Review:

The Screwtape Letters

This dramatisation of CS Lewis’ collection of letters from a senior devil, Screwtape, to his nephew, Wormwood, could become the work’s new definitive version. It turns the original short letters into one-sided conversations, seamlessly adding cameos involving Wormwood’s ‘patient’ – a new Christian, whom he is trying to steer away from God. Fiendishly clever casting sees Andy Serkis (Gollum, and recently, Ian Dury) playing Screwtape. He brings out Lewis’ subtleties with flair, as he rips from the page intonations that readers might easily miss.

Despite this, and some adroit editing of the text, Lewis’ prose and nuanced thought is still often fairly dense and it often needs deep concentration to fully take it in. The DVD includes 50 minutes of pertinent features, while the four CDs include Geoffrey Palmer reading Lewis’ illuminating afterword, and ten forgettable pop/ jazz songs.

HIGH: The new format in high quality audio – and English accents!

LOW: Despite Lewis’ rich theological insight, its context makes it feel a little dated.

Published by: Focus on the Family / Radio Theatre