Recent Reviews

  • From Styre on V – Return of the Daleks

    RETURN OF THE DALEKS

    With the end of 2006 and the departure of long-time Big Finish Doctor Who producer Gary Russell came two things: the annual subscribers’ bonus release and the arrival of new producer Nicholas Briggs. While the start of the Briggs era is generally regarded as the January 2007 release “Circular Time,” the first BF Doctor Who play with Briggs’ name on it was “Return of the Daleks,” fittingly a play linking the Doctor Who series with Briggs’ own Dalek Empire series. And, much like the Dalek Empire series itself, “Return of the Daleks” is full of both impressive moments and maddening inconsistencies.

    Perhaps most impressive about this play — also written by Briggs — is its use of continuity. Describing the Jon Pertwee serial “Planet of the Daleks” as “bad” would be charitable, and yet Briggs takes that serial’s more interesting elements and translates them seamlessly into audio. It certainly makes sense that the Daleks would attempt to recover their frozen army on Spiridon, and the script revisits the Daleks’ problems with light-wave sickness to fascinating effect. The grander implications regarding the first Dalek Empire series are interesting as well: if the Daleks succeeded here, would they have felt it necessary to capture Project Infinity?

    That’s probably the motive for the intervention by the seventh Doctor, presented here traveling alone, without a departed Ace and Hex. Briggs writes a wonderfully-enigmatic Doctor, played to brilliant effect by Sylvester McCoy, who tempts Kalendorf (Gareth Thomas) with secrets and half-truths. Perhaps it was unbelievable that the first Dalek Empire series could have proceeded without any involvement from the Doctor, but here we see that he was indeed involved, fighting small battles while allowing humanity to defend itself on a grand scale. We also see why the Dalek Empire series were better off without the Doctor: the Daleks drop everything when they learn of the presence of their ancient enemy, and McCoy’s presence naturally overshadows that of Thomas and Sarah Mowat’s Susan Mendes. But this qualification goes both ways: the Doctor Who format has never worked very well with the epic tone of the Dalek Empire saga, and that is illustrated perfectly by the ludicrous ending of “Return of the Daleks.” The first 90% of the play takes place over a relatively short period of time, but at the conclusion, the Doctor sacrifices himself to years of Dalek slavery in order to keep Kalendorf alive. Adding this sort of detail to the Doctor’s history isn’t something to be done on a whim, and yet Briggs throws it out there without any sort of background or consequence, cheapening the entire play and rendering it unbelievable.

    The acting from the Dalek Empire leads is as good as at any point in that series — Mowat and Thomas play Suz and Kalendorf at their most strained, and impress. Christine Brennan also turns in a fine performance as Zalerian leader Skerrill — and, of course, Briggs is exceptional as ever as the Daleks. Matthew Cochrane’s sound design easily recaptures the feel of the original Dalek Empire series, while melding it with more Doctor Who-oriented effects, and Briggs’ music works much the same. Ultimately, though, the problem lies with the script: it’s a decent, unmemorable Doctor Who runaround until the shocking, disappointing ending. As a Dalek Empire play, this is very good — but as a Doctor Who play, it isn’t. Perhaps that will be the legacy of “Return of the Daleks” — an illustration of how Dalek Empire worked in part because it wasn’t Doctor Who in the first place.

    6/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:32 pm
  • From Styre on IV – Cryptobiosis

    CRYPTOBIOSIS

    With the end of 2005 came the annual subscriber-only release from Big Finish: Elliot Thorpe’s Cryptobiosis. Unlike its two predecessors, however, Cryptobiosis is a very traditional Doctor Who play, featuring a small cast, the mentality of a “base under siege” story, and an incredibly straightforward plot.

    Thorpe attempts to invert some traditional Doctor Who tropes to generate drama: the best example of this is at the beginning when the Doctor is imprisoned for a crime he obviously did not commit, only to discover that Callany has done so to keep the Doctor out of danger. With only one other character on board capable of movement, the identity of the “bad guy” is painfully clear, but as the story is partially about De Requin’s insanity this doesn’t matter too much. The revelation that Amy is a mermaid is equally obvious, but it asks some interesting questions about life on Earth and gives Colin Baker a chance at a new series-esque speech marveling at the wonders of the planet.

    Yet despite the interesting ideas on display, there just isn’t much to say about the script. It’s mostly well-structured, with each scene following logically from the last — except for De Requin’s descent into madness at the conclusion, which seems to come out of left field. Still, it’s a good script for the characters — we get to see Peri’s moral outrage at Amy’s death and the treatment of the child, we get to see the Doctor lose his TARDIS and regain it from the mer-people, and we get an ending rife with dramatic irony. Thorpe also gives the script an excellent sense of isolation — the lack of a supporting cast, usually a weakness, actually adds to this feeling.

    Colin Baker’s performance is up to its usual standard of excellence. Between unjust imprisonment, losing his TARDIS, reasoning with a practically-alien race as well as a lunatic, and protecting his companion, the Doctor is given a great deal to do, and Baker shows the strong moral core that has made his Big Finish appearances so appealing. Nicola Bryant joins him for the first time since the last subscriber release (Her Final Flight), and continues to show how this pairing could have matured if allowed to grow on television — there’s an obvious warmth and chemistry between them.

    The four-person supporting cast is led by Michael Cuckson’s Captain Callany, who initially appears to be insanely paranoid, but Cuckson restrains his performance as the play continues, giving his character a strong honorable sense. Billy Miller does much the same as Nerus — the merpeople have what appears to be a slightly different moral code, and Miller makes his character sound trustworthy with a dangerous undercurrent. Naomi Paxton dials the melodrama up to 11 as Amy, especially at her death, but the real ham sandwich of this play is Tony Beck, who gives one of the most OTT performances in Doctor Who history as De Requin. It’s not appealing, unfortunately — his delusional cackles at the conclusion are mind-bogglingly awful.

    With a one-disc release and a small supporting cast, it is obvious that Cryptobiosis was working from a smaller budget than the main releases. But this isn’t apparent at all in David Darlington’s sound design, which expertly recreates the sound of a steamship. As mentioned above, there’s a very oppressive, claustrophobic feeling to the play, and much of this is down to Darlington’s work — his music is first-rate as well. Gary Russell’s direction keeps the pace flowing well and shows a keen grasp of the material — but some restraint on Tony Beck, please!

    Overall, Cryptobiosis is another worthwhile subscriber bonus. As with its predecessors, it’s only a little better than average as a Doctor Who play, but an average Doctor Who story with excellent production is more than enough to expect from a free bonus CD.

    6/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:31 pm
  • From Styre on III – Her Final Flight

    HER FINAL FLIGHT

    For their 2004 subscriber-only release, Big Finish turned to their open submission pile, selecting Julian Shortman’s Her Final Flight for release as a two-part story. In comparison with its predecessor, The Maltese Penguin, Her Final Flight is much more “important” — it’s a serious story with far-reaching effects — but ultimately it features the same level of quality.

    As I stated in my review of The Last, a story which heavily features a “virtual” reality which is either erased or reset by play’s end cannot focus upon events within that reality for dramatic effect. Many have accused Shortman of making this mistake, but wisely the dramatic focus of his story is not upon the inhabitants of Refiloe, nor even the fate of Peri. Her Final Flight focuses instead upon the Doctor, examining his reactions under certain stimuli. Indeed, the virtual reality is intentionally unbelievable: it’s a stock Doctor Who plot, complete with a ranting, villainous high priest and a cautiously supportive layman. Yes, it’s obvious that this is a VR world, but to my mind that information only adds to the drama.

    Unfortunately, there is no dramatic satisfaction provided by the script. We know that a mysterious Agent has hired Rashaa to torture the Doctor to breaking point and drive him to suicide, but we never find out why. Indeed, it’s debatable whether or not we truly see the Doctor at breaking point. When the Doctor escapes the influence of the implant, he resolves the plot within five minutes through the use of an obvious trick. And, of course, the ending requires a sequel, something which becomes annoying when no such thing has been announced.

    The actors, though, play this to the hilt. We get to see the full range from Colin Baker, as the Doctor is confronted with a dying population, the prospect of regaining a lost companion and then losing her again, and a seeming inability to control events. This is a powerful performance, and it’s difficult not to react strongly to Baker’s acting — yet again, I ask you, why couldn’t we have seen this on television?

    Nicola Bryant returns as Peri, teaming up with the sixth Doctor for the first time since all the way back in …ish. Of course, she’s not real, so this play doesn’t provide an actual explanation of her life post-Trial, but her jaded future self is believable and well-played by Bryant. She and Baker show a fine chemistry, something seen briefly in the first segment of The Trial of a Time Lord — though I must say the vomiting was a bit gratuitous.

    Conrad Westmaas takes some time off from his regular role as C’rizz to play Damus the high priest, and he’s nothing short of amazing. Yes, he’s reading canned lines in a clichéd voice, but he goes so over the top that it’s impossible not to enjoy his performance. Heather Tracy is also over the top, but unfortunately her role doesn’t call for the same thing. Jonathan Owen nicely fills the role of Hamiyun, while Steven Bugdale turns in a sinister performance as the Agent that’s just crying out for a return appearance.

