SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE VALLEY OF FEAR (Play-script for class 7)

ACT NO 1

ACT 1 - SCENE 1

Setting: railway compartment, Vermissa valley 1875.

McMurdo has arrived to Vermissa valley. He is travelling in a train compartment. He seats down, takes out a paper have a look at it, takes out a revolver check if it is loaded and puts it back. Scanlan and Cormac see this. They ask him if he is armed and his whereabouts. McMurdo explains that he is from Chicago and one of the ancient orders of freemen. Scanlan says the sign, “dark nights are unpleasant”, and McMurdo shakes his hand and completes the countersign “for strangers to travel”. They introduce themselves to each other. Scanlan and Cormac ask him to visit McGinty who is the body master and everything happens in Vermissa valley based upon his order. Scanlan and Cormac get off at their destined stop. Police officers approach McMurdo; he doesn’t talk to them positively. Police officers warn him to be careful while choosing friends in Vermissa valley.

ACT 1 - SCENE 2

Setting: Shafter’s lodging 1875.

Baldwin who is a scorer trying to convince Ettie to go out. Ettie is giving excuses but promises to meet on Friday as she is threatened because Baldwin is a scowrer. Shafter arrives and witnesses Baldwin. Shafter does like Baldwin presence around his daughter and in his lodge. McMurdo arrives and he is supposed to stay at Shafter’s. He finds Ettie adorable.

ACT 1 - SCENE 3

Setting: Baker Street 1895.

Holmes is an investigator. He is reading a ciphered message stating 534...C2…13. He is suspecting Professor Moriarty and stating that he is controlling power of underworld. He is the schemer of all the time and a mind behind devilry. Watson calls him as Napoleon of Crime. He is such a clever mind that he never leaves any proof against him. He is the controlling man of a chain of people including fighting men, pickpockets, blackmailers and criminals. They tend to decode the ciphered message. Fred Porlock is Professor Moriarty and Watson is dreading as he suspects him and asks Holmes to burn the message.They tend to guess the book. Their first guess is “Bible” but the idea gets rejected as bible’s each edition has different pages. Second guess is Bradshaw which is a railway timetable. This idea also gets rejected as the vocabulary is limited so a general message cannot be sent via it. Finally Almanac is chosen. They are able to decipher the message “there is danger may come to Douglas at birlstone house birlstone pressing”. At the same time, MacDonald approaches and tells them that Mr. Douglas has been murdered.

ACT 1 - SCENE 4

Setting: union house salon 1875 the bar.

McGinty and his fellow scowrers are reading news written by James Stranger. This news unfolds the truth about the existence of criminal organization. McGinty wants to teach a hard lesson to James for unveiling the truth of scowrers existence. Meanwhile Scanlan approaches and informs McGinty about his meeting with McMurdo.

ACT 1 - SCENE 5

Setting: Birlstone Manor 1895 the study.

A body is lying on the floor with its head behind the chair. A sawn off gun lying as well. On the table, hand lamp is placed with a partially burnt candle. A single dumb bell is lying beneath the table. Hammer is lying; window and curtain are partially opened. Doctor Wood and Sergeant Wilson are inspecting the body and collecting the findings. They are waiting for McMurdo and Holmes to arrive. Barker is Mr. Douglas close friend and he informs the police first. When Mason comes in he sees that gun is wired. They also get to see tattoo on his arm with a triangle inside a circle. Barker arrives and offices interrogate him. Barker explains that the murder has been committed around half past eleven last night. According to him, He was in the bedroom when he heard the gun shot. He reaches within 30 seconds and finds Mr. Douglas lying. Mrs. Douglas also comes down but he prevents her from seeing the sight.

ACT 1 - SCENE 6

Setting: A railway Compartment 1895.

Holmes, Watson and McDonald are sitting down and are discussing the clues. Holmes and McDonald are talking about the moat, while Watson is trying to find out how the murderer escaped. Holmes tells about Porlock's message, and they start suspecting professor Moriarty. McDonald also suspects Barker as Mason tells them that Mr. Douglas disliked Mrs. Douglas' and Barker's friendship. Holmes has a feeling that there is a chain between Mrs. Douglas and Professor Moriarty and he wants to follow that chain.

ACT 1 - SCENE 7

Setting: Shafter's Lodging. 1875. The kitchen.

