Benny is stranded on the cluster object Absence, where if she can’t find a way to make some cash she’ll be stuck forever…
Benny is stranded on the cluster object Absence, where if she can’t find a way to make some cash she’ll be stuck forever…
Absence
Be warned; if Daniel O’Mahoney’s previous contributions to the range were too macabre for your tastes this might be one to steer clear of. On the other hand, this story has something strong emotional strength at its core that ‘Timeless Passages’ and ‘Tub Full of Cats’ lacked, something much more in keeping with the developing relationship between Bernice and her son. There are some dark and twisted characters to be sure but neither previous play put Bernice through the emotional wringer quite like this.
Absence follows the template set last year by Lawrence Miles. We’ve had a bold ‘fresh’ series opener, followed by a play more about Peter than Bernice, to be followed by a play more about Bernice, to be followed by a fairly standard closing episode. I praised ‘Adolesence of Time’ for probing into difficult areas and fleshing out someone we knew nothing about. Maybe there’s an element of standing on the shoulders of giants here, or maybe there’s not, but to be certain Daniel O’Mahoney makes it look easy.
If I have one criticism it’s that a few years ago the fact Bernice spent almost no time with her son was a major plot point. It drove the motivations of an entire book, was referenced almost constantly and we all know how things culminated in the Wake. Certainly since that event Bernice and Peter haven’t been away from each other’s sides for more than a day, but the central premise of Absence has that flaw. I suppose since the Wake they’ve inevitably grown closer…
So after the steep learning curve that was the Adolesence of Time last year, Peter decides it is finally the time to go his own way again. Lured away by the obnoxious Aslinedes on an expedition deep into the heart of Absence, the plays ‘probable’ villain has remarkable aplomb in Trevor Littledale’s performance. His voice sounds a little too familiar, I certainly recognise him from previous roles for Big Finish, but at least his characters are distinct. Aslinedes might just be one of the most unpleasant, whilst not actually evil, characters Big Finish have ever produces. His assistant, the ‘on the surface’ charming Cindy, who possesses no hidden depths whatsoever, hides a remarkable secret that will have you on the edge of your seat.
Meanwhile, whilst Peter finds his feet, Bernice is forced to attempt to make do, flipping Burgers to make cash and survive. These scenes are short but revealing, made all the more interesting by the enigmatic Aaron Keep, yet another in a range of memorable guest roles. He too has a secret, and it harks back to something mentioned quite a few times in Mahoney’s Timeless Passages.
Without spoiling its carefully constructed secrets I can promise you that this release has all of the horrific depths of the writers previous work. Sound design, performances, writing… Everything moulds together formlessly to create something less a play and more a piece of art.
This isn’t just excellent Bernice Summerfield. This is excellent Science Fiction.
10 / 10