    David Darlington’s sound design is first-rate, providing bizarre electronic effects that overwhelm the senses at the right times: the breakdown of the TARDIS is quite convincing, for example. His music, too, is more intense than is normal for a BF release, but the play is made all the better because of it. Despite a fairly quick pace, the play could perhaps have been tightened up even more — 75+ minutes for two parts is getting excessive — but Gary Russell seems to have done a fine job directing in any case.

    Overall, Her Final Flight proves to be a worthwhile release. Some unfortunate decisions were made with regard to the conclusion, but the ideas contained within are very solid. This would probably be worth purchasing; as a giveaway it’d be hard not to recommend.

    6/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:29 pm
  • From Styre on II – Shada

    SHADA

    It seemed as though every Doctor Who outlet attempted a story of some kind for the program’s fortieth anniversary in 2003, from BBC Books’ Deadly Reunion to Big Finish’s own Zagreus. BBCi, producers of Death Comes to Time and Real Time, decided to get in on the act as well, having been approached by Big Finish about a remake of the only unfinished Doctor Who story: Douglas Adams’ Shada. As Tom Baker proved unwilling to participate, Paul McGann took over the lead role, with Lalla Ward returning to the cast, and the result was a very solid if unspectactular remake of one of Doctor Who’s most famous lost treasures.

    It’s difficult to review Shada on its face simply because of the existing material from Season 17. Any review will inevitably provoke comparisons between the two, mostly centering around the performances of the different actors and the modifications made to the script by Gary Russell. However, in terms of Adams’ original script, there are a few criticisms that can be made: as with many six-episode stories, it’s padded throughout, and the plot starts to approach incomprehensibility towards the end. However, there are simply so many ideas packed into the script and so many brilliant set pieces that Adams makes up for some of the dramatic deficiencies. It’s the worst of his three Doctor Who scripts but it’s still insane enough to hold the interest of the audience throughout.

    As for the modifications made by Gary Russell for the purposes of audio, they’re well-written for the most part. I dislike the opening scene, which seems intended not to justify the inclusion of McGann and an older Ward but rather to canonize the half-finished nature of the original Shada and the scenes excised from it in The Five Doctors. As such, it’s forced and unnecessary. However, many of the other modifications are excellent: rarely does Russell adapt to audio with obvious expositionary dialogue. His streamlining of the ending to include a more logical role for the Krargs is sensible, but it’s difficult to say whether or not a plot change that isn’t necessary for the format should be written by another author.

    Unfortunately, the biggest problem with Shada lies with Paul McGann in the central role. McGann does the best he possibly can with the material, approaching it with unmatched enthusiasm and effort. The problem, though, is that McGann is not Tom Baker, the actor for whom the script was written. Baker has a unique talent for humor: he interprets lines in odd ways, giving them an alien, humorous quality that simply has not been matched by any of his colleagues in the role. McGann does not have this ability, talented as he may be, and as a result much of the humor falls flat. The “…and twenty-thirdly” scene, for example, doesn’t work at all coming from McGann. This isn’t his fault, of course, but it’s an unfortunate side effect of remaking a script written for somebody else.

    Lalla Ward, on the other hand, returns to the script and sounds as though she never left. The script is modified to recognize the changes in the character, but the essential humor is left alone and Ward nails it, adding just the right degree of maturity for the sake of believability. Indeed, as the only returning actor to the story, she was the only one with prior familiarity with the material — and her command of the role must have made the job easier for her fellow actors.

    Returning to the role of K9 is John Leeson — but, ironically enough, it was David Brierley who voiced K9 in Shada. Leeson accomplishes two things with his performance: first, he proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that he’s the better of the two voice actors; second, he sounds as though he’s never left the role. All of the other actors that have returned to Doctor Who have, to one degree or another, displayed the effects of age in their voices; Leeson sounds absolutely identical to his performances from 25 years prior. K9 is every inch as technical, narrow-minded, and smarmy as ever and it’s a delight to hear him again.

    The supporting cast assembled by director Nicholas Pegg is easily the most acclaimed in BF history, and it mostly lives up to its reputation. James Fox gives a much different spin on the role of Professor Chronotis, and though I found it over the top at the beginning, his performance after his resurrection is sublime. Andrew Sachs reinterprets Skagra as a ranting megalomaniac but also adds some fascinating color: a lack of understanding of Earth cultural terminology, for example. Sean Biggerstaff gives Chris Parsons something of a more heroic turn than that seen on television, while here we actually get to see Clare Keightley do something, and Susannah Harker lends credence to what had been a relatively unknown character. Melvyn Hayes puts a nice spin on Wilkin as well, and Hannah Gordon is suitably sultry as the voice of Skagra’s Ship. Rounding things out, Barnaby Edwards and Stuart Crossman give their best unintelligible growls as Krargs.

    Gareth Jenkins has the responsibility of recreating for audio certain scenes which were already seen on television, and he blends old and new sound effects with ease to create a natural sound environment. Russell Stone’s score obviously tries to imitate the Dudley Simpson scores of the time and succeeds admirably — it’s nice to hear a real score for Shada for once. And Nicholas Pegg uses the extra time for production to perfection: despite some of the aforementioned script issues, this is a very polished production which has clearly had the benefit of more intensive direction and additional retakes. A fine job of production as always, something which was necessary for the play’s broader audience.

    Shada marks the only remake of a Doctor Who story ever attempted by Big Finish, and all the positives and negatives of such an attempt show through. Though some aspects of the script jar with the audio medium and the recasted lead actor, this remains for the most part a fine production and an excellent tribute to both a lost story and a late, lamented author. Not perfect, but arguably the best that could be hoped for under the circumstances.

    7/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:28 pm
  • From Styre on I – Real Time

    REAL TIME

    This review covers the Big Finish CD release, not the animated webcast.

    The success of Death Comes To Time prompted the creation of another webcast audio drama, this time produced by Big Finish and coming across as a much more traditional Doctor Who story, despite its technique and Doctor/companion pairing. Range producer and prolific novel author Gary Russell penned his first audio script for this release, which featured a narrative style new to Doctor Who: the plot would transpire in real time, taking place over the same sixty minutes of the production.

    Unfortunately, the script sounds as though the concept of the real-time nature of events was devised before the details were hammered out — and furthermore, once things get underway, there is absolutely no attention drawn to the fact that this is the case. Events within the play happen with very inconsistent timing, seemingly only to drag the running time out to an hour — it’s been pointed out elsewhere that the Cyberconversions range from taking seconds to a half an hour without any attempt at explanation. Secondly, the occurrence of events in real time isn’t apparent without consideration: when the play is complete, rather than thinking “Wow, what an innovative use of time,” the listener might realize a few hours later “Wait a minute, I think that occurred in real time!” despite the presence of the title. The use of a countdown timer is an old cliche, but something like that would have been very effective here.

    The ending is fascinating, however. With the vision of an alternate future in which the Cybermen are the dominant life form, Russell turns the listener’s expectations upside down: rather than averting the Cyber-victory, the Doctor inadvertently causes it. This does have the unfortunate effect of de-canonizing the story — since the Cybermen clearly aren’t the dominant race of the universe — unless of course a sequel is prepared, and this conclusion certainly seems to be begging for a sequel. This is also the first awful fate to befall Evelyn — but those will crop up later in the range.

    It’s doubtful that Sylvester McCoy’s performance in Death Comes to Time could have ever been seriously challenged by another internet production, but Colin Baker turns in an excellent performance nonetheless. Selecting a sixth Doctor story for this webcast was a brilliant idea — many people who would never have picked up a Big Finish audio still consider Colin Baker to be a terrible Doctor, and this play does a great deal to change that opinion. Baker is commanding without being irritating, witty without being obnoxious, and sympathetic without being maudlin. When he says he’s willing to sacrifice those around him to protect the TARDIS, he’s utterly believable.

    Evelyn might be a new companion, relatively speaking, but here she sounds like she’s been around forever. The opening scene on the CD release between the Doctor and Evelyn is a great deal of fun — it’s a shame it didn’t make it onto the web. As an older companion, Evelyn relates differently not just to the Doctor but to events around her, and her appeals to the Cybercontroller are much different than those one would expect from, for example, a Peri. Russell’s script shows a strong understanding of the regulars, something which is only made better by the talents of the actors involved.

    Having just seen the new series episode Dalek, I’m struck by the amazing vocal talent of Nicholas Briggs, and his turn as the Cybercontroller is excellent. Apparently Stewart Lee and Richard Herring constitute some sort of comedy duo, and they acquit themselves well as Carey and Renchard. Jane Goddard is excellent as Nicola Savage as well. However, I still fail to understand the interest of Big Finish in casting Yee Jee Tso in anything. Yes, he was in the TV movie, but that doesn’t mean anything — it certainly shouldn’t earn him top billing on the CD cover. Perhaps if he was a talented actor, I’d understand it, but he’s as wooden as my bedposts — his performance as Goddard, arguably the most crucial role in the play, is absolutely diabolical and ruins almost every scene in which he features.

