The Doctor and Lucie find themselves trapped in London’s past with a killer on their trail.
1 Comment
Styre
on May 7, 2016 at 9:46 PM
DEAD LONDON
I liked the first series of “Eighth Doctor Adventures” from Big Finish. Sure, there were a couple of missteps, but it represented a confident step in a new direction for the company and it featured, in “Human Resources,” one of the best audio stories in recent memory. I found myself looking forward to the second series: a series of acclaimed authors, some juicy rumors about returning villains, and a series-closing two-parter shrouded in mystery. And with legendary comic writer Pat Mills penning the first episode, things were bound to get off to a strong start, right?
Nope!
“Dead London” opens fantastically: the Doctor finds himself on trial for a parking offense, but is suddenly sentenced to death as the time period appears to change; Lucie, meanwhile, roams the streets of London during a 1917 zeppelin raid. We’ve got a conceit, a setting, and a villain all in the first five minutes, and things are off on the right foot. Problem is, nothing significant comes of these elements. Take the setting: a “War Games”-ish mix of time zones, with people inserted into them and programmed not to notice the flaws in their surroundings. There’s a chance here to explore these different time zones, or to explore the inhabitants’ experiences — but instead the story opts to use these varying settings as glorified corridors, places through which the Doctor and Lucie can run. We’ve got an interesting supporting character in Spring-Heeled Sophie (Clare Buckfield): a self-described funambulist who uses the city’s rooftops as her personal walkways. She’s got that “noble rogue” heroism so beloved of Doctor Who historicals, but we never learn anything about her — she’s a cipher in interesting clothes, little more than a sounding board, a surrogate companion. And then there’s the villain, Sepulchre (Rupert Vansittart), and a stunning revelation about his relationship with the different Londons — none of which is ever explained! What are his motives? Why does the Doctor leave the situation unresolved? What was the significance of the plot? “Dead London” comes across as Mills coming up with a good idea, then scribbling down a first draft and turning it in.
Despite my complaints about the writing, I have none about the acting. Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith are an excellent pairing: McGann conveys the Doctor’s delight at his surroundings with his usual joie de vivre, while Smith slips effortlessly back into the role of Lucie Miller. I really do enjoy her character: she’s smart, quick-witted, and confident, and gives the play a drive that some other companions cannot. Buckfield’s performance is a lot of fun, though she sounds almost exactly like Smith — their scenes together get confusing! Vansittart clearly enjoys the opportunity to play a Doctor Who villain, throwing himself into his various roles with OTT aplomb. The production, too, is solid: Simon Robinson’s sound design makes each time zone believable, and his score is atmospheric yet unintrusive. There’s a clear attempt to give these McGann stories a “new series” energy, and this is evident in Barnaby Edwards’ assured, kinetic direction.
“Dead London” isn’t terrible, but as the “season premiere” of the second set of McGann adventures, it needed to be better than this. It lacks focus, there’s nothing in it to grab the attention, and the resolution is anything but. The performances and design elevate it to average level, but this is a play strongly in need of editing, not release.
DEAD LONDON
I liked the first series of “Eighth Doctor Adventures” from Big Finish. Sure, there were a couple of missteps, but it represented a confident step in a new direction for the company and it featured, in “Human Resources,” one of the best audio stories in recent memory. I found myself looking forward to the second series: a series of acclaimed authors, some juicy rumors about returning villains, and a series-closing two-parter shrouded in mystery. And with legendary comic writer Pat Mills penning the first episode, things were bound to get off to a strong start, right?
Nope!
“Dead London” opens fantastically: the Doctor finds himself on trial for a parking offense, but is suddenly sentenced to death as the time period appears to change; Lucie, meanwhile, roams the streets of London during a 1917 zeppelin raid. We’ve got a conceit, a setting, and a villain all in the first five minutes, and things are off on the right foot. Problem is, nothing significant comes of these elements. Take the setting: a “War Games”-ish mix of time zones, with people inserted into them and programmed not to notice the flaws in their surroundings. There’s a chance here to explore these different time zones, or to explore the inhabitants’ experiences — but instead the story opts to use these varying settings as glorified corridors, places through which the Doctor and Lucie can run. We’ve got an interesting supporting character in Spring-Heeled Sophie (Clare Buckfield): a self-described funambulist who uses the city’s rooftops as her personal walkways. She’s got that “noble rogue” heroism so beloved of Doctor Who historicals, but we never learn anything about her — she’s a cipher in interesting clothes, little more than a sounding board, a surrogate companion. And then there’s the villain, Sepulchre (Rupert Vansittart), and a stunning revelation about his relationship with the different Londons — none of which is ever explained! What are his motives? Why does the Doctor leave the situation unresolved? What was the significance of the plot? “Dead London” comes across as Mills coming up with a good idea, then scribbling down a first draft and turning it in.
Despite my complaints about the writing, I have none about the acting. Paul McGann and Sheridan Smith are an excellent pairing: McGann conveys the Doctor’s delight at his surroundings with his usual joie de vivre, while Smith slips effortlessly back into the role of Lucie Miller. I really do enjoy her character: she’s smart, quick-witted, and confident, and gives the play a drive that some other companions cannot. Buckfield’s performance is a lot of fun, though she sounds almost exactly like Smith — their scenes together get confusing! Vansittart clearly enjoys the opportunity to play a Doctor Who villain, throwing himself into his various roles with OTT aplomb. The production, too, is solid: Simon Robinson’s sound design makes each time zone believable, and his score is atmospheric yet unintrusive. There’s a clear attempt to give these McGann stories a “new series” energy, and this is evident in Barnaby Edwards’ assured, kinetic direction.
“Dead London” isn’t terrible, but as the “season premiere” of the second set of McGann adventures, it needed to be better than this. It lacks focus, there’s nothing in it to grab the attention, and the resolution is anything but. The performances and design elevate it to average level, but this is a play strongly in need of editing, not release.
5/10