A Christmas Carol - Reduced Script for Cues

On director’s cue to start the show:

Joshua

Finish on: “Scrooge never painted out Old Marley’s name. There it stood, years
afterwards, above the warehouse door:
(Band says out loud): “Scrooge and Marley.”

Narrator: “Scrooge! Hard and sharp as a flint; secret, self-contained…”

Continue Joshua - (slower tempo)

[...]
Scrooge: You want all day, I suppose?
Bob: If it’s convenient, sir.
Scrooge: It’s not convenient, and it’s not fair. I pay a day’s wages for no work.
Bob: But it’s only once a year, sir.
Scrooge: What a ridiculous excuse! Be here all the earlier the next morning.

Carol of the bells

[...]
End on: Narrator: and then let any man explain to me, if he can, how it happened that Scrooge,
having his key in the lock of the door, saw in the knocker, without its undergoing any
intermediate process of change - not a knocker, but Marley’s face.

Narrator: As Scrooge looked fixedly at this phenomenon…

[...]
Narrator: There were Cains and Abels, Pharaoh’s daughters, Queen of Sheba, Angelic
messengers descending through the air on clouds like feather-beds, Abrahams, Belshazzars,
Apostles putting off to sea in butter-boats, hundreds of figures to attract his thoughts; and yet
that face of Marley, seven years dead, came like the ancient Prophet’s rod, and swallowed up
the whole.
Scrooge: Humbug!
(Band starts bells/chimes at random)

Narrator: A bell begins to swing. It swung so softly in the outset that it scarcely made a
sound; but soon it rang out loudly, and so did every bell in the house. The bells ceased
as they had begun, together. They were succeeded by a clanking noise, deep down
below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain over the casks in the
wine-merchant’s cellar.
(Band stops bells/chimes)

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A Christmas Carol - Reduced Script for Cues

Scrooge: It’s humbug still! I won’t believe it.

[...]
First Spirit I am the Ghost of Christmas Past. Your past.
Scrooge Why are you here?
First Spirit For your good/welfare. Rise! and walk with me!

They passed through the wall, and stood upon an open country road, with fields on either hand.
It was a clear, cold, winter day.

On the Sunny Side of the Street

[...]

[...]

Scrooge Why, it’s old Fezziwig! Bless his heart; it’s Fezziwig alive again!

Old Fezziwig laid down his pen, and looked up at the clock, which pointed to the hour of seven.
He rubbed his hands; adjusted his capacious waistcoat; laughed all over himself, and called out
in a comfortable, oily, rich, fat, jovial voice:

Fezziwig Yo ho, there! No more work to-night. Christmas Eve, Dick. Christmas, Ebenezer!
Let’s have the shutters up, before a man can say Jack Robinson!

It was done in a minute. In came a fiddler with a music-book, and went up to the lofty desk, and
made an orchestra of it, and tuned like fifty stomach-aches. And all the young men and women
of the house transformed that room into a dance floor.

Sir Roger de Coverly

Scrooge He made us so happy. And the happiness he gave us is worth more than a
fortune in gold.
First Spirit What's the matter?
Scrooge Nothing in particular.
First Spirit There is something, I think.
Scrooge Well, I would like to say a word or two to my clerk, that's all.
First Spirit My time grows short. We must be quick!

(End Sir Roger de Coverly)

STAVE III: The Second of the Three Spirits

Narrator: Awaking in the middle of a prodigiously tough snore, and sitting up in bed to get his

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thoughts together, Scrooge had no occasion to be told that the bell was again upon the stroke of
One. A strange voice called him.

[...]
[...]

Narrator: Then up rose Mrs. Cratchit, Cratchit’s wife, dressed out but poorly in a twice-turned
gown, but brave in ribbons, which are cheap and make a goodly show for sixpence; and she laid
the cloth, assisted by Belinda Cratchit, second of her daughters, also brave in ribbons; while
Master Peter Cratchit plunged a fork into the saucepan of potatoes, and getting the corners of
his monstrous shirt collar (Bob’s private property, conferred upon his son and heir in honour of
the day) into his mouth. And now two smaller Cratchits, boy and girl, came tearing in; and these
young Cratchits danced about the table.