    Gary Russell directs his own script and, though he keeps things together well, the play noticeably overruns. Fortunately this has no negative impact on the quality, but one is forced to wonder precisely why it was so impossible to cut the material down to sixty minutes. Sound design was reportedly a nightmare, but it’s impossible to tell from the production itself — Alistair Lock’s work is suitably chilling, with horrifying sound effects accompanying Cyberconversion and an effective, doom-laden score.

    Real Time has come in for quite a bashing in some quarters, and this seems to be due to the common Doctor Who fan reaction of viciously condemning a production for daring to be merely average. Real Time has its flaws — the script is loose in places and Yee Jee Tso is in it — but it’s also quite gripping in places and asks some interesting questions. Whether it’s worth the purchase is another question, but it was certainly good enough to warrant an internet release.

    Slightly better than average, but definitely worth hearing at least once.

    6/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:27 pm
  • From Styre on DWM 393 – Cuddlesome

    CUDDLESOME

    While I’ve generally enjoyed the free Big Finish releases given waway with Doctor Who Magazine, I find myself wondering in the wake of “Cuddlesome” just what their purpose is supposed to be. Certainly these plays aren’t going to be earth-shattering, game-changing releases — but, nonetheless, they must be intended to attract new listeners to Big Finish. In light of the new series, is something quite so lightweight and pointless really the best way to accomplish this?

    I gather that “Cuddlesome” is a remake of an Audio Visuals play from some time ago. None of these adaptations have been particularly good — “Sword of Orion” probably being the best — and “Cuddlesome” does nothing to reverse this trend. I’m struck by its essential sameness: there’s really nothing here to set it apart from countless other average Doctor Who stories, despite some unusual choices of villains. There’s a man whose emotional weaknesses and desire for revenge are being exploited by aliens for the purposes of conquest, there’s an attempt by those same aliens to introduce themselves into our culture through our consumerism, and the Doctor happens to wander into the middle of it. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with Doctor Who repeating itself — some great stories have done this — but there needs to be some sort of new take on the material to make it worthwhile. Here, there’s no depth whatsoever: we’re told that these toys have been abandoned since the 1980s, and they’re emerging now, but there’s no attempt at thematic resonance. This story is crying out for some acknowledgement and/or condemnation of our society’s love of “retro” — but all we get is silly repetition of ‘80s American catchphrases seemingly derived from old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles episodes. It’s not cute, it’s annoying.

    The acting, of course, is excellent — something which is practically de rigueur when it comes to Big Finish productions these days. Peter Davison clearly takes this more seriously than his fellows, and his deadpan approach to a story about rampaging alien stuffed animals provides its own amusement. The supporting cast is excellent — David Troughton especially has a whale of a time chewing the scenery as the Tinghus — but reading another recent review of “Cuddlesome” (at blog “The Medium Is Not Enough”) made me think about Big Finish’s casting policies. Since the 2007 “relaunch,” BF has been putting its guest cast front and center on its package art. While I’m not wholly ignorant of British film and television, I rarely have any idea who these highly-regarded actors are — and yeah, their performances are good, but is the focus starting to shift away from writing and towards casting? I hope not.

    “Cuddlesome” is a bizarre mixture of straightforward Doctor Who storytelling, misplaced humor, and adaptation. It’s not particularly entertaining, and it certainly isn’t particularly interesting. “It’s got pink vampire hamsters.. AND PATHOS!” Great. Not sure who this is supposed to attract, but DWM readers definitely aren’t getting the best of Big Finish.

    4/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:26 pm
  • From Styre on DWM 367 – The Veiled Leopard

    THE VEILED LEOPARD

    We’re all used to the style of the free Big Finish releases attached to Doctor Who Magazine: mostly inconsequential tales with (“Last of the Titans” excepted) lighthearted tones. Each of the four Big Finish Doctors was given one release, and three of them flew solo — and with “The Veiled Leopard,” authors Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett give us the next logical step: a companions-only tale. Like its predecessors, “The Veiled Leopard” is throwaway stuff — but also like its predecessors, it’s a fun way to spend 45 minutes, and it’s impressive that material this good is being given away for free.

    “The Veiled Leopard” is, first and foremost, an homage to The Pink Panther, concerning as it does an elaborate series of attempted jewel heists. The eponymous jewel is being displayed at a costume ball, but thieves are about: Peri and Erimem have been dispatched by the fifth Doctor to protect it from one thief, while Ace and Hex have been assigned by the seventh Doctor to steal it for themselves. The usual sorts of hijinks ensue, with the companions adopting different personas to gain the good graces of their hosts (or fellow thieves) and doing lots of sneaking around in dark rooms and leaping down laundry chutes. It’s mostly throwaway stuff, which is why the characterization is a particular delight: “The Veiled Leopard” isn’t supposed to be a tightly-constructed heist caper, it’s supposed to be an exploration of the companions and how they behave when separated from the Doctor. Much has been said of the “sisterly” relationship developed between Peri and Erimem, and here Nicola Bryant and Caroline Morris continue to build upon their strong chemistry. Peri seems a bit too interested in just getting drunk — but hey, she’s young — while Erimem is forced at one point to reconcile the pop-culture view of her people with her own experience. It’s an intriguing little moment in among the breezy characterization. Sophie Aldred, meanwhile, makes it very obvious that Ace loves being in charge, and the character is a lot of fun: free of her angst, she can finally use her experience to control a situation and enjoy herself in the process. Philip Olivier is also broadening his horizons as Hex — and he finally gets to relax in this play, after being put through the wringer in his first few adventures.

    I’m a relatively atypical Doctor Who fan in that I don’t particularly worry about plot — indeed, contrary to the most common complaint I’ve heard about this episode, I don’t like that we’re given any background information at all. Yes, the revelation that the Leopard is actually a repository for a race’s genetic and cultural data lends meaning to the proceedings, but the explanation is rather rushed, almost as if it’s there simply to give the story a sci-fi underpinning. Better, I think, to leave the background out, and let the heist plot and, more importantly, the characters stand on their own.

    The small supporting cast shines: Lizzie Hopley, who has featured in a number of recent plays, and Alan Ruscoe form a nice pairing as Lady Lillian and Peter Mathis, while Steven Wickham’s gravelly tones impress as Walker. The star of the play, though, might be David Darlington, whose score is an absolute delight — one of the best he’s ever done for Big Finish.

    No, there’s not much substance here, but “The Veiled Leopard” is pure fun. An homage, a caper, a chance to get to know the characters — the descriptions go on and on, and that’s doubly impressive given that this story is a free giveaway. Seek it out, if you can — and when you’re done listening, you’ll have a magazine to read. Sounds like a plan to me.

    7/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:25 pm
  • From Styre on DWM 337 – Living Legend

    LIVING LEGEND

    With thanks to Chad Moore.

    The fourth and most recent Doctor Who Magazine free release in the Doctor Who range, Living Legend marks yet another foray into the lighthearted world of comedy for Big Finish. With Paul McGann and India Fisher on hand, BF turned to regular DWM comic writer Scott Gray for a short adventure, and his script fits the bill: it’s fun, it’s diverting, and it doesn’t overstay its welcome.

    Living Legend does some fun work with perspectives. First, the Doctor and Charley pose as formal Time Lords, with Charley acting as the leader and the Doctor playing the idiot subordinate. Playing up the noninterventionist stereotype allows the Doctor to “mess up” and reveal the “future” to Threllip lord Vengorr, while Charley stirs assistant Thom into a humiliated, angry rage. Realizing the actions of sports fans aren’t exactly sane, Gray portrays World Cup fever from an alien perspective: it is actually a horrible disease which causes insanity, which leads to several hilarious scenes between the Doctor and Vengorr — after all, the only cure is heavy consumption of alcohol. Sure, there’s nothing particularly brilliant or innovative going on here, but Gray provides enough laughs to keep the listener’s interest for 22 minutes.

    It’s nice to hear Paul McGann in a play like this — here, much like in Invaders from Mars, the Doctor is thrown into a situation in which there is little to no danger, and as a result he just decides to have fun with it. It’s clear that McGann quite enjoys the role; he’s a joy to listen to and his enthusiasm is infectious. Similarly, without anything angsty or difficult over which to become irritatingly earnest, India Fisher’s Charley is delightful, using her wonderful chemistry with McGann to portray a TARDIS crew that is genuinely enjoying its adventures.

    The supporting cast consists of two actors. Stephen Perring’s Vengorr is a near-complete idiot — something underscored by his comedy accent — but his mystification at the onset of World Cup Fever is hilarious and his drunkenness even more so. Conrad Westmaas, meanwhile, steals the show as Thom, whose righteous anger and sarcastic asides had me laughing throughout.

    Simon Robinson handles the sound design, which is of a high quality, and what music there is suits the tone of the production. Gary Russell’s direction is as solid as ever — the cast clearly enjoyed recording this short script. It’s also nice hearing the Arnold theme, which helps to further unify BF’s eighth Doctor universe.

