Scene Breakdown

Before the play starts

George and Julia are together, but with her father’s rise in status, Julia dreams of leaving their small town for university in the city. 

When George’s grandfather dies, he feels the man lived a wasted life, unknown by the town. Inheriting his betting shop, George works tirelessly to save enough to leave with Julia.

Act One Begins

1.1 - Everybody wants to leave this town

We meet George and the townsfolk, who express through the song ‘Everybody’ their shared desire to escape the town.

George is introduced in his betting shop, navigating daily life. At the market, he slyly manipulates situations for his gain—stealing an apple from Paul to pay Peter, likening it to an accumulator bet.

1.2 - An Introduction to Betting

George, keenly aware of the town’s routines, makes double-or-nothing bets with Murray, the local degenerate, on the predictable events at the bar. He accurately predicts every moment, from The Green Grocer tripping over a cat to Mayor Claxton getting his morning envelope, showing his sharpness in reading people’s patterns. ‘Song TBC’ But when Tully enters, she disrupts his streak, allowing Murray to recoup his losses. Surprised by this anomaly, George rushes out to meet her. Before he can speak to her George notices another anomaly—a surveillance camera.

1.3 - Town Meeting

Mayor Clive Claxton announces the installation of new surveillance cameras throughout the village. Foreign Man stands up, almost launching into a song but is quickly shut down. The townsfolk, mostly oblivious, express mild concerns here and there, but nothing serious. It’s only George and Foreign Man who recognize the deeper issue—seeing the cameras as an invasion of privacy and a sign of control, but nobody gives them much notice. ‘Song TBC’

1.4 - George meets Tully

George introduces himself to Tully, a young woman who recently moved to town with dreams of opening a bookstore. The audience expects a typical meet-cute, but the rug is pulled out when Julia, George’s girlfriend, enters the scene.

Julia excitedly talks about how her acceptance letter for university is due any day now, but George is visibly worried. He knows he can’t afford it and feels trapped—he’s almost willing to live her dream because he has no dream of his own. Julia is hopeful, while George’s anxiety grows over their uncertain future. Julia spots the postman and ambushes him. 

1.5 - Tully explores the Village

Tully explores the town, singing ‘Greener’ as she becomes enamored with the small village, seeing beauty where the townsfolk don’t. Her optimism sharply contrasts with the villagers' cynicism, as they oppose everything she finds hopeful.

The song's main lyrics highlight this difference:

"It could be greener, I’ll admit, But I’ve seen some grass that looks like shit."

Tully settles into her bookstore, cleaning the shop, stocking shelves, and preparing for its opening. Meanwhile, at the end of the song, Julia returns to George with a letter revealing she’s been accepted into university.

1.6 - Confession

We hear the song ‘Confessions of a Priest’. The townsfolk gather at church to air their grievances, each with their own trivial problems. Reverend Whitmore, however, is having a crisis of faith of his own. As the others list their mundane problems, we focus on the priest’s deep questions about his faith.

Police Chief: “I’ve never caught a real criminal. I’m a phony.” Doug: “I lie to my wife about going to work... I go to the bookies instead.” Foreign Man: “I just came here because I had no one else to talk to.” George: “I had to die when my grandfather did.”

When discussing his problems, George realises that Reverend Whitmore has abandoned his post. When he goes to check, he sees Tully coming towards him. He hides back into the confessional.

Afterward, George enters the confessional, expressing his fear of repeating his grandfather’s life—working endlessly, with no real dream of his own. The scene delves into George’s deep desire to leave the town, but it’s clear he doesn’t have a solid direction or dream to follow. Tully enters, thinking she’s talking to the priest, and opens up about her fears that her bookstore won’t succeed. She worries about opening night and whether anyone will come. As she shares her vulnerabilities, George begins to develop feelings for her. George pretends to be the priest and reassures her.

1.7 - Crabs in a Bucket

George reluctantly tells Julia that he simply doesn’t have enough money to leave the town. He feels obligated to keep his grandfather’s betting shop running, even though he has no dream of his own.

George and Julia meet with her father, who has recently amassed wealth as the mastermind behind the new surveillance systems. He feels alienated by the town, believing that now his class has changed, people resent him—claiming “everybody roots for you until you make it.” Julia disagrees, arguing that no one really roots for anyone in this town.

This tension leads into the song ‘Crabs in a Bucket’ which likens the townsfolk to crabs in a bucket, constantly pulling each other down instead of supporting one another. 

1.8 - The Great Caper 

Mayor Claxton angrily berates Chief Bassett for his incompetence, accusing him of failing to identify the mysterious newspaper bandit—someone who’s been stealing newspapers from doorsteps in the early morning hours.

Chief Bassett conducts interviews through song, ‘Song TBC’, with several suspects: the Butcher, the Postman, and Stanley the Degenerate. Each of them has an excuse for their whereabouts during the thefts, leaving the investigation at a standstill. He eventually questions George, certain that he is the culprit, but he can’t prove it. Despite Bassett’s efforts, the mystery remains unsolved, further frustrating the Mayor.

1.9 - Wanna Bet?

Inspired by Mr. Grabham's class move, George decides he needs to make money fast. He wants bigger stakes and guaranteed wins. His thoughts are interrupted by the degenerates who are drunk in the middle of the day. They challenge him to bets on what will happen outside the window that day, like they have done prior.

George accepts the challenge and, unsurprisingly, wins the bet with ease—showing how simple it is to make money off people’s ignorance. This easy win sparks an idea: he doesn’t need to rely on sports or horse races; he can create bets on things that will happen in the town, manipulating events to his advantage. This is explored in a song, ‘Song TBC’.

These harmless bets start to get progressively worse, throughout the song. 

• First Verse: George bets if he can steal Chief Bassett’s badge without him realising. On the giant blackboard in the bookies the question is asked ‘Can George steal Chief Bassett’s badge?’ with a Yes/No system underneath with people who have bet (E.G. Doug £2). We then see it implemented.

• Second Verse: Will the priest have a digestive disaster during his sermon?

• Third Verse: Will anyone buy a book at Tully’s bookstore on opening night?

  
  

George manipulates each situation to maximise his profit, weighing every move in terms of gain. He realises that in order to win the final bet, he can’t allow anyone to buy a book from Tully’s shop, despite feeling guilty about involving her. To ensure this, he tells the town the wrong date for the bookstore’s opening. However, when he passes by the shop and sees it empty, his guilt overwhelms him. In a moment of vulnerability, he buys a book—not just to make up for the bet, but because he genuinely likes Tully. This small act leads to a setback as he loses the bet, but Tully inscribes the book for him, deepening his feelings for her even further.

1.10 - Forgive me Father

George feels terrible for embarrassing the priest in front of his congregation. The priest, however, believes that his mishap was some kind of divine intervention—an omen that God thinks he's a "shit" priest. In a dramatic moment, he throws away his collar and tosses it to George. As he does, a long line of people forms, waiting to speak with the priest.

In the midst of this, George realises that to make more money, he needs more information about the townsfolk. He decides to return to the confessional, hoping to leverage the opportunity.

This time, George gives genuine advice, and as a result, more people start attending church, intrigued by his words. The same three townsfolk from earlier—Chief Bassett, Doug, and Foreign Man—return, claiming the advice didn’t work. This time, George gives them even better advice, further cementing his control over the town’s fortunes.

1.11 - Fish in a Barrel

Julia finds the book that Tully inscribed for George, and with a confused look, she asks, “What is this?” George becomes nervous, worried that Julia will sense his growing feelings for Tully. As Julia flips open the book, all of his money falls out, revealing how George has been making money (and revealing that Julia has no idea about George’s feelings for Tully).

George admits how he got the money, but assures her he’s done with it now. He has enough to leave the town and go to the big city with her. However, Julia encourages him to do more, suggesting that the townsfolk are like fish in a barrel—easy targets for manipulation. This shift in perspective inspires the song ‘Fish in a Barrel - TBC’, where Julia encourages George to keep betting, showing that he can manipulate the townspeople even more efficiently than before.

As Julia pushes George further, his bets grow darker, and the consequences for the townsfolk become more destructive:

• George manipulates the Green Grocer, convincing her to cheat on her husband with the Butcher.

• He manipulates the Postman into having a breakdown on the job, which causes a letter not to be delivered (so the postman isn’t the subject of the bet, but of the manipulation).

• Finally, George pressures Chief Bassett into falsely convicting Foreign Man of being the newspaper bandit, fabricating evidence to ensure his arrest. There’s no real proof, but George’s manipulation of the Chief leads to a wrongful conviction.

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As tensions rise, the townsfolk begin turning on each other. Julia introduces George to the Vultures, two men who work for ‘the elite.’ They present George with a proposition regarding his bets. They want George to burn down Tully’s bookshop. It soon becomes clear that he has been the one getting manipulated. The elite don’t want anybody in the town to be reading anything other than the newspaper, and it becomes clear that the elite are behind the surveillance cameras and have been watching everything unfold. 

