12 Angry Pigs - Original Ten Minute Play

12 Angry Pigs - Original Ten Minute Play

Spoof of "Twelve Angry Men"

By Wade Bradford

This play may be used free of charge for educational purposes and for amateur theater productions.

Setting: A table and twelve chairs are all that is needed to establish the jury's room.

The pigs walk to a table. They walk around, shy and uncomfortable at first.

PIG #1: (Fanning himself.) Boy, I tell you, it’s hot.

PIG #2: I thought it was hot in the courtroom, but this room is like an oven.

PIG #3: Do I smell bacon? Oh wait – that’s just me.

PIG #4: So what are we supposed to do?

PIG #5: Weren’t you listening to the judge? We vote.

PIG #4: Vote?

PIG #5: We decide whether or not that Wolf is guilty or not guilty.

PIG #6: He looks guilty to me.

PIG #7: Me too.

PIG #8: What do you mean he looks guilty?

PIG #9: Did you see those teeth?

PIG #10: Those wolves have sharp teeth.

PIG #11: The better to gobble you up! Right? Am I right?

PIG #12: But the wolf isn’t on trial for biting someone. The trial is about him blowing down those two houses.

PIG #4: I thought there were three houses.

PIG #6: Only two houses got knocked down.

PIG #5: (To #4) Don’t you listen?

PIG #3: He huffed and puffed and blew down the houses of those innocent little pigs.

PIG #11: Those poor swine.

PIG #6: Why those two little pigs are lucky to be alive!

PIG #10: I tell you, those wolves are dangerous!

PIG #2: I wish it wasn’t so hot in here. Isn’t there a fan or something?

PIG #7: We should get the Big Bad Wolf in here to huff and puff and blow us a cool breeze! (The other pigs laugh.)

PIG #1: All right, let’s get down to business. Now, since I am the foreman—

PIG #7: Don’t you mean forepig?

PIG #4: What’s a foreman?

PIG #1: It means that I am the spokesperson of the jury here. When we go back into court, I’ll be the one doing the talking.

PIG #3: So that makes you the head hog?

PIG #1: No, but I do get to read the verdict.

PIG #4: Oh. What’s a verdict?

PIG #1: It’s the decision that we make as a jury.

PIG #4: Oh. What’s a jury?

PIG #5: (Not happy being next to #4) Can I trade seats with somebody?

PIG #12: Can we just get on with this?

PIG #1: Very well. We have heard the trial. Now we need to determine whether the Big Bad Wolf is guilty or not guilty.

PIG #8: I don’t think we should call him “big bad.” He hasn’t been convicted yet.

PIG #1: All right, just “wolf” then.

PIG #5: So let’s vote.

PIG #1: All those who believe the wolf is guilty say “oink.”

ALL EXCEPT #8: OINK!

PIG #1: Anyone else?

PIG #8: Not oinking.

PIG #7: What’s that?

PIG #8: I’m not oinking because I’m voting not guilty.

Everyone else groans.

PIG #3: You think that Big Bad Wolf is innocent?

PIG #8: Well, I haven’t made up my mind yet. There have been so many stories about wolves doing terrible things. Maybe we’ve paid more attention to those fairy tales, and not enough attention to the evidence?

PIG #4: What’s evidence?

PIG #5: Did you sleep through the trial? Evidence is the stuff that proves whether or not somebody is guilty!

PIG #8: And there should be enough evidence to convince us all of the wolf’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

PIG #3: There’s plenty of evidence!

PIG #8: Well, I’d like to hear what all of you think.

PIG #1: Okay, that sounds fine. Let’s take turns and explain to our fellow pig why we think the wolf is guilty. Why don’t you go first?

PIG #2: Me? Oh, well, I guess I just think he looks awful scary. I can just picture him huffing and puffing and blowing down those houses.

PIG #8: But you didn’t see him do it.

PIG #3: But you didn’t see him not do it.

PIG #9: (Standing up for #8) But you didn’t see him not not do it.

PIG #3: Huh? Look, the facts of the case are this: (Looks at notes.) These three little pigs, just like you and me, they move away from home. They were brothers, so they decided to build their houses nearby. One pig built his house out of straw. The other built his house out of sticks, and the other brother built his house out of brick. And then what happens? This wolf comes along, pretending to be selling cookies or something, and when the pig won’t open up the door – WHOOSH! Down goes the house of straw. The little pig runs to his brother’s house made out of sticks. The wolf follows and WHOOSH – down goes house number two! Clear case of destruction of property. And it’s a good thing their brother pig made a house out of bricks, because it was strong enough to protect them from being eaten up by that evil wolf!

PIG #1: Thank you for sharing. (To #4) What about you?

PIG #4: Me? Oh I guess since everyone else thinks he’s guilty he must be.

PIG #8: You shouldn’t just agree with someone just because that’s what a person wants.