McMurdo is being asked to leave Shafter's Lodging. By Mr. Shafter because he gets to know that McMurdo is one of the ancient orders of freemen. He tells him that he is innocent but he doesn’t believe him. Ettie comes and tells that he is too late, Baldwin comes and they both get introduced to each other. McMurdo and Baldwin start to fight on to get Ettie. They both challenge each-other.

ACT 1 - SCENE 8

Setting: Birlstone Manor 1895. The study.

Sergeant Wilson, Mason, Barker and Ames are investigating, they find more clues like boot marks, a card written V.V...341 and a hammer. Ames also tells that the drawbridge was raised at 6’O Clock last night and she wound it herself. So, the murderer came inside from the moat at 6’O clock and killed Mr. Douglas at 11:00 night when he was watching whether the windows are closed or not.

ACT 1 - SCENE 9

Setting: Union house saloon. The bar. 1875.

McMurdo meets McGinty as he was advised. He tells his past to the councilor that he killed Jonas Pinto because he was shoving counterfeit money into circulation for him and he was scared that he would split on him. Baldwin enters and fights again because of Ettie. The councilor decides that Ettie is free to choose for herself. Marvin comes to inspect them and warn them and asks him to help in uphold of law and order but he says that he has his own police. All exit.

ACT 1 - SCENE 10

Setting: Birlstone Manor 1895. The study.

Holmes investigates the arm of, that had the mark, and it had made pain. Murder wasn’t so unexpected, no stains on hammer, then they take the body. The gun company was Pennsylvania Small Arms Company. The killer was of an American owner. They suspect Mrs. Douglas as she had lived in America, as the committee of the murder.

ACT 1 - SCENE 11

Setting: Union house saloon. 1875. The bar.

All the scowrers are discussing about murders. McMurdo is being tested as a scowrer and he was been welcomed in the lodge by the Councilor McGinty. Then all of them discuss about a job that was to be done, to kill Andrew Rae. They also make plan to kill Josiah Dunn and also to kill Journalist James Stanger. Morris offends but gets scolded by McGinty and then is ordered to obey him and he apologizes, then for the job the Willaby brothers, Scanlan, Baldwin, and McMurdo are selected to go and beat James Stanger, and kill Andrew and Josiah Dunn.

ACT 1 - SCENE 12

Setting: Outside the offices of Vermissa Herald. 1875.

McMurdo, Scanlan, Art and Frank Willaby, and Baldwin come in. Baldwin starts to beat James Stanger until his face got bloodied. McMurdo tells Baldwin to stop beating him or else he would die, but he don’t stops. After some while everyone exits, including James Stanger.

ACT 1 - Scene 13

Setting: A Street. 1875.

Ettie and McMurdo haves a little conversation and then Ettie leaves. Then, Morris Approaches McMurdo and he want to tell something to him, he asked him not to reveal it to anyone. He told his emotional story to McMurdo and tells that he doesn’t wants to be the part of the lodge.

ACT 1 - SCENE 14

Setting: Birlstone Manor. 1895. The study.

Ames, Barker, Mrs. Allen, and Mrs. Douglas tell about everything that happened before Douglas’s murder. So there was a lot of information gathered with Holmes and Inspector McDonald like; Barker was a good friend of Douglas, McGinty had some kind of fear with the valley of fear and McGinty, and Mrs. Allen heard the door slamming at around half an hour before the murder took place. She could not hear the gunshot because she had some problem in hearing. Ames told that before the murder, Mr. Douglas went to shopping to tunbridge wells. Barker also added that he didn’t know Mrs. Douglas before their marriage. Douglas was jealous of his and Mrs. Douglas’ friendship.

ACT NO 2

ACT 2 - SCENE 1

Setting: Widow Namara’s parlor. 1875.

McGinty and McMurdo are having a serious conversation, McGinty asks McMurdo that what was brother Morris speaking to you about? McMurdo said that he asked him for a clerkship in his store. McGinty said that Morris is a disloyal brother. Then, they make a plan to kill Chester Wilcox, as they finish off their conversation Inspector Marvin comes and arrests them.

ACT 2 - SCENE 2

Setting: The courtroom. 1895.