George agrees to carry out the plan but secretly tells the audience he won’t go through with it.

1.12 - Insider Trading

The townsfolk gather to discuss the public trial of the Foreign Man. As tensions rise, they begin to turn on each other, with the bets starting to reveal their consequences.

"You bet they'd cheat again?!" "You cheated on me?!"

Everything is revealed. All of the bets. People realise that all of the advice they thought was from the priest, was actually from George. Tully finds out George is responsible for her opening night failure. She is heartbroken.

 As the townsfolk argue amongst themselves, and George tries to get forgiveness from Tully, the bookshop is engulfed in flames, and everybody blames George who protests his innocence. Act One Finale Song - TBC’.

Act One Ends

Act Two Begins

2.1 - Everybody (wants to stay inside)

George watches from his window, observing the town, once familiar and routine, now in complete disarray. The normal rhythms are gone, replaced by a sense of unpredictability. People are too scared to leave their houses, terrified of becoming the subject of George's bets or being watched by the ever-present surveillance cameras. The town feels like a ghost town, paralysed by fear and suspicion.

The Degenerates perform a barbershop quartet-style song, ‘Song TBC', capturing the chaos and anxiety that has consumed the town.

2.2 - Skipping Town

Tully is ready to leave the town and waits at the train station. George, filled with regret, begs for her forgiveness, but Tully, with her bags packed, is ready to go. She’s become a pessimist, believing that things won’t improve. George, heartbroken, tries to explain that he wasn’t responsible for setting fire to her bookshop, but Tully seems skeptical. She tells him she’ll wait, though it’s unclear whether she truly believes him.

As Tully waits for the train, the priest arrives, and they have a conversation. "Is this the part where I confess?" Tully asks. The priest replies, "I don’t do that anymore," adding, "I don’t blame you in this shit town," revealing his own loss of faith, mirroring Tully’s lost optimism. They compare different forms of blind faith in forms of betting, religion and being an optimist.

They sing, ‘Maybe it wasn’t so bad’ in which Tully, Reverend Whitmore and George sing about finding the enjoyment they had in the bad times. The final verse is that of the locked-up Foreign Man, who comically sings “Maybe, just maybe, the soviet-led communist regime in my homeland wasn’t really all that bad”.

2.3 - Locked Up

The butcher comes to the defence of the Foreign Man, who is currently in jail for his arrest as the Newspaper Bandit, despite no proof. ‘Song - TBC’. He tries to convince Chief Bassett to release the Foreign Man, but the Chief is stubborn, fixated on solving the case. Eventually Bassett concedes and allows Foreign Man to leave, but suggests that he won’t be a free man for long, perhaps accidentally revealing “Not if the mayor gets his way.”

Even as a free man, it seems the other villagers have already decided he is guilty. We hear the song ‘Boxes - TBC’ exploring the idea of all of the villagers being trapped in a box, or their life being dictated by boxes in some way or another.

The Foreign Man goes to the betting shop to talk to George, but changes his mind before entering.

The Weasels approach George, asking him to facilitate more bets for the elite’s amusement, but he turns them down. They hint that if he refuses, Julia will step in — the betting won’t stop. George remains firm in his decision.

Moments later, Chief Bassett enters the shop, confiding in George. With the priest gone, he seeks guidance, expressing doubts about the Foreign Man’s guilt and the pressure he faces from the elite, the mayor, and Julia. As they speak, a long line of townsfolk forms outside, eager to talk to George, now the town’s unwitting confessor. But George, weary and overwhelmed, tells them he can’t help.

2.4 - All Bets are Off

George confronts Julia about what is happening, but their conversation is tense and unproductive. Julia tells George that the bets are still happening, but certain people feel without George’s prowess for manipulation things aren’t moving as quickly as they’d like. Julia promises George riches, an escape and a purpose–but he declines, vowing to put a stop to all of this.

George manipulates Julia so that he can steal a book from her. Inside it reveals that the mayor is being bribed. George recalls seeing the mayor receiving a bribe from the postman. Determined to find answers, George decides to approach the lonely postman, who might know more about the comings and goings in town.

The postman, wary and guarded, initially rejects George’s manipulation but is gradually softened by George’s unexpected honesty. The moment is subtle, underscoring a genuine shift in George's character.

