The action takes place in Loxford, a small town in East Suffolk.

Scene 1. The Home of Lady Billows.  Lady Billows has decided to revive the local May Day Festival, in order to “make virtue attractive; desirable even.” She appoints a small committee to help identify a suitably chaste village girl to be crowned “May Queen” and offers a prize of 25 guineas for the victor. But when the committee has its final meeting in April, the evidence against its nominees is universally damning – not one of the local girls still qualifies to win the prize. The Superintendent of Police comes to the rescue: If there are no qualified candidates for Queen, why not have a May King? Why not Albert Herring, whose timidity is universally known? Lady Billows and the rest of the committee eventually agree and they sally forth to deliver the good news to Albert and his mother.

Scene 2. The Herrings’ Greengrocer Shop.  Albert, working in the family’s shop, is joined by Sid and Nancy, whose flirting makes him uncomfortable. The committee arrives to announce Albert’s proposed coronation. He objects to the honor, but his mother overrules him, attracted by the 25-guinea award.

Scene 1. The Vicarage garden. While everyone else is at the Parish Church celebrating Albert’s coronation, Sid persuades Nancy to join in a practical joke and they lace Albert’s lemonade with rum. The guests arrive, bouquets are presented, speeches made, the prize delivered, and all join in a toast to the new May King. Albert takes a long swig from his glass and demands more lemonade. Everyone sits down to enjoy the repast.

Scene 2. The shop, later that evening. Albert comes home in a state of semi-drunken exhilaration, but hides when Sid and Nancy appear outside. They laugh about Albert’s appearance and personality, but soon forget him as their flirtation continues. After they leave, Albert’s excitement and embarrassment suddenly create a wild desire to experience much more of life, and he leaves for an evening of previously unknown pleasures. His mother returns and locks up the shop, thinking Albert is already asleep.

Albert’s disappearance has thrown the town into an uproar. When his coronation wreath is discovered, having been crushed by a cart on the Ipswich Road, everyone assumes the worst. They begin a lamentation over Albert’s demise, only to be interrupted by the arrival of the profligate himself, disheveled but unbowed. His description of his evening of sin shocks the village elders, while Sid and Nancy are impressed. Albert flings his coronation wreath away and takes over running the greengrocery.