    Overall, Living Legend is easily the best of the three DWM releases I’ve heard. It doesn’t attempt to be particularly serious, and it doesn’t attempt to make a satirical point — it merely seeks to entertain for just under half an hour and it succeeds in this endeavor. Fun stuff.

    7/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:24 pm
  • From Styre on DWM 326 – No Place like Home

    NO PLACE LIKE HOME

    With thanks to OG poster Bobod.

    It’s sort of an odd thing to characterize a 35-minute Doctor Who audio drama as a tale of two halves, but that’s exactly what we get with “No Place Like Home,” the third free release to accompany an issue of Doctor Who Magazine. On the whole, it’s a fine release, but the tone of the opening jars somewhat with the tone of the conclusion. Regardless, this play is more than suitable for its role as a free “bonus” release, and it’s an enjoyable way to hear more of Iain McLaughlin’s work.

    The first half of “No Place Like Home” concerns the Doctor (Peter Davison) showing new companion Erimem (Caroline Morris) around the TARDIS. McLaughlin shows a real talent for comedy in these scenes: while they’re based upon fan minutiae, the jokes are genuinely funny and would easily work for a broader audience — you just know Davison was most embarrassed of Pertwee’s fashion sense, and his trademark sarcasm is used to hilarious effect. Erimem is given some fine character development as well — I loved the scene with the frozen pool — as she’s shown to be intelligent and capable, viewing the infinite corridors of the TARDIS with wonder and curiosity.

    Unfortunately, the second half of the play is all over the map. The concept of an alien force gaining control of the TARDIS is fine, and McLaughlin’s decision to up the absurdity content by revealing this villain to be a megalomaniacal mouse (Mark Donovan, going delightfully over the top) is indeed hilarious — but somehow it just doesn’t fit together. Perhaps the decision to make the mouse sympathetic had something to do with it; I think I would have preferred it had the villain been utterly ludicrous and unmotivated. The scene with the Doctor and Erimem cracking up is surprisingly believable, though nothing even remotely similar has been seen before with Davison. I also don’t particularly care for the inclusion of Shayde (Donovan again) — he’s basically devoid of personality, and his role seems incidental. Yes, he’s a character from the DWM comics, but that’s not enough to warrant his appearance.

    David Darlington handles the sound design, and gets to play around with the massive TARDIS interior. Echo effects seemed to increase the deeper the Doctor and Erimem got into the ship, and the massive dimensional control room was impressively represented — I just wish we could have heard the cloister room on its own, without listening through an intercom. Gary Russell’s direction is as solid as ever.

    Yes, it has some flaws, but “No Place Like Home” also has some delightful character work and an amusing plot. It doesn’t aspire to the heights of the full-length releases, naturally, and is all the better for it — and in the end it’s a delightful bonus to come along with a magazine.

    7/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:24 pm
  • From Styre on DWM 313 – The Ratings War

    THE RATINGS WAR

    With thanks to Chad Moore.

    Big Finish’s second Doctor Who Magazine bonus story, The Ratings War, came from prolific and celebrated author Steve Lyons and featured a rare dose of comics continuity. But despite the first appearance of Beep the Meep in the audio medium, the primary focus of the story dealt with the proliferation of reality television and its impact on our culture. Ironic that I’d listen to this after viewing a certain new series episode…

    I admit straight off that I’m not familiar with Big Brother or the UK reality culture, so I’m sure many of the references here went straight over my head. However, this is a fairly obvious condemnation of reality television, given that Beep intends to use it to take advantage of what is presented as the sheeplike idiocy of its viewers. Many will disagree with this assessment, but it’s not a fair basis for condemnation — thinking differently than Lyons doesn’t mean he’s written a bad script. The satire, such as it is, is amusing though fairly inconsequential, but that’s expected for a thirty minute play. There’s also the obligatory references to the Doctor Who cancellation, and I admit that they’re starting to grate by this point — but they’re done well enough for what they are.

    This might be the most unusual portrayal of the sixth Doctor I’ve ever seen. His basic characteristics are there, of course, but his plan is on the order of his next incarnation: when he enters the situation, he already knows what’s going to happen and exactly how to manipulate Beep into foiling his own scheme. Colin Baker plays this well, as expected — hearing him barge into a TV studio to complain about the quality of the programming is hilarious, and his confrontations with Beep are equally amusing.

    Beep the Meep is played by Toby Longworth, who brings his exceptional vocal talents to bear to produce a bad guy that is hilarious and menacing in turns. He sounds adorable when he’s trying to evoke sympathy, and his cruelty is voiced exactly how it came across on the DWM comic page. “Beep’s Song,” as mentioned in many other places, is great. Robert Jezek is okay, meanwhile, as Lowell, while Alistair Lock is annoying as Robbie McHale — but annoying in a good-’cause-the-script-called-for-it way. It’s a small cast, and, much like Last of the Titans, this is a two-hander for 90% of its length; fortunately the actors all pull it off with little difficulty.

    David Darlington’s sound design is effective — I’ve heard he provides a solid parody of Big Brother’s sound, though I wouldn’t know myself. Lock’s rendition of “Beep’s Song” is great, while Gary Russell’s direction keeps the humor going strong. The Ratings War is a well-produced little gem.

    Overall, The Ratings War is an improvement over its predecessor, but it still had a ways to go to achieve classic status. The satire, while amusing, is obvious, and the Doctor/Meep scenes, while funny, aren’t particularly tense. Still, this is a solid effort, produced well, and it’s very good indeed considering it’s a free giveaway.

    Recommended.

    6/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:23 pm
  • From Styre on DWM 300 – Last of the Titans

    LAST OF THE TITANS

    With thanks to Chad Moore.

    As a special benefit to Doctor Who Magazine readers, and with an eye towards promoting their range to the wider Who fan audience, Big Finish released a special promotional adventure in 2001 with issue 300. Nicholas Briggs’ Last of the Titans, a half-hour adaptation of an AudioVisuals script, accompanied episode 1 of the Paul McGann premiere Storm Warning. The result is exactly what one would expect from a free sampler: a straightforward, average production with little in the way of distinguishing features.

    The central conceit is very traditional: a professor genetically recreates an extinct branch of human development and, as the creature cannot understand its surroundings, it inevitably lashes out. Briggs nicely brings this concept into the future: Vilgreth, the Titanthrope, pilots a massive starship which uses whole planets for fuel. As he doesn’t understand the implications of this action, he only values his engines and their survival — there’s really nothing surprising here at all but at least it’s interesting enough to hold the attention.

    Sylvester McCoy carries this play on his shoulders and does a magnificent job. This is the pre-TVM seventh Doctor, and McCoy invests the character with the same sense of weariness heard in Project: Lazarus. One gets the sense that this Doctor just wants to go home, and perceives the problem as an annoyance; indeed, he solves the situation in a matter of minutes once he’s assessed the problems. McCoy’s narration is also a joy — he has the natural inflections of a talented storyteller.

    Last of the Titans is essentially a two-hander, and Nicholas Briggs provides the other character in Vilgreth. His performance, unfortunately, is rather comedic — rather than pathos he goes for the “comedy caveman” voice which sadly undercuts much of the drama. However, he does get an impressive range of emotion behind that voice — he’s undoubtedly a talented voice actor. Alistair Lock’s turn as Stelpor sounds remarkably like some of Gary Russell’s alien performances, and it serves the purpose. Lennox Greaves and Holly King round out the cast, though they do nothing more than recreate a news broadcast.

    Lock also handles the sound design, which is excellent — he skillfully recreates a massive spaceship interior with all its relevant sound effects. The score is impressive as well — a different score to many that BF have released but its wind emphasis is quite effective. Unfortunately, his attempt at the theme music is less impressive, but that’s hardly a problem with the production. Briggs’ direction keeps the dialogue between himself and McCoy snappy and effective, though again, there isn’t much about this to distinguish it.

    As repeated above, Last of the Titans is both a free giveaway and only 30 minutes long. As such, there’s no reason to expect greatness from the production. If this was a full release, it’d be disappointing, but given that it’s free I find the following rating entirely commendable.

    Average but worthwhile.

    5/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:22 pm
  • From Styre on 1.4 – The Wasting

    UNIT: THE WASTING

    I’ve noticed a recurring problem with Big Finish’s arc stories: questions posed in the first story are answered en masse at the conclusion, making the stories in the middle frustratingly inconclusive and rendering the final story overcrowded and nonsensical. Fortunately for the UNIT series, “The Wasting” resolves the plot in believable, logical fashion, and doesn’t even leave any loose ends. It helps that Iain McLaughlin and Claire Bartlett are concluding their own script from “Time Heals,” in that they could present mysteries like the disappearance of Brimmicombe-Wood (David Tennant) and the alien spaceship and know how they were going to end up — but, of course, there weren’t any hints about “The Wasting” in either “Snake Head” or “The Longest Night.” The Big Finish UNIT has the same problem as the classic series UNIT — no budget to show that the organization has more than four or five members — and so, with Dalton and Hoffman dead, the Brigadier is drafted back into the series to help run things with Chaudhry. Nicholas Courtney is absolutely delightful, showing a great rapport with Siri O’Neal, and the story features some wonderful nods to the past, up to and including a sort-of-appearance by Harry Sullivan!