PIG #4: Hey, you’re right. I agree with you!

PIG #3: I don’t want you to agree with him.

PIG #4: Okay.

PIG #5: I believe the wolf is guilty because there was an eye witness. A local village boy saw the whole crime take place. And since I’m sure he wouldn’t lie, I am certain that the wolf must be guilty.

(Little Boy Blue skips across the stage.)

PIG #6: Theres the little fella now!

BOY: Hi Piggies! I’m off to guard my flock of sheep!

PIG #7: What a nice young man. That’s why I voted to convict that big bad wolf!

PIG #12: Me too. Everything points to the wolf as a criminal. Who else could have done it?

PIG #9: I am afraid that seems to be the only explanation, unless your snout smells something we don’t.

PIG #10: Besides, he’s a wolf. If he’s not guilty of this crime, I’m sure he’s guilty of something.

PIG #9: You shouldn’t say that. It’s not nice.

PIG #11: Look, nice or not, the facts clearly show that our wolf friend is guilty. But he sure tried to act all innocent.

PIG #3: Yeah, did you see him wearing that sheep’s clothing during the trial? Well, I saw right through that!

PIG #12: Well, I thought Little Boy Blue’s testimony was convincing. But more than anything, I just didn’t trust that wolf. He claimed that he was a Wolf Scout, selling Wolf Scout Cookies door to door. But there’s no such thing as a Wolf Scout!

PIG #9: Oh but there is. There are cub scouts and wolf scouts and trout scouts, and all sorts of scouts. And they are nice sorts of folks. Say, maybe I voted guilty too quickly.

PIG #3: What do you mean?! (To #8: ) Look “Mr. No Oink,”, I want to know why you voted not guilty. You’re keeping us cooped up in here like chickens, when we should be at home, rolling around in mud like pigs!

PIG #7: And if the wolf didn’t demolish those houses, then who did?

PIG #8: I’ve been wondering about that myself. Why would a wolf want to knock down a pig’s house to begin with?

PIG #12: Well, he wanted to eat.

PIG #11: So he blew the house down so that he could gobble up the first little pig.

PIG #8: But why wouldn’t he just wait for the pig to leave his straw house and then grab him? Why spend all of that energy blowing down the house?

PIG #5: He couldn’t wait. He was too hungry.

PIG #8: If he was too hungry, then why didn’t he just eat the cookies he was selling?

PIG #10: Because wolves don’t eat cookies!

PIG #4: Yeah!

PIG #10: they eat pork chops!

PIG #4: Yeah!

PIG #10: And ham hocks!

PIG #4: Yeah!

PIG #10: (To #4: ) And stop agreeing with everything I say.

PIG #4: Yeah!

PIG #2: All this talk about food is making me hungry.

PIG #7: Me too!

PIG #1: I wish we had some lunch or something.

BOY: (Entering, carrying a bucket.) Yoohoo! Piggies! It’s chow time! Want some pig slop?

PIGS: Yes please!

BOY: Come and get it!

The pigs run up to the boy. Then, the boy shows them that the bucket is empty.

BOY: Ha ha! I was just joking. It’s empty.

PIG #3: Ha, well, you sure fooled us, young man.

PIG #1: Now run along, Little Boy Blue. We pigs have work to do.

PIG #8: Now as I was saying, I don’t think the wolf huffed and puffed at all.

PIG #3: Then how did the house fall down?

PIG #8: Think about it. Of the three little pigs, only one knew how to build houses well. And that little pig built his house out of brick. The houses of straw and sticks were so frail they could have fallen down when the wolf politely knocked on the door.

PIG #3: Politely knocked?! Do you believe this swine?

PIG #8: I’m just saying it’s possible. And since when do wolves blow air with the force of a hurricane?

PIG #9: That’s a very good point. I watched a documentary on wolves, and it didn’t mention a thing about huffing or puffing.

PIG #8: Which reminds me of something else the defense forgot to mention.

PIG #12: What’s that?

PIG #8: (Calls to a Bailiff, who could be dressed as a duck or some other animal.) Oh Bailiff, we’d like to examine a piece of evidence.

BAILIFF: Which one?

PIG #8: The wolf’s pack, please.

BAILIFF: Just a moment.

PIG #8: Thank you, Bailiff.

PIG #4: What’s a bailiff?

PIG #8: He’s like a policeman for the courtroom. Throughout the trial process, he keeps things in order.

PIG #7: Order? I’d like to order a large extra cheese pizza. Hold the pepperoni.

PIG #5: Not that kind of order!

PIG #2: Gee, I’m awful hungry.

The Boy enters, carrying a pizza box.

BOY: Free cheese pizza! Fresh from the oven! Absolutely delicious! Who wants a slice?

PIGS: Me! Me! I do! I do!

BOY: Ha, ha! Fooled you again!

PIG #2: Say, that’s not very nice.

