Scrooge No, Marley, no...

You are a dream, a The First Spirit

dream, a dream I say… • [A child but like an
old man]
The Bell [Extra loud tolling of one] • White dress, bare
Scrooge [Sits bolt upright] Oh. Maybe not, then. arms, summer
flowers
Spirit 1 [HIGH STAGING: Appears. Again – • Long white hair
WIND MACHINE/MIST] • A crown

Scrooge [Looking out of the curtains to his

bed.] Who and what are you?

Spirit 1 I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.

Scrooge Long past?

Spirit 1 No, your past.

Scrooge But why are you here?

Spirit 1 Your welfare. LIGHTS

Strobe to allow for
Rise! And walk with me! effect.
[The Spirit took hold of Scrooge’s arm
and dragged him towards the window. OR – to edge of
This is CS to allow them to disappear] stage and stops

Scrooge [Scrooge held the spirit’s robe and

tried to pull him back] I am a mortal
and liable to fall.

Spirit*You have already fallen far, Ebenezer *SMOKE MACHINE

Scrooge. I hope that the shadows I Full blast
have to show you, the shadows of
Christmas past, will mean that you
will decide to fall no further.

Mrs M. With that hard heart! The spirit has

not got a chance. [Turns to Marley]
You idiot, Jacob…

Marley [Holds hands up] Madam, Ebenezer

was a fine, upright, young man…
CURTAINS CLOSE
Mrs M Exactly. Was.
1
Young S [Sitting warming his hands by the fire.] PROPS
• Fire
OUTSIDE [Others boys shouting to each other] • School chair
Edward Bye Henry. Have a Merry Christmas! • Window

Scrooge [Gets up and rushes to the window]

Henry Bye Edward. Same to you.

Scrooge [Waves pathetically at the window]

George Best of the season to you all!

Henry/Edward And to you George!

Algernon Hope you get that rugger ball you

wanted Henry!

Young S [A couple of doors slam. Young

Scrooge turns and slumps back down
in the seat. Shaking head and sighs]

Spirit 1 How much you wanted a Christmas

with your family when you were at
school, Ebenezer.

Scrooge [Sighs heavily] I wish…but it is too late

now…

Spirit 1 What is the matter?

Scrooge There was a boy singing a Christmas

Carol at my door last night. I should
like to have given him something for his
singing, for Christmas. [Shakes head]
That’s all. LIGHTS
Spirit 1 Let us see another Christmas! Strobe to allow for
changeover
Scrooge [He is seated at a desk, working hard.]
SMOKE MACHINE
Fann [Runs on and hugs Young Scrooge]
I have come to bring you home, dear
PROPS
brother!
• Chair now next
Scrooge But father… to school desk
• 2 other desks
Fann Father is so much kinder than he used • Fire removed
to be. He sent me in a coach to bring
you. And, Ebenezer, you are to be a
2
 man, and you are never to come back
here. But first we are to have
Christmas together, and have the
merriest time in all the world! [She SMOKE MACHINE
clapped her hands together, and Again loads, pointed
tugged at Scrooge’s arm. They both to front of curtain
leave the room skipping and laughing]

[Scrooge and Spirit move to front of CURTAINS CLOSED or

curtain] STEAM
Spirit 1 Such a delicate creature. But with a
large heart.

Scrooge [Smiling, nodding head, a warm

memory] Indeed, she had.

Spirit 1 Yet so fragile. She died a woman. With

children?

Scrooge [Said quickly] One…child.

Spirit 1 [Nods, with a wry smile] One child.

Your nephew.

Scrooge [Reluctantly, nods] Fred.

Mrs M. Who, I would like to remind you, Mr

Marley, Scrooge has not spent a single
Christmas with. What chance have you
to change…

Marley Every chance!

[Curtains open or steam]

Spirit 1 Do you know this place?

Scrooge [Delightedly] Do I know it? I was

apprenticed here! Spent some of the
best of times here!

Marley It was good.

Mrs M Oh, I remember it well, Jacob. It is PROPS

• Windows
where we first met. More’s the pity!
• But all other props,
tables, food, chairs are
Fezziwig [Fezziwig marches onto the stage,
brought on by players
clapping his hands to indicate action] in the scene
Now come on, everyone, work is over!
3
 It is Christmas Eve! It is time to play!

Scrooge [Excitedly clapping his own hands]

Look! Look! I don’t believe it, it’s old
Fezziwig! Fezziwig alive again!

Fezziwig Yo, ho there! Ebenezer! Jacob!

[While the exchange is going on, people in the scene

bring on the props led by Young Ebenezer and Young
Jacob, who later holds hands with Young Mrs M]

Scrooge Ah! Good old Marley!

Spirit 1 Don’t you mean ‘Dead as a doornail’,

Marley. Feeding the worms, Marley?

Marley He said that! About me? Pah! Why am

I bothering! Let’s go…

Mrs M Nowhere. We are going nowhere! He’s

not much, but he is the only hope we
have.

Marley I suppose. [Shakes head] Feeding the

worms.

