He That Should Come

In this first of her plays for religious broadcasting, a nativity play, Dorothy L. Sayers wanted to convince listeners of the truth that Christ was born into our deeply problematic world, in his case, in territory overrun by an army of occupation. Although framed as it were by the voices of the three 'wise men' asking whether the birth of a particular child could possibly fulfil their desires, the focus of the play is on the conflict of opinion (about roads, taxes, and so forth) expressed by those in the courtyard of the inn at Bethlehem. Joseph is given a most significant role, and it is the shepherds whose gifts are presented when the Holy Family is revealed.