Deck the Halls

Mrs. Cratchit What has ever got your precious father then? And your brother, Tiny Tim! And
Martha?
Martha Here’s Martha, mother!
Children Here’s Martha, mother!
[...]
[...]

Tiny Tim sat very close to his father’s side upon his little stool. Bob held his withered little hand
in his, as if he loved the child, and wished to keep him by his side, and dreaded that he might be
taken from him.

Scrooge Spirit, tell me if Tiny Tim will live?

Second Spirit If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race,
will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus
population.

Narrator: Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and
was overcome with penitence and grief.
(Band laughs to introduce next scene)

It was a great surprise to Scrooge to hear a hearty laugh. It was a much greater surprise to
Scrooge to recognise it as his own nephew’s and to find himself in a bright, dry, gleaming room,
with the Spirit standing smiling by his side, and looking at that same nephew with approving
affability!

Scrooge’s nephew laughed in this way: holding his sides, rolling his head, and twisting his face
into the most extravagant contortions: Scrooge’s niece, by marriage, laughed as heartily as he.

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And their assembled friends being not a bit behindhand, roared out lustily.

Nephew He said that Christmas was a humbug, as I live! He believed it too!”

Niece More shame for him, Fred!
Nephew He’s a comical old fellow, that’s the truth: and not so pleasant as he might be.
However, his offences carry their own punishment, and I have nothing to say against him.
Niece I'm sure he is very rich, Fred. At least you always tell me so.
Nephew What of that, my dear! His wealth is of no use to him. He don’t do any good with
it. He don’t make himself comfortable with it. He hasn’t the satisfaction of thinking— ha, ha,
ha!—that he is ever going to benefit US with it.

Toast + Ringing of the bell: 12 chimes.

STAVE IV: The Last of the Spirits

Money (slow)...
Narrator: The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came near him, Scrooge
bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter
gloom and mystery.

Scrooge “I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come?

The Spirit answered not, but pointed onward with its hand.

Scrooge You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will
happen in the time before us. Is that so, Spirit?

The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an instant in its folds, as if the Spirit had
inclined its head. That was the only answer he received.

Scrooge Ghost of the Future!” he exclaimed, “I fear you more than any spectre I have
seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man
from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you
not speak to me? Lead on! The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead
on, Spirit!

Money (continues)...
Narrator: They scarcely seemed to enter the city; for the city rather seemed to spring up about
them, and encompass them of its own act. But there they were, in the heart of it; on ’Change,
amongst the merchants; who hurried up and down, and chinked the money in their pockets, and
conversed in groups, and looked at their watches, and trifled thoughtfully with their great gold

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A Christmas Carol - Reduced Script for Cues

seals; and so forth.

The Spirit stopped beside one little knot of business men. Observing that the hand was pointed
to them, Scrooge advanced to listen to their talk.

First businessman No. I don't know much about it, either way. I only know he's dead.
Second businessman When did he die?
Third businessman Last night, I believe.
Second businessman What has he done with his money?
First businessman I don't know. He hasn't left it to me. That's all I know. (they laugh)
Third businessman It’s likely to be a very cheap funeral. I don’t know of anybody to go
to it. Suppose we make up a party and volunteer?
First businessman I don’t mind going if a lunch is provided. (they laugh)

(End Money)

NarratorL They left the busy scene, and went into an obscure part of the town. The ways were
foul and narrow; [...], just as a woman with a heavy bundle slunk into the shop. But she had
scarcely entered, when another woman, similarly laden, came in too.

Hammer (start with drums with mallets)

First woman He wasn't a good person in his life so he has nobody to look after him.
He's not going to miss a few things. He is a dead man
[...]
Scrooge Am I the man who lay upon the bed? No, Spirit! Oh, no, no! Spirit! Hear me! I am
not the man I was. I will not be the man I must have been but for this intercourse. Why show me
this, if I am past all hope! Good Spirit, your nature intercedes for me, and pities me. Assure me
that I yet may change these shadows you have shown me, by an altered life! I will honour
Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the
Future. The Spirits of all Three shall strive within me. I will not shut out the lessons that they
teach. Oh, tell me I may sponge away the writing on this stone! (end of Hammer)

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