Judgement

		Judgement

	This is not so much a "sketch" as a "poem for voices". The title of the piece should be announced beforehand. It is recommended that the "actors" make their way in silence to the stage. For effect, they could all be dressed identically, in plain black or white. They could group themselves or simply line up. VOICE 1 should be clear, ringing and authoritative. For maximum effect, other VOICES should be strident, harsh, cynical, bitter - with facial expressions to match. Although scripted here for 5 voices, with very little adaptation it would be plausible to use more - or fewer voices.
With authority		VOICE 1	It was the end of time. Mountains crumbled into dust, and the droplets that once were heaving seas turned in upon themselves ... and dried. Earth was rolled up and cast aside like a threadbare carpet. The sky lay in a corner, crumpled in a heap. And out across a great white plain, as far as the eye could scan, stood a shuffling crowd: the people ..... Waiting. Waiting.
Common		VOICE 2	Who does he fink he is anyway? Judging us? He's got no right! It's alright for 'im, stuck up in 'eaven; He dunno what it's like!
		VOICE 3	If you ask me, he should 'ave to come down 'ere.
		VOICE 2	Yeah! Live like one of us!
		VOICE 3	Cope with the problems we've 'ad to face; then he'd see how hard it was!
Sarcastic, cynical		VOICE 4	Yeah? He'd prob'ly be a prince or summat, living in some palace; eating off o' dainty dishes, dabbing at his lips.
Rough, a tramp		VOICE 5	Let 'im get 'is 'ands mucky! Take him round the slums! Let him taste the dirt and filth! Let him mix with scum!
Eastern European		VOICE 3	He should be a refugee, kicked out from his land; moved on from shop doorways because no one understands.
		VOICE 4	Let him have to struggle!
		VOICE 2	Make him really poor!
Black African accent		VOICE 5	Make him "coloured"!
Jewish accent		VOICE 3	Make him Jewish! That's the very worst of all.
		VOICE 4	Pushed from one place to another in a country run by enemies. Never getting anywhere because of the authorities; stopping all initiatives and hindering every move - And if he starts to get somewhere let him be misunderstood.
Street gangster		VOICE 2	And when he has to face the mob then his friends could let him down. When the time comes for the showdown leave him standing there alone.
		VOICE 5	Then let him die in agony
Interrupting		VOICE 3	... and let that death be slow;
		VOICE 5	Excruciating agony!
Interrupting again		VOICE 3	... and no-one there he knows.
		VOICE 2	Not a soul to comfort him, then he'd know what's what! What we've all had to go through ...
Cynical		VOICE 4	Some fat chance of that!
All actors turn their heads on cue - to fix on a pre-arranged spot, over the heads of the audience. All actors lower their heads on cue - and stay bowed until end of piece.		VOICE 1	A flicker of a movement ... All heads turned ... There was a hush ... And standing there with nail-holed hands was the one who was to judge! And out across the great white plain, as far as the eye could scan, every head was lowered in the presence of .... The Man. There was silence. Judgement began.
- END -