Summary: Echoes of the Screwtape Letters, by CS Lewis. Once the devil decided to hold a competition to see which of his demons could come up with the best scheme to stop ordinary people seeking God and finding Him. (Adapted from a piece by an unknown author. Dramatix welcomes any information to help us locate the original author.)
Style: Drama. Duration: 5min
Actors: 6M/F
Characters:
Devil, 5 demons
Script
Devil: Right, listen up. As you know, the enemy has been too successful in recruiting mortals to his cause. We need to find a new strategy to keep them out of his clutches. You five have volunteered ideas. So now let's hear them.
Demon 1: Simple. I shall tell them there is no God.
Devil: Don’t be an idiot. They only have to look at the wonders of creation, their own human form, even a tiny baby; the sun, moon and stars and planets each day on their perfect course, the constant cycle of the seasons, to know without a doubt that a Creator has had a hand in their making.
Demon 2: I shall tell them there's is no such a thing as evil, they can do as they like…
Devil: No, that won’t wash either. They can't help but notice that the shadow of evil is all around them - in the broken lives of people who lose their way, who chart their own course through life. Think again.
Demon 3: I shall persuade everyone that churches are not in fashion, and definitely not cool, and that the people inside them are out of touch and will never change their ways. I shall tell them that church folk are only after their money. They'll become cynical, critical and disheartened.
Devil: (Yawns) They already think this way. Some one else has got there before you!
Demon 4: I've got a much better plan. Foolproof. I'll encourage mortals to become addicted to television, from waking until falling asleep at night, soon they will spend their lives in a comatose state. I shall lay before them triple Hollyoaks, extended Coronation Streets, quadruple episodes of Friends. (Laughs)
Devil: Mmmm, better, but there will still come a time when they become disinterested or disenchanted with TV. And in those moments lies the danger they might learn to think for themselves.
Demon 4: Ah yes, but think about Sky Plus, whereby these mortals can have all of their favourite programmes at the touch of a button, and backdate ones they have missed. Their viewing will be perpetual.
Devil: I’m still not sure that every single second will be covered. But well done, keep on trying. . .
Demon 5: (Has been hanging back a bit.) Ummm...
Devil: What? You there. Don't hide behind the others.
Demon 5: (Worried) I'm not sure...
Devil: Not sure what? Spit it out? Can't be any worse than these others.
Demon 5: My plan, your greatness, was a simple one...
Devil: (Snarls) Well let’s have it. Stop dithering.
Demon 5: I thought I would just go and persuade them that they have plenty of TIME in which to make their minds up.
(Silence for a moment. The devil raises his head slowly with the most delightfully evil grin on his face.)
Devil: Yes. Excellent! The prize is yours, Go now to it.
...................................................
(c) Adapted from a piece by an unknown author. Dramatix welcomes any information to help us locate the original author.