A Climate Carol is a modern take of the Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol updated with today’s concern about climate change. The new play retains all of the characters that we have come to know and love - Scrooge, Marley, Cratchit, sister Fan, nephew Fred, and of course, little Tiny Tim. In this retelling, Scrooge is the Mayor of a small town with an impending major storm set to wipe out the Lower Town residences built on a floodplain. “Bah! Humbug! Hurricanes never come at Christmas,” Scrooge barks. It takes the three spirits of Christmas past, present and future to show Scrooge the mistakes that he has made throughout his life in moving away from his love of Nature, and not preparing for the vulnerabilities that come from climate change. Written by Prince Edward Island playwright Robert MacLean and world renowned climatologist Dr. Adam Fenech, A Climate Carol is a heartfelt play with all of the magic of the original, and a new message of hope for building resilience in the era of climate change.
Scrooge, deputy mayor of town, has been thrust into the role of Mayor following the death of Jacob Marley. Marley and Scrooge have always watched the bottom line when it comes to spending taxpayer dollars, but have allowed the town to become vulnerable to climate change by supporting business proposals for economic development rather than embracing Nature’s protective ways. Case in point is Lower Town, a low income housing development built on a floodplain where a natural park could provide the necessary safety from the flooding of swelling rivers. As a hurricane approaches at Christmas time, Scrooge ignores warnings about the storm and makes no preparations for the impending catastrophe. Visited by three spirits in the night, Scrooge revisits his childhood where he developed his love for nature, visits his present where the Cratchits are building a levy to protect against the storm, and visits his future where a post-apocalyptic society of despair awaits. Given a final chance to mend his ways, Scrooge calls in for supports to protect Lower Town, caters a Christmas feast at the refuge set up by his nephew Fred, and approves actions as Mayor to combat climate change moving forward.
Keywords: Climate Christmas Scrooge Family
Genre: Comedy, Adaptation
Acts: 1
Run time: 90 minutes
Suitable for students 14+
Cast size: 6 actors
Male roles: 4
Female roles: 2
Other roles: 6
Casting note: The play calls for 6 adults and 6 children. There are 30 speaking roles and 2 non-speaking roles. Scrooge is the only part which is not doubled. Details of doubling are described in the script. The 2 non-speaking roles are for children and are needed for the lifting trick in scene 14.