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The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge

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About the Play:

The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge is a full-length comedy by Mark Brown. The Trial of the Century! One year after his miraculous transformation in Charles Dickens' classic Christmas tale, Ebenezer Scrooge appears to have reverted to his old ways. Amidst plenty of mayhem and laughter Scrooge indignantly files suit against Jacob Marley and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future. The charges: breaking and entering, kidnapping, attempted murder and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. With Scrooge representing himself (to save a pound), and London's charismatically clever barrister, Solomon Rothschild representing the ghosts, what will become of the spirit of Christmas? The classic Dickens' characters return to take the witness stand in this courtroom farce. The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge is guaranteed to keep audiences in stitches!

The Trial of Ebenezer Scrooge is a holiday sequel inspired by A Christmas Carol. A year after his miraculous transformation, Ebenezer Scrooge is back to his old ways and is suing Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future for breaking and entering, kidnapping, slander, pain and suffering, attempted murder and the intentional infliction of emotional distress. The ghosts employ Solomon Rothschild, England's most charismatic, savvy, and clever barrister. Scrooge, that old penny pincher, represents himself. One by one, Bob Cratchit, Scrooge's nephew Fred, solicitor and philanthropist Sara Anne Wainwright, and the ghosts themselves take the witness stand to give their account of the night in question. But the Spirit of Christmas Future breaks down under heavy questioning and confesses that Jacob Marley forced the spirits to break one of the rules of redemption: Do not use a dead body to scare someone into redemption, for the consequences could prove fatal. Judge Stanchfield Pearson gives his verdict: Jacob Marley and the Spirits of Christmas, guilty! Pearson fines the spirits 40,000 pounds apiece and terminates their redemptive duties. Rothschild desperately pleads with the judge not to terminate the spirits of Christmas. It's a death sentence. But in another staggering turn of events, Scrooge makes the spirits an offer: work every day, not just one day a year, and he'll drop the charges. The spirits agree and, to everyone's amazement, Scrooge does drop the charges. But he's keeping the money the ghosts owe him to start a fund to help the poor. Everyone stares at Scrooge. And then … a twinkle in Scrooge's eye, a smile and giddy, joyously delirious laughter. Scrooge confesses that Jacob Marley and the Spirits of Christmas had to go to extraordinary measures to change him, so he had to go to extraordinary measures to change the Spirits of Christmas. The spirit of caring and giving should be every day, not just once a year. Scrooge then leads the stunned crowd to his house for a wondrous party.

86 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2007

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About the author

Mark Brown

288 books11 followers
Librarian Note: There are more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for Arlen.
252 reviews
March 4, 2014
If you love A Christmas Carol, or Dickens, or just Christmas, this play is for you. Or you might learn to love one and/or all of them! Mr. Brown lovingly puts some of A Christmas Carol into the mouths of other characters in a brilliant way. By suing Marley and the Ghosts, Scrooge may just set a new, unbeatable record from Scrooginess.
Profile Image for Carole.
180 reviews9 followers
August 31, 2019
Fun follow up to the original, with the original characters reprised and mixing with new.
Profile Image for Andrew.
176 reviews39 followers
November 19, 2013
Surprisingly good. Witty dialogue and good story. The ending seems a little forced however, and there are a couple of loopholes and flaws. Still a lot of fun.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews