I am a complete sucker for anything with the Devil in it. Don't know why, but probably easiest to blame Old Harry's Game, which easily ranks as one of my favourite radio series.
No surprise then, that the moment I heard about this one, I went to hunt it down. The Details is a relatively short work, being made of three episodes, on average 20 minutes long. I absolutely suggest you listen to them all together, rather than breaking them apart, as it works effectively as a single audio play.
(It's also a little hard to find, given the lack of a website above and beyond the Libsyn below, and the name being a bit general. Best place to look for additional info is probably the Twitter page.)
So, what's it all about?
Malcolm is up for promotion. He's being put forward for Head of Operations, a significant role in the company. Trouble is, first comes the interview. With Lucy.
Perhaps you've already guessed, but if not, Lucy is short for Lucifer. Satan himself wants Malcolm in the Operations role for a very special reason. At some point in the future, he will need Malcolm to do a favour for him. Make a particular choice. But what is the Devil prepared to pay for this promise of future effort?
That's where the negotiations come in.
It's both pleasant and horrific. Lucy is a charming devil (pardon the god-awful pun), and has the usual range of enjoyable tricks to convince people of his verisimilitude. And Malcolm has far more layers than you might initially expect. Their back and forth is sharp and snappy, and the unfolding complexities of their individual wants and offers is compelling to listen to.
There's also a nice balance of comedy and horror. The Devil can pull "the worst thing you've ever done" out of your head, and hold it up to you. That isn't pleasant. Simultaneously, he can recite a list of every person you've fantasised about while having some "alone time". That is more hilarious.
In the whole though, it tells an interesting story, with some powerful backstory driving all of the motivations throughout the play, and delivered by actors who are very convincing. They hit a wide range of emotional notes neatly, and never feel hammy, always a risk in Satan-y roles.
Overall, definitely give it a go.
Tagged: Audio fiction Drama Two hander Dramatised Workplace/Employment Serial