3

X6

IN FRONT OF CURTAINS: curtains partly split PROPS

• A CLOTH Door
Scrooge [Goes to the door knocker. Suddenly • A door knocker
stops; gasps sharply; takes faltering with velcro
steps back. [+] Looks again. Shakes • Marley’s face is
head] the actor’s face
• BIG FAN blowing
Marley [+ In a spooky hissing voice: ‘Scrooge’] Marley

Scrooge [Enters through the curtains] ALTERNATIVE:

PROJECTION
Face on a door OR head
on stick
Scrooge goes inside the curtains. Ready to be put on him is his giant night
shirt, nightcap, and a candle and candle holder to be given him.

CURTAINS OPEN PROPS

1. CSL: Scrooge walks passed a painting and as • Candle
he passes, it rotates • Candle holder
• 2 Picture frames
He looks back at it, puzzled and sets it the
PROPS
right way up.
Put the half stage on
front USL
2. USC: Two portraits (Mr and Mrs Marley). As
Scrooge passes by, they turn and look 2. Do this twice
towards him. He stops suddenly, and swiftly (a) Scrooge looks back
looks back, but they are facing to the front slowly
again. Scrooge shakes head. (b) Then tries it quickly
to catch them out
3. Scrooge goes to the USR and looks inside.
Looks thoughtful, puzzled.

Scrooge [Stands, clasping hands] Humbug. I

won’t believe it

This gives time for Marley to rush to DSR

where he covers himself with a black cloth
becoming invisible

4. The Ghost children form a banister from CS

to CS
(a) The banister moves up and down
(b) The children turn heads as he passes
(c) Scrooge again reacts; again they look The ghosts stand in
forward front of the half stage
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5. Scrooge is standing in front of Marley who is PROPS
covered up by a black sheet. This is During this:
lowered slowly, Scrooge senses that there is • Fire and hearth
something wrong, but does not turn. • Chair – Centre
stage
In time, he moves to and sits on the seat • Plate and spoon
and hearth with fire, collecting his broth on of broth
the way. • A bell
In the mean time, MARLEY moves to the ALTERNATIVE:
corner USR behind the curtains, again the PROJECTION
black sheet covers him. With chains. Projecting Marley’s face
onto the hearth – or just
6. A bell starts ringing. [Scrooge – puts stuff down] above the fire
(a) At first this is a single sound from on
stage SOUND
(b) But then a deafening church bell peal Church Bells ringing

Scrooge [He runs to the front of the stage; he is

clearly scared. His voice is rising in
fear] Humbug! It’s humbug still! I won’t
believe it!

Marley [The black cloth is lowered in order to

reveal the ghost. He looses a breath]

Scrooge [Suddenly freezes. Is terrified.

Swallows hard. Takes a breath.
Recovers himself. His voice is hard.]

What…what do you want with me?

Marley [Moving VERY slowly forward] Much.

Scrooge [Scrooge mouths the word ‘Marley’]

Who are you?

Marley Ask me who I was.

Scrooge [Raising his voice, impatiently] Who

were you then?

Marley [Whispers in Scrooge’s ear] In life I was

your partner, [Takes his hand] Jacob
Marley.

Scrooge [Shakes off Marley’s hand, and takes a

few steps forwards]
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Marley You don’t believe in me.

Scrooge I do not sir.

Marley Why do you doubt your senses?

Scrooge [Becomes matter of fact. All fear

gone. Raises finger. Turns to Marley
and brushes past him.]

Because a little thing affects them.

[Sits down in the seat. Matter of fact]
A slight disorder of the stomach
makes the senses cheat. [Again sharp
waving of finger] Cheat! You may
be…an undigested bit of beef, a-a
crumb of mouldy cheese…a…a
fragment of underdone potato. There’s
more of gravy than grave about you,
whatever you are! [He takes a couple
of quick spoonfuls of broth]

Mrs M [Marches on] Come on Jacob. Scare

him. Scare him to death.

Marley I think that would defeat the object, my

dear; we are trying to save his soul,
after all!

Mrs M [Punches shoulder twice on one

‘evening’] And we have one evening to
do it in.

