eight songs and a few reprises, accompanied by piano and flute. The Pied Piper of Limburg provides an hour's worth of entertainment for children, with a bit of audience participation. While intended to be performed by a largely adult cast, The Pied Piper of Limburg can readily be performed by a cast of teens.