Trapped in Pompeii, the Seventh Doctor and Mel are desperate to escape before Mount Vesuvius erupts. But history is working against them.
Trapped in Pompeii, the Seventh Doctor and Mel are desperate to escape before Mount Vesuvius erupts. But history is working against them.
THE FIRES OF VULCAN
After the success of The Marian Conspiracy, it was unsurprising that Big Finish would return to the historical genre. With The Fires of Vulcan, they turned to veteran Who author Steve Lyons, one of the most acclaimed writers of the BBC/Virgin range, and he did not disappoint, turning in a fine script that helped bridge the S24/25 gap and provide yet another renaissance for a previously reviled Doctor Who character.
The setting of The Fires of Vulcan — Pompeii at the time of the eruption of Vesuvius — is easily the greatest strength of the story, as both the listener and the main characters know exactly what is destined to happen within a matter of hours. As such, a sense of impending doom hangs over the play, compounded by the naive ignorance of the residents of the city. Upon the eruption of the volcano, the drama intensifies, making the complete faith of those who refused to evacuate even more painful to hear. Lyons additionally offers some historical depth, as some of the characters in the play are real historical figures — but of course the author is able to offer his own interpretations of their personalities, as little more than their names are known.
The central conceit of the play — the paradox — is well-handled, with the framing device at the open providing an extra level of urgency. I love the idea of the TARDIS being excavated at Pompeii, and, though the ultimate justification for this at the conclusion has been called a cop-out by some, it merely demonstrates ingenuity on the part of the Doctor. The paradox is hardly the reason for the play’s existence, after all, as it exists to drive the characters, who are the main focus of the script.
After a questionable outing in The Genocide Machine, Sylvester McCoy’s seventh Doctor returns to form here, offering a brooding, melancholy take on the character that is refreshingly free of NA-style scheming. The Doctor’s reluctance to get involved is perfectly fitting with the season 24 character — we see him enter a mood like this in Time and the Rani, for example — and Lyons ably demonstrates with this character that season 24 stories are not limited to farcical runarounds. McCoy’s performance is excellent, his melancholy utterly believable, and his inflection subdued and free of gratuitous rolled “r”s.
The true revelation of The Fires of Vulcan, though, is Bonnie Langford, who returns for the first time to her companion role as Mel. Written on TV as an irritating, sanctimonious idiot, the announcement of Mel in a Big Finish production brought great suspicion from Who fans who believed that The Fires of Vulcan would turn into a latter-day Paradise Towers. Lyons, however, writes the character perfectly, maintaining all of her good qualities (honest, moralistic, etc.) while actually making her act like a real human being. Sure, her protests against the Roman culture of slavery aren’t the wisest protests to make, but they’re not silly, nor are they annoying. And Langford’s performance backs this up — she’s got the same enthusiasm as before but it’s a much more nuanced performance. This Mel is a perfect foil for the brooding Doctor; I’d love to see more pairings of this variety.
The supporting cast is strong as usual, with a particularly strong performance by Steven Wickham as Murranus. His performance evokes Brian Blessed, yet Lyons gives the character believable motivation, correctly pointing out that public perception is a life and death matter to a gladiator. Gemma Bissix is fine as Aglae, though there’s nothing too challenging about the role, but I have to wonder about Nicky Goldie’s role — did ancient Rome really have small-town Brit-com innkeepers?
Alistair Lock’s sound design might be the best yet, as the usual wall-of-sound BF style for loud noises works perfectly here; the erupting volcano seems to be everywhere at once. The music is similarly fitting, adding an eerie, doomladen atmosphere to the play. Gary Russell does his usual strong job as director, while particular praise should be extended to Clayton Hickman for an excellent cover design.
The Fires of Vulcan is the second strong historical offering from Big Finish, and it features little in the way of flaws. While there isn’t much in the way of subtext in the play, it offers a unique and masterful take on season 24, giving a new take on the seventh Doctor and Mel and surrounding it with an excellent production. Very strongly recommended.
9/10