Just Desserts

These scripts will give students the opportunity to confidently practise language in a safe and structured setting where they can enjoy playing roles and bringing the story to life. ... they'll be having so much fun that they won't even realise that they are learning!
-David Farmer, NILE training consultant, theatre director, and author


Just Desserts is a short, original play about what happens when a teenager has to stand up to their boss, an overbearing celebrity chef. The engaging, suspenseful play hits on an important theme for students, how to stand up for yourself in a difficult situation. However, this play was written for English students to improve their communication and speaking skills.

As students read, practice, and perform these plays, they will learn:


cultural contexts

conversational moves

intonation and body language

high frequency lexical phrases and grammar patterns





Short enough for a project in a speaking class, but expandable to fill a whole elective class, drama unit, or theater club production, Just Desserts makes drama in the classroom a good thing!

About the Play


6 characters, 8 scenes, about 15 minutes to perform.

Language of the play is graded to A2+/B1 (intermediate) level, although the demands of performance may be higher

In addition to the script, this book contains:

Preview activities

Pragmatics lesson on answering a false accustation

Advice on producing a play

Pronuncation tips

Glossary of theater vocabulary