    Unfortunately, “The Wasting” is too ambitious for its own good. A scene where Chaudhry addresses all the personnel at UNIT HQ is laughable — we don’t hear a word from any of them, but then we hear about 50 footstep effects as they march out of the room. Many of the battle scenes are painful: the gun effects vary wildly in volume without any context, and the action sequences are beset by characters spouting off expositionary dialogue. Tennant may be brilliant in this — yes, he’s gnawing on the scenery, but he’s more than talented enough to pull it off — but he’s given some terrible dialogue, especially in his final fight scene with Chaudhry. There’s also very little sense of place: I can’t say whether this is down to David Darlington’s sound design or Nicola Bryant’s direction, but the ICIS base sounds like the streets of London, which sound like the tunnels, which sound like a missile base somewhere in Russia. After the tight urgency of the first four productions, “The Wasting” is shockingly limp, which is not what is wanted in a series finale.

    A brief word on the presentation of the media in the UNIT series: it’s appalling. Francis Currie (Michael Hobbs) acts like a vampire, drawn to tragedy and desperate to feed upon suffering. He celebrates the plague outbreak without any perceivable irony. In short, he’s a slimeball, and his moment of heroism halfway through “The Wasting” doesn’t redeem him in my eyes. Chaudhry and the UNIT troops complain about the media throughout the series, and the news is only shown to be beneficial when they manipulate it into spreading their message — for a series so devoted to the causes of liberty and multiculturalism, it certainly seems to hate the idea of a free press!

    In sum, “The Wasting” is almost opposite to “The Longest Night” — while its predecessor was an exciting action thriller with silly politics, “The Wasting” presents enjoyable character moments interspersed with boring action sequences. It wraps things up competently enough, but the series finale should have been better than this.

    5/10

    Series average rating: 7.0

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:21 pm
  • From Styre on 1.3 – The Longest Night

    UNIT: THE LONGEST NIGHT

    I mentioned in my previous review that the otherwise-sublime “Snake Head” seemed out of place in the UNIT series, and Joseph Lidster’s “The Longest Night” confirms this — it’s a bombastic, seat-of-your-pants action thriller with more explosions and violence than you can shake a stick at. It’s also very well-made: Edward Salt’s direction is a particular high point, as the action sequences are gripping and never confusing, and David Darlington’s sound design continues to be some of his best. It also has the courage of its own convictions: Lidster’s script never shies away from the difficult moments, nor does it give its characters easy outs from impossible situations. There’s an argument to be made that “The Longest Night” doesn’t accomplish anything by killing its characters — the death of Hoffman (Robert Curbishley) in particular seems like an overblown tribute to a character we don’t even know — but there’s no question that consequences in the UNIT world are very real and very dangerous.

    The problem with “The Longest Night,” as with many movies and TV shows of its kind, lies with its politics. The ICIS baddies — specifically Kirby (Johnson Willis) — are one-note raving maniacs, almost across the board, taking nationalistic politics to ludicrous extremes. Opposition to Britain’s entry into a European super-state is one thing, but Kirby appears opposed to everything from immigration to women in the army. Yes, people opposed to “political correctness gone mad” are usually rationalizing their own racism — and people do say idiotic things like the “lesbian in a wheelchair” line — but organizing a national terror campaign? No wonder they needed a hypnosis device.

    In short, “The Longest Night” is excellent “turn your brain off” drama. Problem is, “turn your brain off” drama isn’t very good. I wasn’t offended by the one-note preachiness — just annoyed — but if you’re offended you’ll likely score this much lower.

    6/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:20 pm
  • From Styre on 1.2 – Snake Head

    UNIT: SNAKE HEAD

    I’m not entirely sure what the UNIT miniseries is going for. The prequel episode, “The Coup,” set up a competition between UNIT and ICIS and introduced the possibility of alien integration into human society, the first story, “Time Heals,” dealt with an end-justifies-the-means story of the consequences of experiments into matter transportation — and now, in Jonathan Clements’ “Snake Head,” we get… an X-Files-like story about a vampire stalking the coast? Tonal inconsistencies in the series aside, this is a very, very good production. After the explosive, epic scale of the first two stories, “Snake Head” is much slower and much calmer: we get to spend time with Dalton and Chaudhry, and enjoy their interactions as they investigate deaths in Southend. While Chaudhry is the UNIT political officer, the press hasn’t been shown in a good light thus far — but here, separated from the media pressures, we’re presented with a dialogue on information distribution and the tools the government can use to mislead the public. It’s all fed through the mouth of Dr. Hendrick (Ian Brooker) but, crucially, it’s believable: the Silurian meeting wasn’t just faked, it was faked (so he says) to mislead the British public into war in the future. Obvious, sure, but accurate — and thus necessary.

    This is tied to Dalton’s skepticism, which evokes the X-Files feel: while Dalton looks for the rational explanation, Chaudhry is more than willing to believe that a vârcolac is on the rampage. And, in true X-Files fashion, they’re both right. I don’t want to make this sound like a ripoff — it’s a well-constructed drama with excellent characterization and subtle political writing — it just wears its influences on its sleeve in true Doctor Who fashion. The acting is excellent across the board, from the leads to the supporting cast, and the design is top-notch. Director John Ainsworth recognizes the subdued tone of the script and doesn’t try to produce an action movie out of it. And so, despite the fact that it feels out of place with its predecessors, “Snake Head” is the best offering of the first three. It’s probably worth picking up even if you’re not interested in the rest of the series.

    Excellent.

    9/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:19 pm
  • From Styre on DWM 351 – The Coup

    UNIT: THE COUP

    I like this strategy: using a free Doctor Who Magazine giveaway CD to produce a 25 minute “prologue” of sorts to a longer miniseries. Simon Guerrier’s script is tight and efficient, and though it paints in broad strokes it lays down what I presume are some of the upcoming thematic elements of the UNIT series: we see the British government trying to absorb their branch of UNIT into the new, national ICIS organization, and the policy changes that go along with it. Yes, ICIS comes across as a stereotypical Orwellian bogeyman group, but with their attempts to suppress civil rights, promote torture, and employ violent diplomacy, their actions don’t necessarily sound so clichéd. We also see a moment the new series of Doctor Who has tried to portray: the moment when the existence of aliens is inescapably revealed to humanity, narrated, of course, by Nicholas Courtney’s Brigadier (now General Sir) Lethbridge-Stewart. And we see the emergence of the Silurians, this time extending an olive branch rather than loading a third eye — presumably the start of this relationship will be portrayed as the series continues. It’s absolutely Courtney’s play: while Siri O’Neal’s Emily Chaudhry is introduced, she’s second fiddle to the old stalwart, and in less than 30 minutes he uncovers a conspiracy, introduces the Silurians to humanity on a live BBC broadcast, and shoots down a helicopter! Ridiculous it may be, but Courtney has enough credibility in the role that the Brig could start levitating and we’d believe it. The production is stellar: despite its short length, sound designer David Darlington gives “The Coup” an epic feel, with an impressive battle on the streets of London overwhelming the listener right from the start. The music is brilliant, too — it’s melodic and thrilling in equal parts, the sort of incidentals I miss in the current BF Doctor Who range. Credit director Ian Farrington as well: this doesn’t feel anything like a feeling-out process, but rather a confident, assured debut of a new series. Overall, “The Coup” is impressive from top to bottom, and as a brief introduction it’s excellent — it’s probably the best DWM release of them all, honestly.

    8/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:18 pm
  • From Styre on 4 – Guilt

    I, DAVROS: GUILT

    In previous reviews, I’ve complained about Big Finish’s regular inability to provide satisfactory resolutions to plot arcs or miniseries. That trend is openly defied with “Guilt,” the final part to the I, Davros series and arguably the best of the four. Writer Scott Alan Woodard has been tasked with taking Davros from the onset of his infirmity through the creation of the Daleks, and the script is unrelenting in its presentation of Davros’s obsessive insanity. Terry Molloy, who showed a restrained anger in his performances as “healthy” Davros, lets everything out in “Guilt,” only allowing Davros kindness or patience when he’s getting exactly what he wants. Taxed with what he sees as the ultimate survival of the Kaled race, and their eventual transformation into gods — and isn’t that a brilliant source of the name “Dalek?” — he doesn’t accept any opposition, sweeping away the entire Council in a brutal coup. Peter Miles returns to the role of Nyder 30 years later, and he sounds exactly the same: just as cruel, just as unforgiving. And yet Woodard gives Nyder and Davros a friendship — perhaps the only time we’ve seen Davros enjoy a moment of levity in this series and, of course, it’s with the SS analogue! Lastly, and most disturbing, is Davros’s motherly concern for his mutant “children” — it explains his relationship with the Daleks in simple terms, but yet it’s truly unnerving.