The magistrate denied the proof of the moustaches as it was of low-level. He was convinced that the accused are innocent and he discharged them and also apologized if this caused them any inconvenience. Mrs. Larbey gets agitated that the scowrers were let off. Magistrate asks one of his officers to escort him from the curt.

ACT 2 - SCENE 3

Setting: Birlstone Manor. 1895. The Garden.

Dr. Watson witnesses Mrs. Douglas and Cecil Barker sitting under a tree on a bench, laughing and giggling like nothing worse has happened to them.

ACT 2 - SCENE 4

Setting: Birlstone Manor. 1895.

The Study.Holmes and Watson are discussing about some clues. They also find/ discover some new clues, like: Barker’s slipper stained with blood; he also stated that barker marked the window himself and all he stated was a lie. The ring was taken after the murder was committed. Holmes and Watson discuss the possibility of Mrs. Douglas and barker being the murderer. The bicycle belongs to an American + Holmes said that the murder was committed half an hour before they were informed. Mrs. Douglas and Barker arrived at Birlstone house before the murderer escaped and helped him to go out.

ACT 2 - SCENE 5

Setting: Widow Namara’s. The parlor. 1875.

McMurdo is writing a secret letter, Ettie comes and asks whom is he writing that letter to. But he doesn’t replies, and then Ettie asks him to leave the valley of fear. She also told that Chester Wilcox’s house was burnt into ash but he fled away before he would also be burnt. Andrew and Lawler were given a job to be done, that visit Widow Namara’s parlor.

ACT 2 - SCENE 6

Setting: Crow Hill mine. 1875.

Lawler and Andrew approaches Josiah Dunn and kills him. Soon Menzies also gets killed. McMurdo and Scanlan clearly witness the whole scene.

ACT 2 - SCENE 7

Setting: The Westville arms. 1895. The dining room.

All are having breakfast, McDonald and Watson joins. Holmes says that this case is wastage of time. And he also says to abandon it. McDonald asks that what he found last night in birlstone house. He tells that he found the history of birlstone manor. He tells that there is a secret cellar for concealment. King Charles 2 concealed there. Then he asks Watson to write a letter to barker asking him to drain the moat. Watson thinks that it’s impossible but it’s Holmes’ plan…!!

ACT 2 - SCENE 8

Setting: Union house saloon. 1875. The bar. 

Morris tells McMurdo about a Pinkerton’s man working in Vermissa Valley, Birdy Edwards. He tells that he doesn’t want him to be killed by the scowrers, but McMurdo says they will but asks him not to worry. Morris also shows him the telegram he got from his friend who is working in the telegram office, who deciphered this message. McMurdo tells this to McGinty and they make a plan to teach him a hard lesson.

ACT 2 - SCENE 9

Birlstone Manor. 1895. The study.

Holmes showed Barker, Mason, Watson and Mrs. Douglas the boots, American styled clothes, knife, pants and an overcoat he found from the moat. They get an idea who the murderer could be.

ACT 2 - SCENE 10

Setting: Widow Namara’s. 1875. The bar.

McMurdo, McGinty and other scowrers are ready to attack on Birdy Edwards, but, then, McMurdo reveals that he is Birdy Edwards. He asks captain Marvin comes and McMurdo asks him to keep them in jail. Everyone exits but Baldwin and McGinty warns him that the game isn’t over yet.

ACT 2 - SCENE 11

Setting: birlstone manor. 1895. The study.

Mr. Douglas is alive; Holmes knew about it, he told that Baldwin was murdered by Mr. Douglas. Douglas tells that he was writing notes and a recount about the last 20 years. He tells that, he knew that Ted Baldwin would kill him, so he killed him instead for his self-defense. And as, he had killed a bad man, he wasn’t arrested; instead, he was advised to leave the valley of fear.

Epilogue

Setting: 221b Baker Street. 1895. Sitting room.

Holmes and Watson are discussing about the notes Mr. John Douglas had made. Watson states that the mystery is over. But Holmes says that the mystery is not over yet, referring to a note of john Douglas saying, “Dear me! Mr. Holmes, Dear me!” Barker come and tells that Douglas lost his life. Holmes states it’s a murder not a co-incidence. The murderer is not from America but from London. There’s big hand behind his murder. They suspect professor Moriarty. Watson asks if Moriarty is never to be taken down. Sherlock Holmes asks for some time.