The postman, who is really just desperate for a friend, sings ‘Lick my Stamps Song - TBC’. The postman shares a key detail that points George to a location. The interaction ends with a brief moment of connection between the two men. Even after George has the information he needs, he still offers friendship to the postman.

2.5 - They’re Watching

George discovers a surveillance room filled with betting boards, revealing a chilling master plan. The elite have been betting on which tragic event will occur first — a suicide, a murder, etc — and which villager will crack. George is appalled.

The Vultures arrive, asking if George has changed his mind. George threatens to expose the plan to the villagers and end the game, but the Vultures remain unfazed, warning him that he’d be blamed and destroyed by association. In response, George declares he wants to place a bet. 

2.6 - Band Together

George returns to the shop to find an even bigger queue. He gathers everyone inside, away from the cameras, and listens to their confessions. He admits he doesn’t have all the answers and that things have gone horribly wrong — it’s all his fault, but he’s sorry and wants to make things right.

‘Crabs in a Bucket - Reprise’ — this time, he is singing it to persuade them to be a team.

George reveals the elite's master plan, but the villagers are at a loss for a solution. The Foreign Man, scratching his nails against the blackboard like Quint in Jaws, announces he has a plan. The villagers dismiss him, still accusing him of being the newspaper bandit. George then declares that he, himself, is the true thief. The Foreign Man thanks George but clarifies that the Chief was right — it was him (the foreign man). He explains that in his homeland, the wealthy and powerful used newspapers to control the masses.

George ties this back to the elite's manipulations and convinces the villagers to hear Foreign Man's plan.

2.7 - Righting Wrongs

George goes to Tully to explain, knowing she can't forgive him. Though he didn't start the fire, he admits he did everything but. As a gesture of remorse, he gives her the book, the Count of Monte Cristo, showing that he cares. He promises her that he will make things right.

George has to also confront Father Whitmore to persuade him to find his faith again. A song ‘Song - TBC’ can be used to link these conversations together. The priest refuses to help George as he just doesn't have any faith any more.

2.8 - The Accumulator

George lays out the plan, ‘Accumulator Song - TBC’ to provoke Julia’s short-tempered father, Mr Grabham, into committing murder, ensuring everyone plays their part:

• The Degenerates will smash the cameras, forcing him to come fix them.

• The Green Grocer will sell him a trick knife.

• The Butcher will create fake blood.

• George will manipulate him into the act.

• The Chief of Police will be ready to arrest him.

• The Postman must befriend Julia to keep her away.

• Foreign Man devised the plan.

  
  

It’s a long shot, and the villagers have their doubts.

The Priest surprisingly offers a prayer to give them faith. When George asks if he truly believes, the Priest hesitates but admits that if faith helps, it’s not a bad thing.

The plan unfolds smoothly—until it doesn’t. George provokes Julia’s father into stabbing him with the trick knife. At first, it seems like part of the ruse, but the truth emerges: the Butcher never provided the fake blood. George is actually dead. Tully is devastated.

The Chief of Police arrests Mr Grabham. Julia begs the Mayor for a pardon, but with the entire town watching, he is powerless.

The vultures arrive with George’s winnings, handing them to the Priest. The final bet is revealed—George had gambled on his own suicide.

Perhaps Tully sings a ‘Song - TBC’, about not getting the chance to tell him that she forgives him.

2.9 - George’s Funeral

The townsfolk gather at the ceremony as the Priest delivers a rousing speech, his faith fully restored. After the ceremony, the villagers turn to him for guidance—he is back where he belongs.

The Postman, mourning George, calls him his best friend. The townsfolk, now his friends, console him.

The Degenerates, now tidier and reformed, seem to have turned their lives around. A quiet moment hints at a new romance between the Green Grocer and the Butcher. The foreign man wears the Mayoral sash.

Everybody seems as if their lives are now better, and despite never leaving the town it is clear to them that they can be happy exactly where they are. 

Each character’s arc ties off nicely. All except Tully who doesn’t know what to do. 

2.10 - Maybe

Tully returns to her shop to find it rebuilt. In the window, the book George gave her is on display. Inside, a subtle clue hints that George may have faked his own death—just like the character in the book she once gave him (the Count of Monte Cristo). Tully smiles.

Somebody enters the shop. Tully says ‘they’re not open’. “Not even for an old friend.” Tully turns to see George waiting for her. They reconcile. Allude to them perhaps travelling together, and leaving behind their shops. ‘Everybody - Reprise’.

End