Years ago, an archaeological expedition came to Menaxus to explore the ruins of an ancient theatre. All but one of the team died. Now the only survivor has returned, determined to uncover the theatre’s secrets.
But then the deaths begin again.
The Doctor, Ace and Benny find themselves caught up in the very real events of Shakespeare’s greatest play. When they finally reach the theatre on Menaxus, the Doctor begins to realise that the truth about the planet may be far stranger than anyone imagined. With Benny doing research at the Braxiatel Collection, the Doctor and Ace head straight into an interplanetary war…
THEATRE OF WAR
The seventh Virgin novel adaptation from Big Finish is “Theatre of War,” originally written and adapted here by Justin Richards. The novel never had the best reputation in fan circles, so I’m not sure what drove the decision to adapt it – maybe because it introduces Braxiatel, or because Big Finish has a long history of working with Richards? In any case, the final product is a solid Doctor Who story that works on a refreshingly ambitious scale.
I suspect there’s a subconscious tendency among Big Finish writers to mimic the scale and budget of the TV stories. There are a lot of stories that take place across a few rooms on a spaceship, or in a series of easily filmable country houses and pubs. “Theatre of War,” on the other hand, starts in the ruins of a theater on a rain-swept planet before shifting to the galleries and arenas of the capital of an alien empire, with long digressions at the Braxiatel Collection and inside a holographic theater projector. Every episode seems to introduce a new location, which keeps the relatively straightforward plot much more interesting than it would otherwise be.
Even the plot is something I’d like to see more of. There’s a great moment where the Doctor is told that all of his deductions have been correct but his conclusions based on those deductions have all been wrong, and it works because the listener is led through those same deductions but given more information than the Doctor. Everything Benny learns at the Collection goes against what the Doctor learns on Menaxus, and the only conclusion – that everything is a fake – is so audacious that it surprises even when you know what’s happening. Additions like the living statues and the deadly fictional characters are largely there to fill time, but they both hint at the events of the conclusion.
I also appreciate it when Doctor Who stories actually take advantage of the companions’ backgrounds, and “Theatre of War” certainly does that. While Benny’s actual qualifications are murky at times, she claims to be an archaeologist and an academic, and so the Doctor sends her on a mission to do research into the planet they’re investigating. This sounds so simple, but it rarely happens, and it’s quite refreshing to hear. Furthermore, the Braxiatel Collection is a great digression from the main story. It’s calm and peaceful, and Braxiatel himself is as polite as can be, in spite of any dark undercurrents. And the idea of the Doctor simply needing to look something up every once in a while is appealing, especially in a story with 2 hours to fill.
All that being said, there’s nothing particularly outstanding about “Theatre of War.” This is the first outing for “new Ace” since all the way back in “The Dark Flame,” and there’s little here to indicate she’s any different from the TV character. And even though the Doctor is wrong-footed by the course of events, he easily corrects course and saves the day – this doesn’t seem particularly challenging to him. The bit at the end about Brax out-scheming the Doctor doesn’t feel earned, and the brief hints at their deeper relationship don’t go far enough. It’s easy to see why Brax becomes such a major character in the spinoff media, though. The production is excellent, both Scott Handcock’s direction and Peter Doggart’s sound design – most of these adaptations have had an epic feel and “Theatre of War” is no exception. In the end, “Theatre of War” is a solid adaptation of a solid, entertaining Doctor Who story, with just enough going on to hold the interest throughout.
Recommended.
7/10