A Christmas Carol

Gary Owen, Charles Dickens

• Publisher: Methuen Drama
• Year: 2010
• Print ISBN: 9781408129463
• eBook ISBN: 9781408133446
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Literature
• Subtopic: Drama
• Index: Literature

The traditional Christmas classic novel by Charles Dickens adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright Gary Owen. Tucked up in his old, decaying house on a cold Christmas Eve, lonely, curmudgeonly Scrooge hears the rattle of chains and strange wailing noises: it's the ghost of his old business partner, Marley, come to warn Scrooge that if he doesn't change his ways, he will suffer a terrible fate. Whilst Scrooge meets the three Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future, he must learn to embrace the true spirit of Christmas before it's too late. Gary Owen's adaptation translatesthe novel's narrative fluently and portrays the Dickensian caricatures with flair and fun but not crudeness. Whilst translating the novel for the stage, he alsorefreshesthe 1843 morality tale of ghosts, poverty, avarice and the redemptive power of compassionfor a 21st century audience.

Act One

Christmas Eve, 1843. London. People striding, bustling, going about their business, all very impatient and fraught – customers haggling with traders, boys running errands, a Match Girl, trying to sell matches to everyone but having no luck –

– and moving among them, Jacob Marley.

Marley looks subtly different to everyone else. And he moves differently: he darts across the stage, looking here, peering there, passing within inches of people, but no one notices him, no one says a thing.

Marley is watching. He’s watching people going about their ordinary, everyday business, trying to discern something – but what? He’s at the front of stage, his back to the audience, apparently absorbed in the scene before him –

– and then he spins round and stares right at us.

Marley Well, look at you. Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, lords and larcenists. I have a question. How many of you have ever seen a ghost?

Beat.

All of you. Every single last one. You’re looking at a ghost right now. Because I, Jacob Marley, am a dead man. And let me tell you, being dead is no fun. Your body falls apart, there are maggots and worms crawling round inside you, it’s so itchy –

He’s trying to scratch an itch on his shoulder, but he can’t quite reach . . .

– if you’ll excuse me.

And he pulls his right hand clean out of its socket!

That should do the trick!

Then, using his detached right hand as an improvised back-scratcher, he has a good scratch.

What a relief !

His itching dealt with, Marley returns the hand to its socket.

I’ve been dead seven long years. They put me in the ground, bid me rest in peace – but there was no rest for me. I just couldn’t sleep. So I got up, climbed out of my grave. I’ve been wandering the earth all this time trying to figure out, what did I do wrong?

Bob Cratchit enters, just in time to see the Match Girl being brushed off by someone else who doesn’t want to buy her matches. Bob is obviously troubled by the Match Girl’s broken demeanour. The Match Girl goes up to a Smart Gentleman.

Match Girl Will you buy of box of matches, sir? Only a penny.

Smart Gentleman I have all the matches I need.

Match Girl But my family need the money!

She clings to the Smart Gentleman’s arm.

Smart Gentleman Get off me, you wretch!

He pushes her off – she stumbles and falls.

Bob Cratchit rushes to the Match Girl.

Marley I did what I was supposed to – I lived a decent life – I died a rich man.

Bob Cratchit Let me help you.

Match Girl Thank you, sir.

Bob Cratchit Merry Christmas, young lady! And every good wish of the season to you.

The Match Girl cannot help but smile.

Match Girl Merry Christmas to you, sir.

Marley watches this exchange – how the Match Girl is transformed by Bob Cratchit’s simple kindness.

Marley And there it is! That’s what I got wrong! In the hurry to make all my money, I forgot to be kind!

Calls of ‘Merry Christmas!’ and friendly greetings ripple out from Bob Cratchit and the Match Girl to the whole crowd.

Marley And look, it only takes one person to be kind – and everything changes. The gift is given onward, one to the other –

The whole mood has changed, the movement is less frenetic, more elegant – and a couple of carollers wander on, singing.

Marley – especially at this time of year. Christmas gives us every excuse to be kind – if kindness is in our nature.

Marley’s attention moves from Bob Cratchit and the Match Girl, back to us.

Marley Today, by the way, is Christmas Eve, 1843. Victoria is on the throne – the one who was frequently not amused – and this is London – just in case you are confused. And though the wind is cold and the night is dark, the spirit of Christmas is at work – charming, cheering, melting hearts.

Bellowed, from offstage:

Scrooge What d’you mean, ‘Merry Christmas’? What nonsense?

Marley Well . . . perhaps not every heart.

Scrooge enters and instantly the mood changes. People nearby cower and flee to the far side of the stage.

Scrooge Christmas? What flim-flam. What fol-de-rol. What . . .

He’s stuck for a word . . . and then it comes to him.

What HUMBUG!

Marley This is Ebenezer Scrooge. In...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Act One
• Act Two