PIG #6: Little Boy Blue, that joke is not funny anymore.

PIG #1: We’re trying to work here.

The boy leaves. The bailiff enters.

BAILIFF: Here’s the wolf’s pack. (Hands the pigs the pack.)

PIG #8: Let’s see. (Takes out items from the pack.) Here are the wolf scout cookies. And his wolf scout badge.

PIG #3: That doesn’t prove anything.

PIG #8: What about this? (Pulls out an asthma device.)

PIG#3: So what?

PIG #8: How could the so-called Big Bad Wolf huff and puff when he has asthma?!

Everyone gasps at this realization.

PIG #2: Oh my goodness.

PIG #3: So he’s got asthma medicine in his wolf pack.

PIG #10: He probably stole it. Wolves will do that.

PIG #9: Not all wolves are like that and you know it. I think we should have another vote.

PIG #1: Very well. Let’s go around the table. All those who think the defendant is guilty say oink. I’ll go first. I say “oink.”

PIG #2: Uh, oink.

PIG #3: Oink!

PIG #4: Not oinking.

PIG #5: Oh, what do you know? I still say “oink!”

PIG #6: Not oinking.

PIG #7: Oink.

PIG #8: Not oinking.

PIG #9: Not oinking.

PIG #10: Oink.

PIG #11: Oink.

PIG #12: Not oinking.

PIG #1: That’s seven oinks, and five not oinking.

PIG #3: You piggies call yourself a jury? You wanna let that Big Bad Wolf go free? What’s with you? (He points to the other pigs.) This little piggy is forgetful. And this little piggy is regretful. This little piggy’s brain went to the market. And this little piggy should have stayed home. And this little piggy (points to Pig #8)… This little piggy went went wee-wee-wee all over the justice system!

PIG #8: But there’s reasonable doubt. We don’t have enough evidence—

PIG #3: There’s a witness. The boy saw everything. And he heard that Big Bad Wolf say, “Little Pig, Little Pig, let me in. Or I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!” What more proof do you need to convict this canine? There was a reliable witness!

Little Boy Blue enters with the bucket again.

BOY: Pig slop! Pizza! Pig slop and pizza! Come and get it!

PIG #3: Get out of here, kid we know you’re trying to trick us!

He and the other pigs gasp at this realization.

PIG #8: I guess that means your witness isn’t so reliable.

PIG #1: I’m changing my vote to not guilty.

PIG #2: Me too. That kid is a liar!

PIG #5: Looks like there’s reasonable doubt. I change my vote too.

PIG #12: Maybe we were wrong about this wolf.

PIG #10: I knew he was innocent all along.

PIG #3: Are you serious?

PIG #1: Raise your hand if you vote not guilty.

Everyone but #3 raises their hand.

PIG #1: Any votes for guilty?

PIG #3: Oink! I know I’m right and you’ll never change my mind.

PIG #7: We may have to declare a hung jury.

PIG #5: What’s a hung jury?

PIG #4: When a jury is unable or unwilling to come to a unanimous decision resulting in a mistrial. I thought everyone knew that.

PIG #5: Wow.

PIG #3: Fine, then it’s a mistrial.

PIG #8: (To #3) We aren’t giving up. Let’s keep talking. Convince us.

PIG #3: He’s guilty.

PIG #8: NO he’s not.

PIG #3: Yes he is.

PIG #8: No he’s not.

PIG #3: Yes he is.

PIG #8: Isn’t.

PIG #3: Is!

PIG #8: Prove it!

PIG #3: Why can’t you pigs see things the way I do?! The facts are plain! Charlotte is guilty!

PIG #2: Charlotte? Who’s Charlotte?

PIG #3: Uh, a spider – I mean a wolf! I’m talking about the big bad wolf!

PIG #8: But that’s not what you said. You said Charlotte. Who is she?

PIG #3: (Breaking down.) She was a spider named Charlotte. And she was my best friend!!! But then she broke my heart and left me. And I promised myself I’d never trust another non-pig again. (He cries into his hands.) I vote not guilty!

PIG #8: (To #1) Forepig, I think we’re ready.

The bailiff brings in the wolf. The jury of pigs stands and forms two lines.

JUDGE: Have you reached a verdict?

PIG #1: We have your honor.

JUDGE: And what is it?

PIG #1: We the jury find the defendant not guilty.

JUDGE: Very well. Bailiff, you may release the defendant.

The wolf approaches the jury.

WOLF: Thank you so much. I didn’t think anyone would believe me.

PIG #8: Well, we were just doing our job. I’m sure it’s not always easy when people think you’re a big bad wolf.

Little Red Riding Hood rushes in. She points at the wolf.

LITTLE RED: Police! Arrest that Big Bad Wolf!

WOLF: Here we go again.

The end.

DMU Timestamp: February 06, 2019 23:03