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The Characters

 

Main Characters
Dickens LOW BARITONE   Male, 45-50. The archetypal look of the older Dickens. Twinkle in the eye, caring, thoughtful, a great eye for detail. Sprightly but with much gravitas. A philanthropist. Thin and wiry. He also plays a number of roles in his story. He both narrates and performs.
Parts also played: 1st Charitable gentleman, The Schoolmaster, Fezziwig’s Fiddler, Fred’s Party Guest, Man in Black #1.
   
Ebenezer Scrooge HIGH BARITONE   Male, 60’s, hates the world, frosty, miserly. Uncaring, love of money and little else. Disdainful. Also able to play high jollity and care. He slowly reveals the inner Scrooge as he understands what he has missing in his life. A man fighting with change.
   
Bob Cratchit HIGH BARITONE   Male, 30’s, long suffering, downtrodden, a different man with his children. His family is all to him. A good hearted, caring fellow. He suffers at the hands of Scrooge and is always put-upon. Slight London accent. A man with his heart on his sleeve.
   
Mrs Cratchit HIGH MEZZO SOPRANO   Female, 30’s, a strong woman with a heart of gold. She is loving and caring to her family and like a lioness in her protection of them. She can stand her ground, as she does to Scrooge.
Suggested doubling: Mrs Dilber, Mrs Fezziwig
   
Fred HIGH BARITONE/TENOR   Male, 20’s, bright, cheery, caring. Undeterred by his Uncle Scrooge’s bad humour, he is determined to stay merry and playful to the last.
Suggested doubling: Young Scrooge
   
Belle SOPRANO   Female, 17-18, Young Scrooge’s only love. A shopgirl. Caring, thoughtful and slight. Pretty and honest. Wistful, demure, with a ‘heart of gold’.
Suggested doubling: Beth (Fred’s Wife), Mrs Filch
   
Jacob Marley TENOR   Male, 60’s, wiry, gaunt, gloomy, haunted, a messenger of doom. Leaden and weighted down by the world.
Suggested doubling: Fezziwig, Man in Black #3
   
Past TENOR   Male, 50’s, quietly spoken, compassionate, thoughtful and pensive. His purpose is solely to open the eyes of Scrooge to family and friends.
Suggested doubling: 2nd Charitable Gentleman, Man in Black #2
   
Present WIDE RANGE BARITONE   Male, 50, tall, jolly, full of life, large voice with the spirit of Christmas surging through every vein. Embodiment of goodwill. All that is bright and cheerful follows him.
Suggested doubling: Old Joe
   
Yet to Come Non-speaking. Dark, foreboding, tall and malevolent.
   
Tiny Tim BOY TREBLE   Male, 8-10, small, weak but still holding on to the joy his family brings him. Pensive and sometimes playful.
 

Secondary Characters
Fezziwig TENOR   Male, 50’s, generous, fun-loving, rotund and jolly. Caring. The epitome of a good man. Playful.
   
Mrs Fezziwig HIGH MEZZO SOPRANO   Female, Late 40’s, the mirror image of her husband in female form.
   
Mrs Dilber HIGH MEZZO SOPRANO   Female, Late 40’s, large, Scrooge’s housekeeper and laundress. Bold and brassy. Very low character.
   
Mrs Filch SOPRANO   Female, Late 40’s, wiry, Scrooge’s laundress. A foil to Mrs Dilber. Sharp features and a sharper way about her.
   
Sam Billikin BARITONE   Male, 30’s, a kind hearted, good natured man. Low character. Owner of a chestnut stall and in debt to Scrooge. He tries to keep his good humour when all else fails.
   
Old Joe BARITONE   Male, 50’s, a ‘fence’ of stolen goods. Very low character. Back street underhand dealings are his game. He is the typical criminal class in a Dickens novel although he tries to be genteel.
 

The Cratchit Children
Belinda ALTO/SOPRANO   Female, 10, a young happy little girl. Loves her mother dearly.
   
Martha ALTO/SOPRANO   Female, 15-18, is employed in a milliner’s shop. Hard working and caring. She is considerate and kind.
   
Peter BOY TREBLE   Male, 12, the ‘man’ of the family when his father is not there. Playful and jolly.
   
  There are many speaking roles within the ensemble such as street vendors, well-to do passers-by, party guests, shop girls and boys, children etc. A BALANCED ENSEMBLE OF SOPRANOS/ALTOS/TENORS/BASSES