Synopsis

This title comes from the saying `The devil finds work for idle hands to do.’ In this family of Cliff and Pam Brooks with their daughter Rose, we have a domestic comedy where the bored housewife goes out nearly every evening to various functions whilst Cliff stays at home after a hard day`s work either watching the television or falling asleep.

Their neighbour Brian, whose wife is Fiona, often pops in to talk to Cliff. He tries to help Cliff to find some activity in the evening to keep him awake. He comes up with the idea of Cliff becoming an artist and arranges one to visit him. Mistakenly though the artist Tracey is an artiste who offers him more than he`d expected. 

Whilst the artiste is there Fiona comes in uninvited as she has dilly-dallied with Cliff on more than one occasion. She recognises Tracey as a former school acquaintance whom she has no respect for and words and actions are exchanged as Pam comes in unexpectedly.

Add to this mix a local burglar who has been daring to rob whilst people are in watching television, and Major who is Rose`s shy boyfriend and things get very difficult for Cliff, who is innocent, to explain away.

This play requires 3 males and 5 females, one of each of which should be teenagers. The girl should not be mentioned in the programme as it would spoil the plot.

Duration

Characters

•   Rose Brooks - a pretty girl of 16
•   Pam Brooks - an attractive woman in her early 40s
•   Cliff Brooks- middle aged, around 45
•   Major - about 17, quiet and inoffensive, polite but not macho
•   Brian – the Brooks’ neighbour
•   Fiona – Brian’s wife
•   Tracey - a glamorous girl aged between 20 and 30
•   A Girl - (best left off the programme)