    What of the “guilt” of the title? It’s not about feelings of guilt, but rather responsibility — and everyone we see is responsible for the ultimate rise of the Daleks. Davros’s role is obvious, of course, but consider: the Kaled Council and the Supremo could have stopped him long ago, but overlooked his experiments in the interests of winning the war. Calcula raised Davros to be ruthless, of course, while Yarvell compromised her principles and betrayed her brother’s trust. Yet most guilty of all is Skaro itself, war-torn for so long that its societies are defined by conflict, and its individuals embodied by people like Nyder and Baran (Nicholas Briggs). Little surprise, then, that mutation leads to the “evolution” of the Daleks, the ultimate products of a society that has known nothing but war and hatred. Nor is it a surprise that a Thal mutant is inside the first functional Dalek: they might be biologically different, but otherwise they’re exactly the same.

    The I, Davros series is a true achievement for Big Finish. Steve Foxon’s sound design is excellent throughout, his music grim and oppressive. Gary Russell’s direction is similarly effective, with every episode pitched perfectly. It would have been easy for Big Finish to take the lazy way out, making Davros the product of child abuse or having him driven insane by his injuries, but instead they’ve produced a carefully-crafted evolution of a madman. Davros is the inevitable product of Skaro — we know he’ll eventually create the Daleks, but now we know he’s truly a man of destiny. We can also see why the Doctor will become Davros’s natural enemy: both scientists, but possessing diametrically-opposed moral codes. This series was Gary Russell’s final project as Big Finish producer, and it’s only fitting that he went out on a masterpiece.

    All Doctor Who fans should own this series.

    10/10

    Series average: 8.8

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:17 pm
  • From Styre on 3 – Corruption

    I, DAVROS: CORRUPTION

    “Corruption” is arguably the most important of the I, Davros plays, simply because it depicts the moment of Davros’s crippling injuries that confine him to his famous life support chair. It’s unsurprising, then, that Lance Parkin, author of the brilliant “Davros” from the main Doctor Who range, writes this script, as he’d previously dealt with the same material. Ironically, this leads to the play’s biggest weakness: it’s much more effective if the listener is familiar with “Davros.” This is not to say that “Corruption” is sub-par — it’s excellent, in fact — but there are certain scenes that benefit from knowledge of the Doctor Who play. Davros’s relationship with Shan (Katarina Olsson), for example, isn’t completely fleshed out, and his betrayal of her to the Supremo isn’t nearly as tragic without that extra knowledge. We get to see Davros offered suicide from the perspective of the Supremo, and knowing that on the other side of the wall Davros is in the midst of the astonishing “When I press this switch, I will die” speech makes the scene all the more effective.

    With or without this knowledge, though, Parkin’s script is exceptional. This is easily the best portrayal of Calcula, as her manipulation and her obsession with her son’s success is now coupled with a vicious streak of black humor. She’s genuinely funny — as such things go — and yet chilling, as in the scene where she watches the massacre of the Thals. Perhaps she goes on a bit too long preaching about children’s television, but I suspect those speeches are there to make her final scene with Fenn (Daniel Hogarth) all the more shocking. I said in the previous review that Davros lacked interest in politics, and that is borne out here — he quickly learns the advantages of playing the game, as his manipulation of the Supremo shows, but he has no interest in gaining power. His single-mindedness is now becoming ruthless, and while he still appears unwilling to kill, he’s building toward that end…

    ..which is why the transformation is utterly gripping. Davros’s philosophy is utterly changed, as he now sees life from the perspective of someone dependant entirely upon machines for survival. He’s been experimenting on fetuses, and creating what are clearly Dalek mutants, but hasn’t been able to keep them alive upon delivery — the conclusion here is obvious. We know the Daleks are akin to Davros’s children, but this series is finally showing why: he considers emotion unnecessary to science, so why not breed out “unnecessary” emotions entirely? He’s kept alive by machines, and considers that this gives him enlightenment — why shouldn’t the Kaled race live the same way? The final chapter, “Guilt,” presumably takes us up to “Genesis of the Daleks” — and with the way this series has been building, I can’t wait.

    “Corruption” is great stuff, and highly recommended. Be sure to listen to “Davros” to appreciate it fully.

    9/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:16 pm
  • From Styre on 2 – Purity

    I, DAVROS: PURITY

    I’ve always contended that plot details aren’t necessarily important to the success of a drama, even in the Doctor Who universe, and the latest support of that position comes in the form of the second part of I, Davros. “Purity,” written by “LIVE 34” scribes James Parsons and Andrew Stirling-Brown, is entirely about Davros, about watching his development towards the maniac we’ll eventually meet in “Genesis of the Daleks.” It’s framed in a Kaled mission to investigate new Thal technology, but the details of the mission are irrelevant: we’re here to see how Davros reacts, and what we see is truly disturbing.

    Davros’s relentless personality is evident from the beginning. Now approaching thirty, he knows he’s too intelligent to be wasted on weapons testing — indeed, his redesigns, while ignored, are clearly superior — and he has his sights set on a spot in the Science Corps. Crucially, he’s not yet as ruthless as his mother — he’s willing to work with the system and earn his place — which explains why he takes on what sounds suspiciously like a suicide mission in order to achieve his goals. But upon working towards this new goal, he’s as single-minded as ever. Major Brint (scriptwriter Parsons) has this mission as his first command, and he lacks the confidence and authority that often come with experience, trying without success to weigh the lives of his troops against the success of the mission. Davros has no such concerns, and quickly assumes unofficial command — and his brilliance coupled with his natural authority makes the mission remarkably efficient. Even while leading the mission, his scientific goals take top priority: he refuses to abandon the Thal scientific station, so fascinated is he with the automated assembly line. The Varga plants, massacring and transforming his soldiers into monsters, are not a source of fear and revulsion but rather curiosity and excitement.

    Back home, we can see how the wartime environment of Skaro changes its people. Yarvell has been working tirelessly as a peace activist, but her principles are finally compromised: she sells out her brother to the Thals. Despite her protests, she’s not naïve enough to think they’d spare him — her response to Davros’s “death” is clearly a facade — and so she, too, has sunk to the level of killing to get what she wants. But Calcula is better at this sort of thing, and the consequences of Yarvell’s actions are ultimately inevitable, if disturbing.

    What fascinates me about Davros is how different he is from the other Kaleds. He still refuses to kill without reason — he’s genuinely baffled by Reston’s (Andrew Wisher) desire to die — and he still has a strong faith that family can always be trusted. Yes, he’s single-minded to the point of obsession, totally amoral, and clearly unbalanced, but he’s also an idealist at heart, and it looks like that, combined with his refusal to divert from his goals, is what will really lead to the man who creates the Daleks.

    Halfway through the series, I, Davros looks like it could easily be the best of the BF miniseries I’ve reviewed thus far. While not yet the overpowering work of genius I’d been led to expect, it has been excellent, and “Purity” is another fine, highly-recommended production.

    8/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:15 pm
  • From Styre on 1 – Innocence

    I, DAVROS: INNOCENCE

    Right from the start of “Innocence,” the first part of Big Finish’s I, Davros spinoff series, it’s obvious you’re in for something new and something intriguing. Davros (Terry Molloy) is put to a Dalek trial in the framing sequence — but it’s not a trial in the criminal sense but rather in the commercial: an attempt to determine his usefulness. Expectations are thus subverted from the beginning, an effect which carries right into the flashback which comprises the body of the play. Skaro in wartime is a terrifying place: a place where paranoia runs rampant through the population, where a faceless enemy seems to counter every move the Kaleds make, and where death is such an expected occurrence that old soldiers who survive military campaigns are expected to commit honorable suicide. Nobody can remember why the war is being fought, but Gary Hopkins’ script is not a statement against the pointless nature of war. This society is past that: so devoted is it to the extermination of the Thals, it’s implied Kaled society would disintegrate were it ever to claim victory. Yet victory is the only goal left to the Kaleds — apart from the need to survive long enough to claim it.

    Two characters are representative of this society: Colonel Nasgard (Richard Franklin), an old soldier, denied his honorable death, who thinks nothing of baselessly executing his men, and Lady Calcula (Carolyn Jones), a scheming member of the Kaled Council who stops at nothing to get her way. They have two children: Yarvell (Lizzie Hopley), an unremarkable young woman destined to follow her father’s path into the military, and Davros (Rory Jennings), a child prodigy and the apple of his mother’s eye. Neither child’s path is surprising — while Yarvell is an idealistic youth, that optimism is already being drained from her by the play’s conclusion, and one senses that, like her father, her career prospects are based on competence and reliability, not upon genius. Davros, meanwhile, shares his mother’s pragmatism. He is disturbed by senseless killing, but also believes strongly that the ends justify the means. These beliefs, coupled with his genius, rapidly lead him to educate Magrantine (Peter Sowerbutts) rather than the other way around: it is Davros who convinces Magrantine to experiment on human subjects, it is Davros who justifies his survival through his usefulness, and it is Davros who disposes of Magrantine — all the while using him as an experimental subject — when the tutor’s usefulness runs out. Cruel, merciless killing, without a doubt, but also a necessary step towards a “greater” goal, just like his mother’s schemes against his family, Major Brogan (Richard Grieve), and Councillor Quested (Sean Connolly). He’s not there yet, but it’s easy to see how this child can transform into the amoral monster of Doctor Who legend.