Mrs M He didn’t mean anything by it. You

know Ebenezer!

Marley Exactly!

Fezziwig Fiddler! Fiddler!

Fiddler [The fiddler rushes on, taps her feet, Music: Old Tom of
and strikes up a tune. The young Oxford
people do a dance.]

Scrooge [Scrooge excitedly echoes the dances]

Marley/Mrs M [They clap hands along with the dance]

Fiddler [He now strikes up Sir Roger de Music: Sir Robert de

Coverley] Coverley

All [Shout ‘Fezziwigs’ Fezziwigs until the

two agree to dance.]

Fezziwig [Dances with mrs Fezziwig]

4
Mrs Fettiwig [Mrs Fezziwig dances with Fezziwig]

Fezziwig [He shakes hands with everyone in

turn; last to go are Jacob and Mrs M,
and finally, Scrooge.]

Fezziwig [Shaking Scrooge’s hand] Merry

Christmas, Ebenezer. Well done, lad.
Always the last to leave on Christmas SMOKE MACHINE
eve!

Scrooge [Also goes through the motions of

shaking Fezziwig’s hand. Then felt the
Spirit looking at him, and stopped] STROBE LIGHTS
To allow all to go off
Spirit 1 What is the matter?

Scrooge Nothing, nothing.

Spirit 1 Something, I think?

Scrooge No, no. I should like to be able to say a

word or two my clerk, Cratchet! That’s
all. STOP SMOKE
MACHINE
[A bench is put on DSC for the two lovers, Scrooge
and Effie. Scrooge and Effie come on from either
side; Scrooge holds out his hands, but Effie
ignores him and sits down.]

Y.Scrooge Effie, thank you for coming.

Effie I do not know why you wish to see me,

Ebenezer.

Y.Scrooge I am nearly ready…

Effie You are always ‘nearly ready’. Another idol

has displaced me.

Y.Scrooge Another Idol?

Effie A golden one.

Y.Scrooge [Bitterly, waves arms] Such is the way

of the world. It condemns poverty –
but it condemns the acquisition of
wealth far more! [Effie stands up and
begins to walks DSL]
5
Marley [To Young Scrooge, shakes him, hands go
skim top or through an underarm] No, no,
don’t say that, Ebenezer. You are in love!

Mrs M. Hah! At least she didn’t make the mistake

I made!

Marley We are trying to save his soul, woman!

Mrs M [Looks meaningfully at Marley, pulls face,

turns to Young Scrooge] Take her hands!
[Hands across chest] Declare your love!

Effie It is not about the acquisition of wealth,

Ebenezer, it is about the loss of your
nobler aspirations, one by one. The
master passion, Gain, engrosses you.

Mrs M Damn, too late!

Marley [Shocked] ‘Damn’? Mrs Marley!

Y.Scrooge Even if I have grown all the wiser, I am not

changed towards you.

Mrs M Maybe it’s not too late…

Effie [Shakes her head]

MrsM [Drops her shoulders]

Y.Scrooge Am I?

Effie Our contract is an old one, made when we were

poor but content. You are changed. When
it was made, you were another man.

Y.Scrooge [Impatiently] Then, I was a boy.

Effie Once we were one in heart and were happy.

But now as two we are miserable. I
release you, Ebenezer.

Marley [To Young Scrooge] Ebenezer, you believe

in self-help. Well here’s your chance.
Help yourself!

Y.Scrooge Have I ever sought release?

Marley [Rushes back to Young Scrooge] That’s

better, Ebenezer. Much better!
6
Effie In words, No. Never.

Y.Scrooge In what then?

Effie In a changed nature; in an altered spirit.

Y.Scrooge I am not changed. Only a man.

Mrs M [To Young Scrooge] No, careful, now

Ebenezer. Soft words, soft words…

Effie If there were no contract between us, would

you be here now, Ebenezer? With me? Or
would you be with your true love?

Y.Scrooge You think not!

Mrs M No, no, soft words, Ebenezer!

Effie Be honest with yourself, Ebenezer…

Marley No, no, don’t be…

Effie If you were free today, tomorrow, yesterday -

given your one guiding principle - Gain,
would you really choose to marry a
dowerless girl?

Y.Scrooge [Goes to open mouth]

Effie You will soon forget me, Ebenezer. May you

be happy in the life you have chosen!
[Effie walks off stage, USL] SMOKE MACHINE

Marley [To Mrs M.] In a way, he is…

Mrs M. You are losing focus, Jacob. We have to

save his soul unless you want to walk
the earth forever…

Scrooge [To Spirit 1] Spirit! Show me no more!

Why do you delight in torturing me?
[Marley and Mrs M
Spirit 1 [Hand to Scrooge, takes him offstage]
not looking]
Marley [Holds up his finger] The Spirit! We
can ask the spirit!

Mrs M. But it’s one of the Higher Spirits, so

we cannot…

Marley [Looks behind Mrs M. Shrug shoulders]

Doesn’t matter. They’ve gone! [Points] 7