Before working on this lesson with learners, use the Christmas Show Word and Picture

Cards Download to activate the key vocabulary (the words in bold) in the text.

Putting on a Christmas Show

by Bill Bowler

In England, there’s a tradition of shows at Christmas time. These days, school children
often act the story of the First Christmas in Bethlehem with Mary, Joseph, and baby
Jesus in a stable and the Christmas star in the sky over it. In these Christmas plays,
children act the parts of Mary and Joseph, the angels, the shepherds, and the Three
Kings. There are often Christmas songs, or ‘Christmas carols’, in these shows and
parents are happy to watch them.
Sometimes at Christmas, English families go to see a ‘pantomime’ performed
by professional actors on the stage. This kind of show is usually based on a fairy tale
like Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, or Jack and the Beanstalk. Very often, the old
woman in the show is acted by a man as a comedy part. (This is the ‘pantomime
dame’.) The ugly sisters in Cinderella are often played by men. Sometimes the hero in
the show is acted by a young woman. (This is the ‘principal boy’.) Prince Charming in
Cinderella is sometimes played by a woman. Sometimes there is an animal part in the
show, like a cat or a hen. This is a non-speaking role acted by a human actor. There
may also be a horse or a cow in the show. This is usually acted by two actors. One
actor plays the front legs and the other the back legs of the animal. This is the
‘pantomime horse’ or ‘pantomime cow’.
Often pantomime actors are famous TV stars. They re-use the phrases they
often say in their TV shows (their ‘catchphrases’) in the pantomime. As well as actors,
and jokes, a good pantomime has dancers, dance numbers, and songs. When an
audience watches a pantomime, they are actively involved. They join in the songs, hiss
when the villain (the bad character) arrives or shout out the hero’s catchphrase when
the hero enters. It’s great fun!
As a Christmas treat, this December article of the Read Your Way to Better
English newsletter has a Christmas Carol Playscript Download. This dramatizes Chapter
1 of the Dominoes Starter level version of the famous Christmas story by Charles
Dickens. You can use it in different ways:

1) Make enough copies of the download so students can read it aloud in groups.
You will need four actors in each group (The Storyteller, Scrooge, Bob Cratchit
and Fred).
2) Once groups have read the playscript aloud, ask for a volunteer group to act it
in front of the class. Get the actors to bow and the audience to clap once the
scene is finished.
3) If you have audio or video equipment, record the scene, so students can listen
to and/or watch themselves after they finish acting. If you make a ‘radio play’
or a ‘movie’, you can edit it, add music, sound effects and titles, and upload it
as a ‘podcast’ to the internet.
4) If students enjoy acting the Chapter 1 scene from A Christmas Carol, ask them
to write the rest of the play.
Divide students into five equal groups. Assign a remaining chapter (2, 3, 4, 5 or
6) to each group. Ask each group to dramatize the chapter you gave them.

Nominate a student in each group to be the secretary as students discuss. Set

time limits for discussion and writing. When they finish, ask them to pass their
playscript clockwise to the next group. They should read the playscript they
receive and edit it, checking for errors and suggesting ways to make it better.

Once the editing finishes, collect the playscripts. Put them in chapter order to
make a six-scene play of A Christmas Carol. You could put it on as a show next
Christmas for parents!

If your students enjoy doing plays at Christmas time, plan a series of lessons on
writing/performing a pantomime based on Aladdin (Classic Tales, or Oxford
Bookworms Library), Snow White (Family Friends readers, or Classic Tales), Jack
and the Beanstalk or Cinderella (both Classic Tales).
 1

SCENE FROM A CHRISTMAS CAROL

Based on the story by Charles Dickens
Retold by Bill Bowler

CAST:
STORYTELLER
EBENEZER SCROOGE
BOB CRATCHIT, Scrooge’s clerk
FRED, Scrooge’s nephew

PROPS:
papers
pen
scarf
two desks and two chairs

SCENE 1: SCROOGE AND MARLEY’S OFFICES IN LONDON

STORYTELLER: It’s three o’clock in the afternoon on 24th December.

SCROOGE is reading papers at his desk. BOB is writing at his desk.

BOB: Brr! It’s cold in my office. I know. I can speak to Mr Scrooge about my fire.

BOB goes to SCROOGE’s office door.

SCROOGE: What is it, Cratchit?

BOB: It’s cold in my office. Can I have a bigger fire, Mr Scrooge?

SCROOGE: A bigger fire?

BOB: Yes, Mr Scrooge. Your fire isn’t big. But I have a very little fire in my office!

SCROOGE: Do you want to stay in your job, Cratchit?

BOB: Yes, Mr Scrooge.

SCROOGE: Then no big fire for you! OK?

BOB: OK, Mr Scrooge.

SCROOGE: And leave my door open, Cratchit! I want to watch you at work.

BOB: Yes, Mr Scrooge.

BOB goes back to his desk.

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BOB: Maybe I can wear my old scarf at my desk.

BOB puts on his scarf and begins writing again.

BOB: Hmm. It doesn’t help much.

FRED comes through the front door. He is cold from the street. He walks across to
Scrooge’s office.

FRED: (to SCROOGE) Happy Christmas, Uncle!

SCROOGE: (to FRED) Bah! Humbug!

FRED: Christmas a humbug, Uncle? You don’t truly think that!

SCROOGE: I do. Why are you happy at Christmas, Nephew? You don’t have much
money. And Christmas things are always expensive!

FRED: (laughing) So why are you angry, Uncle? You have lots of money!

SCROOGE: Bah! Humbug!

FRED: Smile, Uncle. It’s Christmas time!

SCROOGE: Smile? Why? I don’t like Christmas. Every Christmas I’m a year older. It’s an
expensive time, a time when I have no money. When people say, “Happy Christmas”, I
say “Humbug!”’

FRED: Uncle, please! Christmas is a nice time. It’s a time for friends and family, a time
when we give.

BOB is listening. He claps excitedly.

SCROOGE: (To BOB angrily) Any more of that, and you’re going to lose your job for
Christmas!

BOB says nothing. He goes back to his work.

FRED: (To SCROOGE) Uncle, come and eat with us tomorrow!

SCROOGE: (To FRED) No! Get out of here!

FRED: Oh, come and eat with us.

SCROOGE: No, I don’t like your wife! Why are you with her?

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FRED: Because I love her!

SCROOGE: Because you love her! That’s worse than “Happy Christmas!” Good
afternoon.

FRED: But you never visit my house, Uncle. Not now, and not before! So why are you
speaking about my wife now?’

SCROOGE: Good afternoon.

FRED: I want nothing from you, Uncle. Let’s be friends!

SCROOGE: Good afternoon.

FRED: Oh Uncle, why can’t you say “yes” and eat with us on Christmas Day? I’m sorry,
and I don’t understand. But now I must go. Happy Christmas and a Very Happy New
Year to you!

SCROOGE: Good afternoon.

BOB takes FRED to the front door.

BOB: (To FRED quietly) Happy Christmas, Fred.

FRED: (To BOB quietly) Happy Christmas, Bob.

FRED leaves.

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 Stable, shepherds, and ox and ass images adapted from royalty free originals by Connie Larsen and Jemastock, licensed from Dreamstime.com; other copyright free, attribution exempt images courtesy of Pixabay.com

shepherds and lambs

the Three Kings
and baby Jesus

Christmas star
Joseph, Mary,

angels

stable
 Performance related images adapted from royalty free originals by Evgeni Naumov, licensed from Dreamstime; copyright free, attribution exempt image of stage courtesy of Pixabay.com
pantomime dame
pantomime horse

principal boy

animal part

dancers

stage