This is a city of ghosts and no-one knows them better than Leanne. Twice a night she leads tourists to visit the most haunted sites – the Hanging Yard, the Witch Pool, the Screaming House, and, of course, the Catacombs.
Leanne’s realised the ghosts of the city are real. Something’s lurking in the Catacombs – an ancient force that has been growing in the darkness for centuries. Sabaoth is returning and they must be stopped before they devour the world. Leanne knows this, because a ghost told her.
A ghost called The Doctor.
GHOST WALK
I’ve lamented the traditionalist leanings of Big Finish Doctor Who many times in the past; I don’t think there’s any reason at this point to insist that stories be told in 25-minute episodic chunks with cliffhangers. But if they’re going to stick with the format, it’s nice when authors try to push the boundaries a bit, and that’s what James Goss does with “Ghost Walk,” a story told from multiple perspectives across multiple time periods.
The story is told primarily from the perspective of Leanne (Fenella Woolgar), a woman who leads tourists on “ghost walks” – tours of “haunted” catacombs and other such things. And while the hauntings on these tours are faked, the twist is that Leanne is herself haunted by a real ghost: the ghost of the fifth Doctor. We then see in flashback as the TARDIS lands in a recently sealed catacomb and the crew is confronted by the ghostly presence of Sabaoth (Stephen Greif), an incorporeal alien who feeds directly from the life energy of those unlucky enough to venture too close. To save his companions, the Doctor constructs a device that sends Adric and Nyssa back in time – and would have done the same for Tegan if she hadn’t stayed behind. From here, Goss presents four different perspectives: the “current” perspective of Leanne, the flashback to the Doctor and Tegan in the catacombs, and the separate adventures of Adric and Nyssa in the past.
Most interesting is Nyssa’s story, as she wakes in the past and immediately finds herself the target of a witch hunt, with her only protection coming from the local Reverend Matthew (Sacha Dhawan). But Matthew’s household staff continues to suspect her, and when Nyssa rejects Matthew’s romantic advances, she finds even his protection failing. It’s a surprisingly dark look at human nature: everyone is deeply suspicious and cruel, and the only kindness Nyssa experiences comes from a man with ulterior motives. When Matthew abandons her and she is taken away to be drowned, it’s genuinely hard to listen – Sarah Sutton’s anguish is utterly convincing and Nyssa’s inability to control the situation is disturbing. While the listener knows that the Doctor will inevitably appear to save the day, Goss actually introduces some doubt, so harrowing is Nyssa’s position. Adric’s scenario, by contrast, is much more mundane, as he’s sentenced to death for stealing bread. It’s a brutal form of justice to be sure but it doesn’t carry the same dramatic weight.
The structure of the story is effective as well: it’s a particular skill to tell a story from multiple perspectives without running in place, and Goss is very good at it: each scene reveals new information while simultaneously providing conflicts for the characters and yet not feeling repetitive. I’m sure part of this is down to director Barnaby Edwards, who has always been one of the most kinetic directors in the Big Finish stable, but it all starts with Goss’s script.
Unfortunately, I don’t think Woolgar is particularly good in this story, and as such the focus on her character did not help me enjoy the conclusion. It’s also the sort of conclusion that involves the characters standing around yelling at each other – after such a tight, compelling script, the unfocused and confusing ending doesn’t fit at all and lets down the story. But that’s a surprisingly minor complaint, as what we get is still thematically fitting. The production is excellent as usual – I’ve already mentioned Edwards’ direction but the sound design from Daniel Burnett and score from Benji Clifford are quite effective. Overall, “Ghost Walk” is the sort of story I want more of: it spends time getting to know the characters, it doesn’t follow ultra-traditional narrative structure, and it’s about more than just another megalomaniac trying to destroy the universe. It’s not perfect – the ending is a particular letdown – but it’s another strong entry in what’s becoming a very good run for the monthly range.
8/10