    The performances in “Innocence” are excellent across the board. Jennings may seem wooden at the outset, but it quickly becomes clear that he’s giving a clever portrayal of a troubled, emotionless youth. Jones is brilliant — her Calcula is utterly dislikable and chillingly (sorry for this:) calculating. Franklin is almost unrecognizable as the same actor who portrayed Mike Yates, so weary and ruthless is his performance. Hopley and Grieve add much-needed sparks of humanity to an otherwise grim, unforgiving setting. And Sowerbutts is excellent as a desperate man swamped under by his prodigy. Steve Foxon’s production is first-rate as well. The I, Davros series was Gary Russell’s final bow as Big Finish producer, and it’s off to a great start with his usual high standard of directing.

    Overall, there’s very little wrong with “Innocence.” Apart from some occasional melodrama, it’s consistently praiseworthy, and bodes very well for the upcoming parts. Quite possibly the best miniseries intro Big Finish has done.

    8/10

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    2016/05/07 at 9:15 pm
  • From Styre on 03 – Excelis Decays

    EXCELIS DECAYS

    With Paul McGann’s second season building to an epic climax, Big Finish’s parallel series of releases, the Excelis trilogy, draws to a bleak conclusion. While the initial release was an expectedly comedic travelogue from Paul Magrs, here we see Doctor Who novel author Craig Hinton go against type for his first audio script. And while Sylvester McCoy’s Doctor is usually either manic or manipulative, here we see him at the end of his life, much more calm and brooding. These factors combine to make a neat conclusion to the Excelis series — and the third installment is the best of the group.

    It’s quite unexpected that Excelis Days is as bleak as it is, but ultimately this was the only logical conclusion to which the series could come. On the one hand, there’s the Relic, which serves in a way as the arbiter of the afterlife on Artaris, while on the other there’s Lord Sutton, who’s been around from the beginning orchestrating the development of the planet precisely to his insane scheme for control. It’s a brave step for Hinton to write the series’ end in nuclear fire, but it’s necessary: this is a situation too big for the Doctor, one which he can’t be expected to control.

    Given his desperate situation, a powerful performance is required from Sylvester McCoy, and the actor comes through exceptionally well, surpassing some shaky performances in his last few appearances. It’s been said that McCoy can’t do anger, but I’ve always disagreed — he just needs strong direction to pull it off, and that’s exactly what he does here: McCoy’s outbursts of righteous anger are quite powerful. Indeed, the actor is required to run through a wide range of emotions, but never flags: his delivery of the final line is haunting. Hinton demonstrates a strong grasp of the character, capturing a unique time in the Doctor’s long life with admirable skill.

    Opposite McCoy is, of course, Anthony Stewart Head, appearing as the third manifestation of Grayvorn, Lord Vaughan Sutton. This may be Head’s best performance in the trilogy: rather than the sometimes one-note Grayvorn and Maupassant, Sutton is a villain bordering on the edge of madness, and Head is utterly convincing as the man trying not to fall off that edge. By the play’s end, he’s lost his mind, and Head really gets his teeth into the role; this is a far cry from Grayvorn and the play is all the better for it. Ian Collier, meanwhile, had apparently been retired from acting before being cast in Excelis Decays, but it’s impossible to tell — his turn as Sallis is the best performance in the play, as his gravelly voice conveys perfectly the character’s world-weariness. I’d forgotten Mark Gatiss was in this, but his relatively brief performance as Baris is worthwhile. Unfortunately, though, Yee Jee Tso is in this — and he receives billing on the cover! Perhaps a “Danger: Bad!” sticker would have been more appropriate, as Tso is painfully wooden — quite why his performance in the TVM warrants BF celebrity casting is utterly beyond me.

    On the production front, David Darlington is once again at the sound design helm, and he does not disappoint, investing the play with the same bleak, industrial feel demonstrated in the script. Gary Russell’s direction is excellent — this is a very wordy script but the action never flags, while the performances (save Tso, but you can’t squeeze blood from a stone) are excellent across the board. And I love the cover — the seventh Doctor looks absolutely perfect out of that stupid question mark jumper, and the background isn’t bad either.

    Flawed, but still the best of the series.

    7/10.

    Overall, the Excelis series is something of a curiosity. It certainly served its purpose as a past Doctor alternative to the McGann arc, but it’s hard to say whether or not the series is particularly necessary on its own. I’ll say it’s worth owning, but not essential; it’s unique and features some great performances, but there’s nothing here that’ll go down in BF history either as a triumph or as a failure. It’s mainly an exploration of a planet’s history and, much like that planet, I’m afraid it’s doomed to fade into obscurity.

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:14 pm
  • From Styre on 02 – Excelis Rising

    EXCELIS RISING

    After the double-disc start to the Excelis trilogy, Excelis Dawns, Big Finish’s second offering in the series was released in single-disc format, just as originally intended. As such, the story is on the order of an original series two-parter, and David McIntee’s script features all the advantages and flaws that one would expect from such a length.

    Unfortunately, this is the middle part of a trilogy, and as such it serves only to move the action along from the start to the conclusion. It is of course possible to write a brilliant second part (The Empire Strikes Back, The Godfather Part II), but this one is simply average, doing exactly what it says on the box. Of course it’s obvious from square one that Grayvorn/Maupassant is responsible for the murder, but the idea is to advance Maupassant’s condition and disembody him. The story thus becomes a simple runaround inside a museum, evoking a traditional Doctor Who sense — there’s not a great deal to comment upon, save that McIntee does a fine job of capturing a claustrophobic environment. The steampunk setting is there, yes, but I’ve never found steampunk to be interesting.

    Colin Baker turns in his usual solid performance as the sixth Doctor, and the script gives him a fun sense of enthusiasm. His desire to see dinosaurs in the museum is hilarious, and he approaches problems cheerfully — this precise emotion isn’t exactly normal for this Doctor but it’s carried off exceptionally well.

    Anthony Stewart Head returns to his role as Grayvorn, this time as Reeve Maupassant, and after one thousand years his character has become less violent and much more sinister. Head adopts a very quiet, mournful voice for this turn in the role, and it functions much better than his bellowing rendition of Grayvorn — he convincingly portrays a man who has lived for a millennium and who is driven by a desire to reclaim the Relic. Charles Kay, meanwhile, is excellent as the Curator — it’s always refreshing to hear characters willing to take the Doctor at face value. Danby is a pseudo-companion, and serves mostly as a function of exposition, but Nicky Goldie is engaging all the same.

    On the production front, Excelis Rising is a great improvement over its predecessor. Whatever caused Head’s performance to sound odd in Excelis Dawns is absent from this play — and David Darlington’s sound design is quite convincing. This play also represented Edward Salt’s directorial debut with the Doctor Who range, and his turn in the director’s chair is a success — despite the play’s formulaic status, the pace never flags and the actors convince throughout. Darlington’s score, reused in part from Excelis Dawns, is excellent — and the heartbeat motif at the conclusion is eerie.

    Overall, Excelis Rising is a solid Doctor Who story. It doesn’t aspire to greatness, and nothing about it reaches that status, but it’s still well worth hearing. As I’ve said in the past, I disagree with the idea that sticking with what works is somehow a bad idea — as such, this marks a good continuation for the trilogy.

    6/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:13 pm
  • From Styre on 01 – Excelis Dawns

    EXCELIS DAWNS

    Releasing a linked trilogy of past Doctor plays during the second McGann season was a fine idea by Big Finish — it allowed fans of the past Doctors to whet their appetites while simultaneously attempting an arc-type plot with the older actors. However, Paul Magrs’ script for the opener is curious for a “hook” — rather than an exciting adventure, it’s more of a rambling travelogue. It’s good for what it is, but it’s certainly unexpected.

    I’ve often said the one problem with the fifth Doctor/Peri/Erimem audios is that they necessarily avoid the tones of the surrounding season 21. Here, though, Magrs has done his homework — references to Turlough and Tegan as well as The Five Doctors set the scene in season 21, and the Doctor is true to form, questioning his role in an increasingly hostile universe. Of course, this means that the Doctor’s role in the resolution is passive, but the tone of Magrs’ script is such that it doesn’t really matter. By the time the carefully-inserted continuity references are through mixing with the well-crafted alien society, it’s difficult not to stop grinning.

    However, this doesn’t change the fact that the play is far too long. Yes, Magrs is a skilled writer and it’s fun to listen to what he has to say, but there are far too many stretches of this play in which absolutely nothing happens. Quite why it had to be extended to two discs is beyond me; I understand that travelogue narratives require a slow pace, but there exist scenes which are simply unnecessary.

    Peter Davison seems to get better with each successive performance, and here he expertly recaptures his late-era persona. This Doctor lacks his characteristic “breathless enthusiasm,” possessing instead an introspective quality tempered by increasing sarcasm. He’s exasperated by Iris, but it’s not pure dislike, and this comes through perfectly in Davison’s acting. Rather than coming across as maudlin, the reflective scenes about Adric have a strong emotional resonance, showing both powerful scripting and acting.

