12 Christmas Scripts to Read

Is there anything more wonderful than catching up on some reading over the festive season? Sure, you could bury yourself in the latest King novel, but how about a Christmas play…

Let your creative juices loose as you plan out the show in your head, and maybe even put it on your to-produce list for Christmas next year. 

There are, of course, the OG stories we all know and love, but then there are also some exciting newcomers to the mix. Either way, here are 12 Christmas scripts to consider adding to your reading list.

12. Silent Night by Peter Manos

It is December of 1818. The small Austrian village of Oberndorf bei Salzburg has seen much hardship: war, poverty, flooding. Now in the midst of a blizzardy cold winter, an assistant priest and a poor schoolmaster strive to lift the spirits of the congregation of St. Nicholas Church with an extra special Christmas Eve program. But there are more problems. The already ailing church organ is destroyed through a misunderstanding by the schoolmaster’s autistic son, Nicholas, who then, despondent, runs away from home. In the midst of this turmoil, the schoolmaster and priest come together to produce the world’s most beloved Christmas song, “Silent Night.” More

11. The Charitable Sisterhood Christmas Spectacular By Bo Wilson

Christmas, 1977, is only three weeks away, and the ladies of the Charitable Sisterhood are preparing for Second Trinity Church’s annual Christmas Spectacular … but they’re having trouble staying focused on their preparations because there’s a criminal on the loose—someone has stolen the baby Jesus figure from his place in Second Trinity’s nativity scene. Sisterhood leader Bea Littleton is certain that the culprit is her longtime rival, Lucille Orton, from First Salvation (a place of extremely strict beliefs just up the road). They call in honorary member and private investigator Janet Murchison to delve more deeply into things. More

10. Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Goose by Michael Menendian

In this family-friendly holiday mystery, Sherlock Holmes is asked to discover the identity of a man who lost his hat and goose in a late-night scuffle. At first, Holmes treats the request as only a mild curiosity, but then the countess of Morcar’s rare and valuable blue carbuncle is found stuffed down the goose’s throat. The pursuit of the thief leads Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson from 221B Baker Street to Covent Garden Market and all over the streets of wintery London. More

9. The Christmas Bus by Robert Inman

It’s Christmas Eve, and Mrs. Frump, the director of the Peaceful Valley Orphanage, is planning what she believes will be the most special Christmas ever for her kids. She’s borrowed an old bus and arranged for each child to spend Christmas with a family in the area. The only problem is, she hasn’t told the Busybodies on the orphanage board of trustees, who believe Frump has gotten too old and soft to handle the rowdy kids at Peaceful Valley. More

8. Madeline’s Christmas by Jennifer Kirkeby

“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived 12 little girls in two straight lines.” So begins this delightful story of Madeline’s Christmas! The day begins like any other day. Miss Clavel takes the 12 little girls on their morning walk. They go to the zoo and then back to school for their French history lesson. Suddenly disaster strikes when everyone gets the flu! Everyone that is, except for the ever-resilient Madeline. More

7. Nutcracker… The Musical by Debbie Meyer

When Marie’s godfather gives her a toy nutcracker for Christmas, she puts it under the Christmas tree just as a mouse scampers by. As we watch, the Nutcracker grows to life-size as a handsome soldier, the mouse grows into a man-size Mouse King, and Marie is transported to the land of the Sugarplum Fairies, where duels are fought and romance blossoms. More

6. Rock ‘N’ Roll Santa by R. Eugene Jackson

Will Santa Claus make it to your house this year? Not unless the reindeer can make enough money to … well, it’s like this: Blitzen, the wackiest of Santa’s reindeer, found a job in a pizzeria. But Blitzen is clumsy—extra clumsy—and it didn’t take her long to wreck the place. Now she has to pay for the damage. The time is set in the late 1950s. The place is Santa’s workshop at the North Pole. Similar to all the teenage humans of the time, Santa’s eight tiny reindeer are caught up in the new music—rock ‘n’ roll. More

5. Christmas, Virtually by Flip Kobler and Cindy Marcus

This online theatrical event is designed to be rehearsed and performed on Zoom. These 12 delightful scenes range in tone from sweet and silly to heartfelt to poignant. Dealing with life during the holidays, everyone can relate to what these characters are going through. From a famous reindeer in therapy because of his nose, to a soldier sending a holiday message home, to Hanukkah struggling to find meaning in the Christmas blitz, this show can be reordered, trimmed, cut and adapted to YOUR audience. Just because we can’t be together doesn’t mean we can’t have Christmas, Virtually. More

4. The Night Before Christmas by Charles Way

Jimmy is living with his grandparents, and they are all dealing with the loss of Jimmy’s father (and their son) while Jimmy’s mother has gone to fight in the war for her husband. Nights are cold, there is little to eat, and they constantly have to run to the shelter to avoid air raid bombings. It seems a distant memory when anyone could really celebrate Christmas. More

3. Grandad’s Big Adventure by Charles Way

Christmas is not time to have an operation. But that is exactly when Tracy must have hers. Not only is she afraid to go under the anesthetic, she’s also worried she’ll miss Christmas altogether. Fortunately, she has her Grandad to keep her company. When they meet a strange lady who claims to be the wife of Father Christmas, who has refused to do Christmas this year, the adventure begins. More

2. A Dickens Carol by Ned Crowley

Before Scrooge, before Jacob Marley, Charles Dickens had his own ghosts to contend with. A Dickens Carol re-imagines the story of Scrooge from Dickens’ point of view and is based on many of Charles Dickens real-life characters and events. It’s 1842 Victorian London, and Dickens’ popularity is on the wane. His marriage and finances are in trouble, and he has become embittered towards life itself. In a way, Dickens has become a bit of a Scrooge—a character he has yet to even create! More

1. Beatrix Potter’s Christmas by Thomas W. Olson

The imagination of young Beatrix Potter comes alive when we find her home for the holidays with nothing but her brother Bertram and her imagination to make Christmas as wonderful as it should be. In this original play about the life of young Beatrix Potter, her dreams and drawings come alive in the form of Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddle-Duck and many others as they all work together to imagine the best Christmas possible! More

So there you have it. A small collection of Christmas theatre to read, produce or check out. Comment below and let us know which show you’d be keen to produce – or perform in?