Post on 08-Apr-2018
8/7/2019 1.4 Marley's Ghost
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PROPS
A CLOTH Door
A door knocker
with velcro
Marleys face isthe actors face
BIG FAN blowing
Marley
ALTERNATIVE:
PROJECTION
Face on a door OR head
on stick
PROPS
Candle
Candle holder
2 Picture frames
PROPS
Put the half stage on
front USL
2. Do this twice
(a) Scrooge looks back
slowly
(b) Then tries it quickly
to catch them out
The ghosts stand in
front of the half stage
IN FRONT OF CURTAINS: curtains partly split
Scrooge [Goes to the door knocker. Suddenly
stops; gasps sharply; takes faltering
steps back. [+] Looks again. Shakeshead]
Marley [+ In a spooky hissing voice:Scrooge]
Scrooge [Enters through the curtains]
CURTAINS OPEN
1. CSL: Scrooge walks passed a painting and as
he passes, it rotates
He looks back at it, puzzled and sets it the
right way up.
2. USC: Two portraits (Mr and Mrs Marley). AsScrooge passes by, they turn and look
towards him. He stops suddenly, and swiftly
looks back, but they are facing to the front
again. Scrooge shakes head.
3. Scrooge goes to the USR and looks inside.
Looks thoughtful, puzzled.
Scrooge [Stands, clasping hands] Humbug. I
wont 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
forward
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.
3
X6
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Marley You dont 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
bean undigested bit of beef, a-a
crumb of mouldy cheeseaa
fragment of underdone potato. Theres
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]
Scrooge [He falls down at Marleys feet] Mercy!
Dreadful apparition, why do you trouble
me?
Marley [Fiercely] Do you believe in me or not?
Scrooge I do, if I must. But why do the spirits
walk the earth, and why do they come
to me?
Marley The spiritof every manshould travel far
and wide to befriend his fellow man; if a
s irit does not o forth then it will be
SOUND
Marley wailing
ALTERNATIVE
ADDITION
To the wail:
Scrooge says
Beef, I tell you. Just
beef!
Marleys lower jaw
then drops and
Scrooge drops to his
feet
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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 Marleys chains] You are fettered.
Tell me why?
Marley I wear the chain I forged in life. I made
it link by link,andyardbyyard. 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
morebut 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!? Mankindwas 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 dont 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] Couldnt I take them all at
once, and get it over with?
Marley [Ignoring his comment] Expect the
second soon after. But the third will be
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 Dont 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.]
DANCE
Ghostly