Running time approx. 60mins.
The evergreen story of Ebenezer Scrooge, a miser, who is visited by the ghost of his dead partner, Jacob Marley and then three more Spirits on Christmas Eve. He is told to mend his ways and cultivate a love for mankind or he will be doomed to walk the Earth forever more as a restless phantom. Guess how it turns out? This a serious treatment of the story – don’t expect too many laughs!
But it does have the advantage of only running for one hour, which is considerably shorter than many other adaptations of this Charles Dickens story.
POSSIBLE 30 SPEAKING CHARACTERS, 3 NON-SPEAKING, MORE NON-SPEAKING COULD BE ADDED.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THERE ARE NO SONGS SUGGESTED IN THIS PLAY but sound effects and incidental music are required.
All our scripts contain production notes regarding, scenery, costumes and props.
NO ROYALTIES, PHOTOCOPYING LICENCE INCLUDED.
Here’s a sample
SCENE 1
(The scene is a London street on the afternoon of Christmas Eve.
Church bells begin to ring. There are some ragged children warming
their hands round a brazier. A woman with a baby is begging in the
street. A man and woman are window shopping. A tramp enters and
comes forward to address the audience.)
TRAMP
It is just past three o’clock on Christmas Eve but it is quite dark
already. The brightness of the shops where holly sprigs and berries
crackle in the lamp heat of the windows make pale faces red as they
pass. In the main street some labourers are repairing gas pipes and
they have lit a great fire in a brazier, around which ragged children are
gathered, warming their hands.
RAGGED CHILD
The Lord Mayor , in his mighty Mansion House, gives orders to his fifty
cooks and butlers to keep Christmas as a Lord Mayor’s House should;
and even the little tailor whom he fined five shillings on Monday last
for being drunk in the streets, is stirring up the Christmas pudding in
his bare house, while his wife and baby go and buy a small joint of
beef.
WOMAN WITH BABY
Christmas Eve, a time when all men, rich or poor, rejoice in the
fellowship of man. All men except one.
Here we have the offices of Scrooge and Marley. Let it be understood
from the beginning that Marley is dead. There can be no doubt of that.
Seven years ago this very night he died, and this must be distinctly
understood or nothing wonderful can come from the story that is about
to unfold.
MAN (Shopping with his wife)
Scrooge and Marley were partners for many years. Ebenezer Scrooge –
a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous old
sinner. Hard and sharp as flint. It is his story that we tell tonight. Hush
now, here he comes.
(SCROOGE enters)
TRAMP
Merry Christmas sir. Spare a penny for an unfortunate destitute.
SCROOGE
Get out of my way man. I do not give charity to you or anyone else,
whether it be Christmas or not.
TRAMP
Yes sir. Merry Christmas anyway sir.
SCROOGE
Christmas! Bah! Humbug!
(SCROOGE goes into his office)
PART OF SCENE 5…
(SCROOGE is still asleep, huddled on the floor, when the clock strikes
one again. There is a loud burst of joyous Christmas music and THE
SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT appears. He is dressed in a long green robe
and has a wreath of holly on his head. He carries a large wicker basket
which has food and wine in it, in his other hand he carries a gold
goblet which contains gold glitter. SCROOGE wakes up with a start.)
PRESENT
I am the Spirit of Christmas Present! Look upon me! You have never
seen the like of me before!
SCROOGE
Never. Spirit, conduct me where you will. If you have anything to
teach me, let me profit by it.
PRESENT
Come, sit at my feet and we shall see the Christmas over which I
preside.
(The Spirit sits in Scrooge’s chair and Scrooge sits at his feet. The
Tramp from Scene 1 comes in, stands behind them and narrates)
TRAMP
The Spirit and Scrooge looked upon the city streets on Christmas
morning. There was an air of cheerfulness in the air and the people
called to each other in merriment. The poulterer’s shops were open
and the fruit shops were too. People’s mouths watered when they
looked through the windows.
SCROOGE
Pears and apples; pot bellied baskets of chestnuts; oranges; lemons;
raisins, sticks of cinnamon; candied fruits; figs; french plums –
everything that is good to eat and in its Christmas dress!
(Sound of church bells)
TRAMP
Soon the steeples were calling good people to church and chapel and
way they came, flocking through the streets in their best clothes and
with their happiest faces. At the same time, through all the by-streets
and lanes, poor people came, carrying their Christmas dinners to the
baker’s shops to be cooked.
SCROOGE
What is in the cup you carry, spirit? You sprinkle it over the people and
it seems to banish any ill-humour.
PRESENT
(Sprinkling the glitter around) It is the milk of human kindness
Ebenezer Scrooge. I apply it in abundance on Christmas Day.
TRAMP
On they went, invisible, as they had been before, into the suburbs of
the town, until they reached the humble home of one Bob Cratchit,
clerk to Ebenezer Scrooge and the Spirit of Christmas Present blessed
his house.
(MRS CRATCHIT and her daughter enter, carrying a table, and MRS
CRATCHIT lays a tablecloth over it, while BELINDA lays out the knives and
forks)
MRS CRATCHIT
Wherever has your precious father got to? And your brother Tiny Tim?
And Martha wasn’t as late as this last Christmas.
(MARTHA enters)
MARTHA
Here I am mother!
BELINDA
Oh Martha, we have such a goose cooking! You’ve never seen the like!
MRS CRATCHIT
Why bless you Martha, I was worried about you.
MARTHA
There was a party at the house last night Mother, so the other maids
and I had to clear up this morning. That’s why I’m late.
MRS CRATCHIT
Well, never mind, so long as you have come. Sit down before the fire
and have a warm.
20
BELINDA
I hear father coming! Hide, Martha, hide! We’ll play a trick on him!