This site has limited support for your browser. We recommend switching to Edge, Chrome, Safari, or Firefox.

Not sure where to start? Discover all our scripts

Talk to one of our experts here

Thank you for purchasing with Stagescripts

Shopping basket 0

Sorry, looks like we don't have enough of this product.

Products

Need help? Contact our team here

Pair with
Subtotal Free
Shipping, taxes, and discount codes are calculated at checkout
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Diners Club
  • Discover
  • Google Pay
  • Maestro
  • Mastercard
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa
Stick drawing of Sir Henry in tweed style with title 'Nearly Up The Pole'

Nearly Up The Pole

Ron Nicol

Genre: Comedy

Cast size: 7

Duration: 45 - 50 mins approx

Ron Nicol | Comedy | One Act | 2m, 3f, 2m/f

Short synopsis

Intrepid adventurer Sir Henry Nearly and his sidekick Mortimer Leeveme set out on a expedition to find the Pole – any Pole. Led by expedition expediter Jules Goudeau (aka as Jessie Boggs) and hampered by husky Rowff, they merely encounter Henry’s indomitable wife Henrietta and his irritating daughter Aurora.

A decrepit Narrator introduces the story and appears at various times to link the scenes.

Henry and Mortimer decide they need an adventure, and when Henry’s long-suffering wife Henrietta demands details they tell her they’re proposing an expedition to the North or South Pole. Henrietta later tells her daughter Aurora that she’d prefer a flagpole in the garden.

Henry and Mortimer realise that they’re committed to undertake an excursion to one of the Poles and contact expedition expediter Jules Goudeau, who reveals that she’s really Jessie Boggs. Goudeau introduces husky dog Rowff, who takes an immediate liking to Mortimer, and they set off. Henrietta and Aurora decide to disguise themselves and follow Henry.

Henry, Mortimer, Goudeau and Rowff travel through a blizzard, eventually encountering a pair of Eskimos – who are really Henrietta and Aurora in disguise. They tell Henry to keep travelling onward and beware of the Yeti. Mortimer feels ill and begs Henry to leave him, hoping to follow the Leeveme tradition of suffering and being left to die, listing the experiences of several of his ancestors. He recovers remarkably quickly when Henry threatens to eat him if they run out of provisions. Then Rowff discovers a pole, which he brings to Henry who declares that it must be the North Pole.

Henrietta and Aurora appear and inform Henry that he, Mortimer and Goudeau have been wandering round Henry’s own garden for a week, and that what Rowff has found is actually Henrietta’s new flagpole.

(2m, 3f, 2m/f)

  • The Narrator (m/f)
  • Sir Henry Nearly - the intrepid explorer
  • Mortimer Leeveme - the intrepid twit with the incredibly annoying braying laugh
  • Lady Henrietta - Sir Henry’s indomitably domineering wife
  • Aurora - Sir Henry’s incredibly irksome daughter
  • Jules Goudeau - an expedition expediter
  • Rowff - a Husky
  • Voice Off

Others in this series are: 'Nearly All At Sea', Nearly Pulls It Off' and 'Nearly Up A Gum Tree'.

Type
Free

Applying for and paying royalties

To apply for royalties, please complete the form on our apply for royalties page.

To pay for fixed fee royalties having received your Quotation from us, please go to this payment form.

[{"variant_id":"55489601077634" , "metafield_value":""}]

Nearly Up The Pole

Free
More information

If you require any additional information regarding this script, please don’t hesitate to contact us here.

Frequently asked questions

Can we try before we buy?

Of course! All our plays and pantomimes have a free Preview Script available for download as an A4 pdf file that contains 60-75% of the full script. If you like what you read then you can buy an inexpensive e-script of the entire play (typically less than half the cost of a traditional printed script) which is licensed to you for your personal use. Purchasing a script copying licence allows you to make just enough copies to support rehearsals and performances.

All our musicals are included in our perusal service. Through this, representatives of producing organisations can request a USB Stick of perusal material  which comprise the script/libretto and piano/vocal score as PDF files; a Cast (or Studio) Recording as MP3 files and (where available) an MP4 file video of either the premiere production or of a subsequent production.

Some titles have the facility to read the entire script online on our website.

Do we need a Licence To Perform?

The simple answer is, yes.

Under the international laws of copyright, you must be in possession of a valid, unexpired licence before performing any piece of theatre unless the owner or managers of the copyright has waived their rights.

Why do you insist on providing a formal royalties quotation?

When you request a quotation, it is logged in our system, it forms part of an orderly queue and protects your place in that queue should multiple licensing requests occur for the same show.

Need help?

Contact us

If you need help with our scripts, please contact our customer service team, we would be more than happy to help.

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)
0%
(0)

Established for over 25 years

Unearthing future talent


Stagescripts is a trusted licensing company run by theatre professionals with decades of experience on and off stage. Our curated catalogue includes over 1,000 carefully selected plays, musicals, and pantomimes — from fresh, undiscovered writing to well-loved classics.

We’re passionate about helping theatre-makers at every level discover scripts that inspire, challenge, and connect with audiences. Whether you're staging a village hall production or leading a professional company, our team offers expert advice, flexible support, and a responsive, personal service to help your next performance shine.