    And as there is no companion, the support role falls to Katy Manning, playing Magrs favorite Iris Wildthyme. Iris is a perfect anti-Doctor for this script, representing everything that the fifth Doctor has grown out of: defensiveness, silliness, and a strong desire for random adventure. Her back and forth exchanges with Grayvorn are hilarious, her conversations with the Doctor sometimes funnier, sometimes thought-provoking, and her personality always lively. At times, Iris could become annoying in the novels, but not here — Manning invests the character with surprising warmth under the satiric exterior. Of course, given her DVD commentaries, I sometimes wonder where Iris ends and Katy Manning begins, but…

    Rounding out the main cast is the warlord Grayvorn, played by Buffy the Vampire Slayer regular Anthony Stewart Head. Magrs writes Grayvorn as a brute — granted, a brute with particular insight into the world of Artaris, but a brute nonetheless. As such, Head throws himself into the role with gusto, putting the fear of God into each of his (slightly ridiculous) threats to Iris and the Doctor. Perhaps the only weakness in his performance is his grunting during his fight sequences, but that’s hardly his fault. Posy Miller is decent as Sister Jolene, but both her and Billy Miller’s Zombie King go way over the top by the end of the play.

    David Darlington’s sound design, unfortunately, is subpar. The sound effects are confusing and indistinct while the mixing is particularly poor. I refer specifically to the integration of Head’s lines, recorded in a separate studio, into the production — it constantly sounds as though Head is elsewhere, especially during his fight sequences, which constitute some of the least exciting ever committed to audio. Darlington’s score, however, is excellent — though I’m a bit uneasy with its dead seriousness juxtaposed against the often overt humor of the script. Gary Russell’s direction is decent, though it sounds as though Head either didn’t listen to his fellow actors or Head’s fellow actors didn’t listen to his recordings. Darlington angrily asks in The Inside Story whether anyone could tell that Don Warrington recorded his lines separately in Neverland — no, they couldn’t, but that was because Neverland sounded better.

    Endearing as it is, it’s hard to give Excelis Dawns a particularly good grade. While Magrs’ script and the performances of Davison and Manning are excellent, the production seems to have gotten out of control, creating a much more amateurish sound than usual. Add to that an overlong running time and you’ve got a bit of a mess — but at its heart it’s strong enough to make it worth hearing.

    6/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:12 pm
  • From Styre on 1.5 – Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre

    SARAH JANE SMITH: MIRROR, SIGNAL, MANOEUVRE

    It’s been quite a roller coaster ride through this spinoff series, with “Test of Nerve” a definite high point amongst mediocrity. And so, after five releases, Big Finish’s first season of Sarah Jane Smith plays comes to a close with Peter Anghelides’s “Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre,” a story that stands as the second-best of the five but sadly fails to distinguish itself. It’s not for lack of trying: Anghelides employs a gritty, realistic feel akin to David Bishop’s earlier script, and even attempts to give the play an international feel, with Sarah flying from country to country. There’s even a great scene where Sarah discovers the identity of her nemesis — and correspondingly great performances from Elisabeth Sladen and Patricia Maynard. Ultimately, though, everything seems disjointed. Yes, the trap employed to catch Sarah is skillful and even unpredictable, but it seems peculiarly unnecessary. Yes, Miss Winters has a dastardly scheme to threaten the world, but it doesn’t seem particularly clear what she plans to get out of it. Fortunately, the character work makes up for it: I especially enjoyed the framing device of Sarah’s voice mail system. And while David Darlington’s sound design is of its usual high quality, I think the script was self-limiting: the story never feels like it’s set internationally — if I hadn’t been told, I would have assumed we were in England the entire time. Overall, I’d describe “Mirror, Signal, Manoeuvre” as a play that struggles to find its feet, succeeding in places and failing in others — and as such it’s a perfect microcosm of the first season as a whole.

    6/10

    Season 1 average: 5.6/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:11 pm
  • From Styre on 1.4 – Ghost Town

    SARAH JANE SMITH: GHOST TOWN

    In any series, tension must vary between episodes. Not every story can be of the earth-shattering variety — even pure arc series like Babylon 5 and later Deep Space Nine had episodes that weren’t as significant as others. The key, however, is to maintain that significance — and the fourth story in the Sarah Jane Smith series, Rupert Laight’s “Ghost Town,” fails in that regard. After the shocking “Test of Nerve,” this story sees Sarah and Josh visiting a haunted old mansion in the mountains of Romania. Naturally, of course, there’s an International Peace Conference being held in this random tiny village, and, well, you can guess the plot from here. Josh frequently makes Scooby Doo jokes, which would be fine if Laight’s script didn’t blindly follow Scooby Doo conventions. There’s absolutely nothing to this story: it lacks a strong theme, it doesn’t have any connection to the previous episodes, and there’s nothing surprising or unpredictable in the entire hour. The acting is strong — Elisabeth Sladen continues to impress, and Robert Jezek is always a treat — and David Darlington’s sound design is his best in the range to this point, but as a piece of fiction this is nothing more than a filler episode. Filler episodes are understandable in an American 22-episode season, but in a “season” of five episodes? “Ghost Town” isn’t actively bad, it’s just completely unmemorable and unnecessary.

    4/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:10 pm
  • From Styre on 1.3 – Test of Nerve

    SARAH JANE SMITH: TEST OF NERVE

    Hang on, is this the same series?! Both the Terrance Dicks and Barry Letts scrips that started the Sarah Jane Smith series for Big Finish had one foot in 1970s Doctor Who and one foot in the present day, but the third release, “Test of Nerve” by David Bishop, blows all of that away. This is fresh, exciting stuff: a heart-pounding, gripping drama that dials up the intensity early on and doesn’t let its foot off the pedal. Science fiction? Not really — this is a political thriller, with a threat to release sarin nerve gas into the London Underground. Most impressive is how Bishop and director Gary Russell ratchet up the tension: the play starts with the same unusual bass-riff soundtrack from “The Tao Connection,” and the same relationships between the characters — but mere minutes later the listener is dragged to the edge of his or her seat. Elisabeth Sladen is more hard-bitten than Sarah Jane has ever been, but utterly convinces throughout. Jeremy James is much more sedate and serious in this installment, and while I criticized Sadie Miller in the previous two plays, here she’s on top form, providing perhaps the most gripping moment of all at the play’s climax. Of the guest cast, comments start and finish with long-time Dalek voice Roy Skelton, whose turn as traumatized, indecisive James Carver is easily the best in the series thus far. The revelation at the play’s conclusion is more baffling than anything else — a minor character from 1974? Really? — but I’m willing to see where they go with it. “Test of Nerve” is a revelation that kicks the Sarah Jane Smith series into high gear; I can’t wait to hear the rest.

    9/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:10 pm
  • From Styre on 1.2 – The Tao Connection

    SARAH JANE SMITH: THE TAO CONNECTION

    While Big Finish should be given credit for dreaming up a successful spinoff for a popular companion and — thus far — keeping it free of Doctor Who continuity, the decision to give the first two scripts to Terrance Dicks and now Barry Letts seems questionable. Letts, in particular, does not have a good history with Doctor Who-related audio drama, his “Ghosts of N-Space” sitting comfortably as one of the worst stories of all time, and while “The Tao Connection” fares better than that, it’s hardly anything impressive. Fortunately, the story is free of the problems plaguing “Comeback” — with the characters introduced, the plot is able to progress from the first moment, and Letts’s pacing is excellent, sprinkling revelations throughout and holding the attention. However, the plot isn’t very interesting: it’s yet another Letts lecture on Eastern philosophy — this time on Taoism — with yet another character seeking to achieve immortality through unnatural means. And while Elisabeth Sladen is the best thing about the play for the second straight release — this take on Sarah Jane is fascinating, her time with the Doctor making her more proactive and less sympathetic — the rest of the cast fails to distinguish. Jeremy James gives an appealing performance, but Josh is sapped of his character, while I can’t even talk about Sadie Miller for as little as she was in the play. Moray Treadwell clearly enjoys playing mysterious philanthropist Butley, and clearly enjoys the taste of the scenery just as much. Lastly, while Gary Russell’s direction is a big improvement on the first release, David Darlington’s score features a bizarre ‘70s bass riff as the central theme. I’m not sure if I liked it, but since I noticed it, it was obviously effective. In short, “The Tao Connection” is a solid, well-made piece of audio drama, but with very little to distinguish it or make it worthy of recommendation.

    5/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:09 pm
  • From Styre on 1.1 – Comeback

    SARAH JANE SMITH: COMEBACK

    With surprisingly-successful Doctor Who spinoff “The Sarah Jane Adventures” about to air its third season, and while currently behind on my main range collecting, I thought it would be interesting to go back and capsule-review Big Finish’s contribution to the myriad of SJS spinoffs: the imaginatively titled “Sarah Jane Smith” series. Elisabeth Sladen’s character is arguably the most popular of classic series companions, and certainly the most successful: the current spinoff is actually the second such TV series, following on from 1981’s godawful “K9 and Company” failed pilot. