Characters (please note, some genders of the characters may be changed based upon Director discretion):
Jack: Jack is a young boy. He is bookish, careful and thoughtful, but he is NOT a nerd! Jack has tremendous curiosity about the world around him and loves to take notes about his observations. Jack tends to be very cautious in new situations, and his adventures in the Magic Tree House help him develop his confidence. He has a good (and protective) relationship with his younger sister, Annie, though her more impetuous nature often gets on his nerves. This is a big role and requires a strong singer and actor.
Annie: Annie is Jack’s younger sister and, in many ways, his opposite in terms of personality. She is a risk taker who often follows her heart instead of her head. She sometimes teases Jack about his careful attitude toward life and often encourages him to be more adventurous. She loves animals of any kind and has a very loving heart. Like Jack, this role requires strong singing and acting.
Mr. Dickens: Mr. Dickens is a man in his prime and has a flair for the dramatic, both in writing and speech. His public persona is that of a charismatic celebrity, but privately he is deeply depressed by the suffering he sees all around him in Victorian England, particularly the suffering of children.
Merlin: Merlin is a wise old magician who joyfully introduces the play to the audience and sends jack and Annie on their mission to help Mr. Dickens. Looking for a lively actor with a commanding speaking voice.
Morgan Le Fay: Morgan Le Fay is an ageless librarian enchantress. Merlin and Morgan are dear old friends and are playful with one another.
Carolers: The Carolers are Dickensian-type carolers. Part of the ensemble and will be double cast with other ensemble roles
Carriage Driver: Carriage driver is a cheerful, friendly character who is especially impressed by his well-to-do patrons. Looking for an actor who is outgoing, has a strong voice and can move well, as driving a pretend horse-drawn carriage will require some miming and choreographed blocking.
People At Inn, Theater Folk, High Society Folk: People at Inn are non-speaking roles with only a small bit of singing. These are good roles for beginning actors who can sing.
Emma and Olive: Emma and Olive are orphans who must resort to petty thievery to survive on the streets of London. Olive targets Jack and Annie when she notices their expensive-looking bag, and Emma follows her lead in a plot to steal it.
Harry and Colin: Harry and Colin are young chimney sweeps who agree to trade places with Jack and Annie for a day. These comedic characters sing a duet.
Mrs. Tibbs: Mrs. Tibbs is the peculiar and proud housekeeper of the Dickens estate. Looking for a strong actor who understands comedy.
Dickens Characters: Pickwick, Oliver Twist, Nickleby and other Dickens Characters are the faces in the mirror Dickens sees when he is in his office trying to write. These characters have little dialogue.
Victorian London Ensemble: Including Newsies, Newsie #1, Baker, Butcher, Bootblacks, Dressmaker, Street Person, Cabbie, Hawkers and Hawker #1 are all small acting parts, but these roles are essential for creating the feel of Victorian London. Looking for actors who can pull off a cockney accent and who can also handle the kind of choreographed blocking required in Stop Thief!
Policeman: The Policeman arrests Jack and Annie believing they have stolen their own bag. He is chastised by Charles Dickens, and when he realizes his mistake, quickly and humbly apologizes.
Mr. Pinch: Mr. Pinch is the mean and miserly owner of the Purple Peacock Inn who refuses to give food scraps to a hungry Tiny Tim and his mother. He is the prototype for Dickens’s Scrooge. While the song Bah! Humbug! is meant to be comical, the actor playing Pinch doesn’t need to be comedic; instead, he should be confident enough to play a shameless misanthrope without needing to wink at the audience. Look for someone who is both a strong actor and singer, but if there is a tough call, lean toward the stronger actor as much of his solo can be sung/spoken.
Mrs. Pinch: Mrs. Pinch is nothing like her ill-tempered husband; she is warm, hardworking and high-spirited.
Francois The Chef: Francois The Chef is the chef at Pinch’s Purple Peacock Inn. He is proud and passionate and highly sensitive to criticism.
Restaurant Ensemble: Waitstaff, Waitstaff #1 and #2, Restaurant Workers, Restaurant Patrons, Patrons #1, #2, #3 and #4, Waitress, Dishwasher, Women Fans and Men Fans are the employees and patrons of Mr. Pinch’s Purple Peacock Inn. These roles have little or no spoken dialogue, but Right This Way has solo lines as well as choral work and some fairly intricate movement/choreography built into the song, so looking for strong singers who can also move/dance.
Tiny Tim: Tiny Tim is a poor and sickly child who will not survive without the charity of others. Though his body is weak, his spirit is robust, and though his family is impoverished, he is rich in love and is remarkably cheerful and good-natured.
Roberta: Roberta is Tiny Tim’s humble, yet proud mother.
Orphans: Orphan #1 and the Orphans are street urchins who haunt Mr. Dickens after his disheartening encounter with Mr. Pinch. These are non-speaking roles, however, these roles do require kids who are able to mime factory workers during a lengthy speech by Mr. Dickens and who must stay focused and in character onstage even when they are not singing.
Ghosts: The White Ghost, Green Ghost and Black Ghost are conjured by Jack and Annie’s magic violin in order to convince Mr. Dickens to keep writing by showing him meaningful scenes from his past, present and future.
Mrs. Dickens: Mrs. Dickens is the mother of Charles Dickens. This is a small acting role.
Young Dickens: Young Dickens is Charles as a small boy who is conjured by the White Ghost to remind Mr. Dickens of his love of reading, his passion for stories and the importance of The Arabian Nights in igniting his imagination as a boy.
Classroom Ensemble: Miss Twigby, Sara and the class, including Girl #1, #2, #3 and #4 are characters conjured by the Green Ghost to show Mr. Dickens how teachers in Victorian classrooms are using his stories to impart important lessons to their young students. These roles require memorizing and delivering in quick succession actual lines written by Charles Dickens
Queen Victoria And Lady In Waiting: Queen Victoria and her Lady In Waiting are characters conjured by the Green Ghost to show Mr. Dickens that even the Queen is being moved to make social reforms based on his stories.
Bookstore Ensemble: The Bookseller, Henrietta and Barber are more characters conjured by the Green Ghost to show how much the common people of London are enlivened and changed by the stories of Charles Dickens.
Mourners: The Mourners, including Mourner #1, sing a reprise of Who Will Hear My Song? gathered around the gravestone of Charles Dickens and create a mournful tableau during Mary’s monologue.
Mary Dickens: Mary Dickens is the grown daughter of Charles Dickens. She has a fairly large monologue at her father’s gravesite, so looking for a strong, confident actor with good memorization skills.