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Sketches, theatre and pantomime

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Sketches are brilliant for achieving a varied show evening on holiday camps. Practically all group members are involved and can take part in one or two sketches or even present completely new sketches. Here are a few approved, quickly rehearsed sketches. The success of the sketches with the audience depends upon the mimic, comic and amusing talents of the players. The sketches can also be included in a variety evening.

Sketches for a sketch evening

Sketch with the statue

In the town gardens, there is a statue with a lance in his hand. A park bench is in front of the statue. 2 boys remove the statue. As a tourist guide with a group nears the statue, one of the boys assumes the pose. The tourist guide tells the group a few interesting facts about the statue. The statue pulls some faces and some of the tourists faint. An artist comes along and wants to paint the statue. He sets up his easel and starts work. However the statue keeps changing its position. The artist soon leaves the scene in despair. A schoolboy with his lunchbox sits on the bench. The statue steals his sandwich as fast as lightning. The boy runs off crying. The next visitors to the memorial is a pair of lovers who want to make themselves comfortable on the bench. However the statue annoys one of them and then the other until they start arguing with each other and stalk off in different directions (quarrelling). (Other ideas are possible...). At the end, a cleaning lady comes along with a brush and bucket and starts to scrub the statue. She then throws the bucket of water over the statue who runs off screaming. The cleaning lady faints.
2 Babies in a pram

Two boys who are dressed as babies are lying in their pram (cart/go-kart or similar). They have their fingers/dummy in their mouths. They are fighting, annoying each other and one of them squeals like a stuck pig. They suckle at the milk bottle and are happy and smiling again etc. One baby eventually asks the other one: „What are you actually?

Boy or girl? Let’s have a look!“ He lifts up the other baby’s blanket and says:

„Aaah – a boy!“ The other baby replies: „How did you find that out?“ – the other one says: „You’ve got blue underpants on“.
The massive snake

Two players are wrapped in a large sheet (bed sheet, ground sheet) who represent a large snake. The animal tamer introduces the snake. The snake becomes continually more restless and is very hungry. A spectator (player 1) is swallowed up. He is stiff with shock. However after a short time the player is spat out again. He looks completely dishevelled (too chewy, not tasty). The snake finds another spectator (player 2). After a while trousers, shoes and shirt fly out of his mouth. The snake is now full and slides away happily.

At the barbers

3 customers sit on three stools. The “shortest” of the three sits in the middle. All three are locked into the stocks (heads through the 3 holes in a wooden plank). A rope is held between the teeth of all 3. The barber pulls on the rope and the 3 customers turn one side of their face towards the barber who begins to foam up their faces with shaving foam (whipped cream). Followed by the other side of the face (don’t forget the rope). The barber then grabs a large knife (wood/plastic) and wants to start shaving. Someone shouts “fire, fire!” The three customers jump up and run away. The little one in the middle cannot reach the ground with his feet and has to pull himself up on the board.
At the hairdressers

The master hairdresser tells his trainee to soap up his customers (with whipped cream). However each time, the customer licks the whipped cream off. The master becomes annoyed and moans at his trainee.

He tries again with the “foam”. In a flash, the customer eats the cream once again (master and trainee look/go away for an instant). The master has had enough. He prefers to do the job himself. Once again the cream is gone, however the master saw the customer from the corner of his eye. Now he is annoyed. He takes the complete bucket of shaving foam and really “soaps up” his customer and then pours the rest of the contents of the bucket over his head.
The flea circus

A unique flea show is introduced. The flea tamer comes on stage and introduces his darlings to the audience. Some wonderful presentations follow. However, suddenly the favourite flea „Gustav“ does not want to continue and disappears. Full of despair, the flea tamer looks for his flea and finally finds him in the audience. Standing right next an audience member he claims: „That is not my Gustav“.
One-man sketch

The one-man sketch is almost a little show – which must be rehearsed by the actor beforehand. He lets a member of the audience choose an envelope (from 6) and read out the contents e.g. “Little Red Riding Hood”. (Obviously the same phrase is in all 6 envelopes – the prepared game). The actor now plays “Little Red Riding Hood” but he has to play all of the roles. A quick change of position and voice is required to play the mother, Little Red Riding Hood, the wolf, the hunter and the granny. The key to success is the high speed changes on the stage – the audience will hardly be able to stop laughing.
The tramp (pantomime sketch)

A granny is sitting on a park bench and is knitting – she is quite happy. A young couple comes along – full of affection, the granny comments. A tramp makes space for himself on the bench. The granny leaves, closely followed by the couple because the tramp keeps scratching himself, searching, slapping himself as if he has “foreign visitors“. The tramp is therefore the owner of the bench now. His final comment is: „I haven’t got any lice but now I’ve got a bench for myself to sleep on!“
The telephone

A newly qualified solicitor has opened his notary office in the most distinguished part of town. The only thing missing is the clientele looking for advice. After days of gruelling waiting, he notices a man walking up to the office. The solicitor quickly grabs the telephone receiver and starts to speak: „Yes, hello! What did you say? You found our invitation was very convincing? That is probably a little over-exaggerated, but….“ Condescendingly, he signals to his visitor with a wave, that he should some in. „Great. We will appear in court ourselves. Our assistants will deal with that…but of course, they are very competent solicitors. We’ve practically got the case in the bag. Call back tomorrow? No, that’s not good, we have to make an appointment in Frankfurt and then another in London. But do not worry. Your case is in the best possible hands. Please discuss everything else with my secretary.“ The young solicitor hangs up and turns to the visitor: „And what can I do for you?“ – „Nothing really“, replies the man. „I am from the communications service and have come to set up your telephone connection.“
Brown trousers

