The Screwtape Letters: First Ever Full-cast Dramatization of the Diabolical Classic (Radio Theatre)

This spiritual classic needs little introduction, unless one is unfamiliar with the excellent works of C.S. Lewis. Read just off the page, the book is brimming with deep wisdom and insight as to how the devils attack us at our weakest points. Each letters is packed to the gills with clues to our truest nature and the pitfalls we all face. An example? These lines from letter seven are haunting: "The attitude which you want to guard against is that in which temporal affairs are treated primarily as material for obedience. Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means, you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of worldly end he is pursuing. Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes, and crusades, matter more to him than prayers and sacraments and charity, he is ours - and the more "religious" (on those terms) the more securely ours. I could show you a pretty cageful down here" This explains so much confusion in the world today- Add Andy Sirkis and Focus on the family and what you have is a tour de force presentation that the whole family can enjoy and be edified by. The sound is excellent as we have come to expect from focus on the family. The added dialogue is perfect, not overdone, but illustrative. It leaves C.S. Lewis' intentions fully in tact while adding another dimension of the experience with Uncle Screwtape. In surprise to a few of the negative reviews of this excellent production and particularly to C.S. Lewis' letters themselves, Midwest Guy said "took 1000 words to say what can be said in 10" If you think you can say in 10 words what C.S. Lewis said in 1000, you are either some kind of genius or you have no idea what C.S. Lewis is saying. This is an excellent production of the Screwtape Letters and more than worth the cost of admission.

We enjoyed listening to this book more this time with multiple actors portraying parts. The last time we listed to this book we listened to a single reader. We felt it was well done.

Such a great dramatization of this important book. The CD set is great because I can listen to it in my car. I also love the bonus disc with behind the scenes videos of how they made it!

Incredible play!! Best ever!!

Amazing! Andy Serkis as Screwtape was an incredible, bring to life type performances. All other actors were a strong supporting cast. This is not only entertaining; but Lewis' work is educational as well. Great production quality & the bonus music inspired by 'The Screwtape Letters; was a fantastic addition. I would love to see this become available for digital download so you could listen to it on your tablets, phones, etc. (Are you listening Audible?) . Very happy with purchase...you won't go wrong here.

The first time I tried to read The Screwtape Letters, I couldn't finish it. I was overwhelmed with anxiety. Lewis described a scenario so potentially real that it frightened me to the point of putting it down. Years later, that same anxiety is still in the back of my mind every time I return to it. For some listeners, myself included, the audio drama will remove some of that sense of anxiety associated with reading it. At first I had anticipated that the audio, with sound effects, would enhance that feeling of the hair on the back of your neck rising when you read it. However, I quickly found that the dramatization actually made the letters seem less real. The human voices and somewhat exaggerated effects, while amusing and engaging, removed an element of the unknown - the image of Screwtape as the beautiful, but wicked creature likely envisioned by many avid readers of Lewis. If you don't mind the creative tinkering, the drama is very entertaining. Instead of letter after letter, there is brilliant interaction between the characters of the story. The content of the letters seems preserved, but some are presented as dialog while Wormwood deals with his "patient", and a few presented as telephone calls between Screwtape and Wormwood. It's certainly a different way to get the story, and personally I enjoyed the new approach. The only real negative of this format that I found was that the drama moves through Screwtape's points so fast, that it's hard to let them really sink in. If you start to think about one, you quickly lose track of the storyline. One of the best things about the book is that you can really dive in to some points that Lewis is making through Screwtape, by pausing and reflecting on them. I suppose that one option would be to listen to the audio drama in a number of segments (such as one "letter" per day), especially since this mimics how the letters were originally published. But there's also something fresh and exciting about listening to the whole story this way. Overall, I highly recommend it.

As a book this is a masterpiece of psychology and theology, but as an audio performance it is brilliant! Satire at its best, Lewis creates a wonderfully deliciously conniving interplay between various demons trying to tempt a man away from converting, and then, upon his conversion, to tempt him back into darkness. In the book the dialogue is in the form of letters between the demons, while in the audio it is a mix of dialogue and letters. I was a little curious as to how the audio would be done, and it is a masterful adaptation in every way. Between the music, sound effects and snively, self absorbed voices, its a delight. And a warning.

I absolutely love Andy Serkis (Gollum from Lord of the Rings) voicing Screwtape!! Make sure you play the entire last track - there’s about half a minute of silence, followed by a delightful “post credits” sequence. I’ve purchased several copies of this presentation for friends. I used my computer’s CD player to make a mp3 digital copy for my phone, so I can listen to it whenever I want.