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Gothic Ghost Stories by Lindsay Price play script cover

Gothic Ghost Stories

by Lindsay Price

Murdered twins. A lost heart. Evil in the painting. A girl and her mother frozen to death. These are a few of the Gothic ghosts whose stories are dying to be told in this creepy character-filled adaptation. Walk through the open window and join them by the dying fire light won’t you?

This modern adaptation of Victorian ghost stories is fabulous for a class project or late October production. Large cast staging options offered, and ghoulish make-up opportunities abound!

Drama Classical Adaptation Mystery

Recommended for High Schools and Middle Schools

At a Glance

Running Time
About 75 minutes
Approximate; excludes intermissions and scene changes
Cast
49 Characters
17 M25 F7 Any Gender
Set
Simple set
Length
66 pages
Free Excerpt
Classroom Study Guide
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Performance Royalty Fees

Royalty fees apply to all performances whether or not admission is charged. Any performance in front of an audience (e.g. an invited dress rehearsal) is considered a performance for royalty purposes.

Exemption details for scenes and monologues for competition.

49 Characters

17 M, 25 F, 7 Any Gender

Characters in this play are currently identified as male or female. Directors are welcome to assign any gender (binary or non-binary) to any character and modify pronouns accordingly.

Blanche [F] 70 lines
Lives in Perveril House. Bernice's Daughter.
Bernice [F] 42 lines
Lives in Perveril House. Blanche and Freddy's Mother
Freddy [M] 28 lines
Lives in Perveril House. Bernice's Son.
Harry [M] 26 lines
Lives in Perveril House. Bernice's Son.
Madge [F] 37 lines
A Perveril. Has arrived at the Perveril House to attend the families Annual New Year's Eve Ball
Lucille [F] 24 lines
A Friend of Madge's mother. Has arrived at the Perveril House to attend the families Annual New Year's Eve Ball. Very excited at all the spritual activity in the house. A little too excited.
Aunt Barbara [F]
Perveril Ancestor. Seems to have a secret.
The Twins [A]
Dick Peveril's Brother's children. Murdered by their Uncle.
Lady Rosalind [F] 6 lines
A love interest of Dick Peveril's, only interested in status.
Dick Peveril [M] 7 lines
A haughty and evil man.
Mrs. Canning [F] 8 lines
A proud haughty beauty.
Betty [F] 1 line
A Perveril ancestor.
John [M] 2 lines
A servant who meets an unfortunate fate.
Servant [A]
A servant who witnessed a horrific act.
Colonel Blantyre [M] 2 lines
Accepts a dare that ends in his demise.
Stephen Elliott [M] 37 lines
Mrs. Abney's 13-year-old cousin. An orphan.
Mrs. Abney [F] 27 lines
Lives at Aswarby. An eccentric recluse who loves to read and write.
Mrs. Parkes [F] 66 lines
Runs the household Aswarby with Ms. Bunch.
Ms. Bunch [F] 56 lines
Runs the household Aswarby with Mrs. Parkes.
Boy Ghost [M] 5 lines
Out for vengence.
Girl Ghost [F] 21 lines
Out for vengence.
Percy [M] 39 lines
Trying to understand a reacurring nightmare. But, is it just a nightmare?
John [M] 20 lines
Percy's Friend.
Mrs. Clinton [F] 4 lines
John's Mother.
Jack Stone [M] 8 lines
A menacing figure in Percy's dream.
Jane Stone [F]
Jack's Sister. Stern and Silent.
Julia Stone [F] 5 lines
Jack and Jane's Mother. Stern and Silent. Evil.
Servant [A] 3 lines
A Servant.
Vera [F] 16 lines
15-year-old staying with her Aunt. Somewhat of a prankster and quite the storyteller.
Framton Nuttel [M] 17 lines
Nervous Type.
Mrs. Sappleton [F] 9 lines
Vera's Aunt.
Husband [M] 1 line
Mrs. Sappleton's Husband.
Brother [M] 3 lines
Mrs. Sappleton's Brother.
Man [M]
Awakens to a ghasty fate.
Three figures who represent the Ghost [A]
Ghosts who represent the "Choking Ghost"
Geoffrey [M] 6 lines
Character in Madge's Book.
Fanny [F] 3 lines
Character in Madge's Book.
May [F] 2 lines
Character in Madge's Book.
Byles [M] 2 lines
Character in Madge's Book.
Hester [F] 67 lines
Character in Madge's Book. A nursemaid.
Rosamond [F] 37 lines
Character in Madge's Book. Lost her parents at ten years old.
Dorothy [F] 44 lines
Character in Madge's Book. Staff at Furnival Hall.
Agnes [F] 8 lines
Character in Madge's Book. Staff at Furnival Hall.
Shepherd [A] 1 line
A shepherd.
Mrs. Furnival [F] 17 lines
Character in Madge's Book. Old, Cold, and Stern.
Mrs. Stark [F] 15 lines
Character in Madge's Book. Mrs. Furnival's Maid.
Girl [F]
Ghost who comes to Rosamond.
Maude/Lady [F] 10 lines
Ghost who comes to Rosamond.
Grace [F] 7 lines
Young Mrs. Furnival.
Lord Furnival [M] 4 lines
Maude and Grace's Father. Haughty and Proud.
Musician [M] 4 lines
Lord Furnival's organ teacher. Secretly marries Maude while also courting Grace.

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