Scripps acts as narrator in the play. He introduces a number of the scenes, and some of the characters. His role is also to reveal the thoughts of some of the characters – both Dakin and Posner tell him things, and therefore us. This works because although Scripps observes and reports, he does not really take much part in the action. This suits his eventual career as a journalist.
Scripps’s background part is emphasised by the fact that he is the one who plays the piano to accompany the other boys when they sing or play the film game.