SODOM AND TOMORROW

As our play opens, God has been hard at work in his Heavenly Workshop trying to overcome design flaws in the human form, while simultaneously re-visiting Earth this time in the guise of media magnate Jay Hovey (known to all as JH). He has been gathering evidence about human aptitudes to decide whether or not the species needs to be re-engineered or superseded. As a media mogul He is well placed to gather the necessary data. To finalise His research He has invited a representative group of humans, drawn mostly from the staff of His media empire, to a weekend get-together at His country estate to discuss a theme for a future edition of His lifestyle magazine 'Enjoy'. In this project He is being assisted by His lawyer, Luke Fier, alias the Devil, and His maid, Veneria, alias the goddess Venus. When God discloses that the theme under discussion is Sodomy, His guests reveal a wide range of reactions according to their beliefs, sexual preferences and lifestyle choices. Little do these humans know that the outcome of their weekend discussions will decide the fate of the human species. Being human, non-stop talk of sex, sin and sodomy provokes various behaviours. Mike, a young Reverend is revealed to be a closet gay, when he is almost seduced by James, the young male partner of Elvis, a gay Sales Manager, who interrupts their garden tryst just in time. Tension arises between Eleanor, the Magazine's lesbian editor and Cutie, her young friend, who shuts herself away for most of the weekend in the library reading up on sexuality in religion - thus empowering herself to ask God some awkward questions. Two mismatched married couples Len and Maggie, and Dan and Virginia are drawn into clumsy experiments with sodomy, and end up switching partners. Tension grows between Lilian, God's respectable wife and Tamara, his super-model mistress, especially when Tamara reveals she is pregnant - by God. Veneria/Venus, finding herself overworked providing hospitality to all these fractious guests, grows impatient and calls in some extra help. The weekend is gate-crashed by Bacchus and his followers. In the ensuing Bacchanal, God, the Devil and Venus are revealed as deities, to the astonishment and consternation of the assembled humans, who become even more concerned when it dawns that the real topic under discussion is not a 'life style' issue for a pop magazine, but the survival (or not) of their very own species. The Devil has been enjoying the humans' consternation and has been avidly contributing to the theological debate that ensures. As a former (now fallen) angel he is well informed on all biblical issues. In particular his commentary on the fall of Sodom has provoked doubts as to the rightness of that act of retribution. To assist the humans in their task of self-assessment, God and the Devil, in a rare instance of collaboration, take the humans on quick tours, first of Hell, then of Heaven, so that they can explore their options. But this only inflames the humans' confusion and dismay. Now God's guests turn on God and assail Him with a litany of their complaints, dissatisfactions and disbelief. They begin to doubt that God is who He says He is. Demanding proof of His powers they ask for a transformation, in their anger asking Him to change Himself into something repellent. God obliges by transforming Himself into an alien creature from another world, a Blob, which dies within one minute of its manifestation. Panic! They have killed God! But the Blob disappears and God returns briefly, as He explains, to provide them this time with a body to account for His disappearance. Before finally departing He promises that He will not destroy humanity, not on this occasion. He finds them all much too amusing. The Devil is furious. He had anticipated the Apocalypse and his gaining custody of all human souls at his holiday resort 'Lucifer's Hideaway', excepting those few souls who prefer to work in the administrative offices of the Universe, namely Hea