Marley All right, my sweet! All right!

[WAILS and shakes chains] SOUND

Marley wailing
Scrooge [He falls down at Marley’s feet] Mercy!
Dreadful apparition, why do you trouble ALTERNATIVE
me? ADDITION
To the wail:
Marley [Fiercely] Do you believe in me or not?
Scrooge says
Scrooge I do, if I must. But why do the spirits ‘Beef, I tell you. Just
walk the earth, and why do they come beef!
to me? Marley’s lower jaw
then drops and
Marley The spirit of every man should travel far Scrooge drops to his
and wide to befriend his fellow man; if a feet
spirit does not go forth, then it will be
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 doomed to walk the earth; doomed to
see what happiness truly is, but no
longer allowed to share it.

Scrooge [Nonplussed.] Oh. [Stands up and dusts

himself down]

Mrs M Tch! You are useless! Go on, do it again!

Marley Must I?

Mrs M [Tilts head and stares, raises eyebrows]

Marley [WAILS, shakes chains – and/or drops

jaw]

Scrooge [alarmed, Again drops to knees, looks

at Marley’s chains] You are fettered.
Tell me why?

Marley I wear the chain I forged in life. I made

it link by link, and yard by yard. I made
it of my own free will, Ebenezer.

Scrooge [Shakes head] Surely not, Jacob.

Marley Would you like to know the weight and

length of the chain that you have girded
yourself with? It was as heavy and as
long as this seven Christmases ago.
[Shakes head] Ha! And you have
laboured long and hard on it since!

Scrooge [He swept his hands across the floor,

seeking the chain. He looked back at
Marley. Holds up his hand] Tell me
more…but speak comfort to me, Jacob.

Marley [Lifts the coils and then lets them fall]

I have none to give. I never travelled
beyond our counting house, Ebenezer. I
was too busy counting money instead
of counting potential blessings.

Mrs M Exactly - I was a blessing. You never

spent any time with me!

Marley I did not travel when alive – and so I

have to travel now. I cannot rest, I
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 cannot stay, I cannot linger long
anywhere. I must make amends!

Scrooge [Finger wagging] But you were always a

good man of business, Jacob.

Marley [Shouts] Business!? Mankind was my

business. The common welfare was my
business; charity, mercy and
benevolence were all my business! Yet
I walked through crowds of people
with my eyes blinkered. [Again he
lifted his chains and then let them fall]
And now, as a spirit, I can do nothing!

Scrooge [He turned away, shaking his head]

Mrs M [Nudges Marley]

Marley Hear me, my time is nearly gone.

Scrooge I will. I will. But don’t be hard upon me!

Marley I have sat beside you many a day in the

counting house, Ebenezer. I have
watched you forge your chain, debt by
debt, link by link.

I am here tonight to warn you, that you

have a chance and hope of escaping my
present fate.

Scrooge [Nods] You were always a good friend

to me, Jacob.

Marley You will be haunted by three spirits.

Scrooge [Aghast] Did I say friend? Three spirits?

Is that the chance and hope that you
mentioned?

Marley It is.

Scrooge [Shaking head, goes to get up] Then I

think I would rather not.

Mrs M [Nudges Marley]

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Marley [Loudly, raises chains] Without their
help you cannot hope to shun the path I
tread. Expect the first tomorrow when
the bell tolls one…

Scrooge [Nonplussed] Couldn’t I take them all at

once, and get it over with?

Marley [Ignoring his comment] Expect the DANCE

second soon after. But the third will be Ghostly
on-the-last-stroke-of-twelve.

[Marley uses his finger to draw on his

child ghosts who come on and do an
other-worldly dance around Scrooge at
CS. Scrooge turns as they dance.

They then drift towards a gap – with

their hands outstretched towards
Scrooge who holds his hands in front of
his face – but they by-pass him and
they disappear one by one through the
gap in the curtains.

Marley starts to leave facing Scrooge.]

Scrooge Don’t leave me, Jacob.

Marley The three spirits are your last hope and

chance, Ebenezer. Your last hope!’
[Marley is shoved through the curtains
by Mrs M]

Mrs M And ours! [She then disappears herself.]