The man in the crow’s nest calls out to the captain: „ Enemy ship on the starboard Sir!“ The captain says to his ship’s boy: „Bring me my red jacket so that the men do not see if I am wounded.“ the captain then says: „Load the canons. Fire!“ The look-out shouts: „Wow. Hit and sunk!“ The captain takes his jacket off again and gives it to the boy again. A short while later, the look-out shouts again: „3 enemy ships. At the rear this time Sir!“. The captain says to the ship’s boy: „Bring me my red jacket so that the men do not see if I am wounded.“ The captain says: „Load the canons. Fire!“ the look-out shouts down: „Wow. What a shot. All ships are sunken!“ The captain takes his jacket off again and gives it to the ship’s boy. A little while later, the look-out shouts down again: „10 enemy ships. This time in front of us!“. The captain says to the ship’s boy:
„Quick. Bring me my brown trousers!“
Flies

A fly is humming around (make a buzzing noise). The person tries to catch the fly which is not very easy. They finally manage with the help of a glass. The person then swallows the fly in the hope that the buzzing is finally over: unfortunately not. The fly buzzes around in his belly (the same buzzing noise but muffled).
Mustard Indian

This sketch goes something like this: 2 Indians (the chief and the medicine man) are invited to a feast. The medicine man gives the chief a tip to always eat the things which the white men eat the least of. That must be something quite special. The chief notices that the white men only eat very little of the substance is a specific pot (mustard). The medicine man takes a big spoonful. His eyes start watering and the chief asks: "Why is medicine man crying?" the medicine man replies: "I just thought about my father who drowned in the river last winter!" The chief takes two large spoonfuls of the secret pot – swallows and starts to cry. "Why is the chief crying?", asks the medicine man “Because you didn’t drown together with your father!"
Weight lifting

Different weights (boxes, large water canisters, large lead balls made from papier machée) are available to choose from. The strongest man in town is now introduced who wants to break the world record in weight lifting. The master laboriously tries out the weights. Only after several tries and with all of his power, he finally manages to life the weight. The audience gives him a massive applause. After the new world record holder has left the stage, a small assistant enters the stage and carries off all of the weights at once without any problems.
Clothing by Johnny Doll

Someone comes running past. “Hey you, where did you get that super t-Shirt?” “Thanks. It’s a t-shirt from Johnny Doll!“ A short time later, another person walks past. „Wow, super trousers. Where are they from?!“ “These are Johnny Doll trousers!” The sketch goes on with shoes, a fashionable hat, a jacket, a coat etc.

At the end sometime comes by in his underpants and socks. „Hey what is your name? I haven’t seen you here before!“ „That’s true. I am new here. My name is Johnny Doll!“
Sketches at the doctors

A doctor and his assistants are operating on a patient who is lying on the operating table. The doctor gives instructions:“ Scissors..., scalpel..., please wipe my forehead..., needle and thread“, which the assistants follow. At the end the patient is sewn together again. The doctor then dryly asks his assistants where the scissors have gone to.
Needle and thread (pantomime)

In this pantomime a piece of thread is pretended to be thread onto a needle (grimace on the face, complete concentration, exact target...). Then the audience is shown what can be done with a needle and thread. First of all, the needle is pushed into one ear and pulled out of the other. The thread should be pulled to the right, to the left and to the right again. The thread can then be pulled through the nostrils, into one and out through the other. The thread should be pulled to the left and right for pantomime effect. Encourage the audience to clap and cheer. To conclude, the needle is pulled through the mouth and through the body (swallow and wiggle uncomfortably) and pulled out through the bottom. Now pull the needle and thread in one direction then the other. (If someone can master this pantomime, they will surely receive a lot of laughs).

Alternative:
a suitable hair from an audience member can be used as the thread. After several attempts, a good hair is found which suits the quality standards required. The hair is pulled long, wrapped around the finder and then pulled through the body parts described above.
Brain for sale

A salesman shouts: „Brain for sale, brain for sale!“ A customer comes: „Hey I need some brain. What does this one here cost?“ The salesman says: „Hmm let’s see! That is the brain of one of the camp members and costs 50€. That really is a good buy.“ The customer asks: „Do you have something else on offer?“ The salesman shows him a much smaller glass with brain: „No problem. I’ve got another one here on offer for 100€!“ The customer asks: „Why is that one so small in comparison to the other one but double the price?“ the salesman replies to him: „That is brain from the camp leaders. Have you any idea how many camp leaders we need to come across so much brain?“
The broken finger

A child comes up to a friend and says: „You have taken part in a first aid course before! I need your help“. „Yes, what is the problem then?“ The child says: “Well, when I press my finger on my head it hurts. If I press my ear with my finger like this, it hurts and if a press my stomach it really hurts! What can be wrong?“ The friend feels his head, looks in his ears, looks in his mouth, listens to his heart, but he cannot find anything. „Hmm, I can’t find anything. Maybe it’s better if you go to the doctor!“ „Ok, I will do.“ the child goes away and comes back again. „So what did the doctor find out?“ The child says: „I’ve got a broken finger!“
Chewing gum

A boy sits on a park bench and chews gum. He takes the chewing gum out of his mouth, sticks it on the bench and walks away. An exhausted jogger comes by and sits on the bench, exactly where the chewing gum is. After a moment, he wants to stand up again and notices that he is stuck. He pulls the chewing gum off, throws it on the ground and jogs on.

A little while later a walker comes along and stands on the chewing gum. The walker removes the chewing gum from his shoe with a stick and sticks it on the park bench so that no-one else can stand on it. A little later, the original boy comes back again and finds his chewing gum. He throws it happily into his mouth and walks off.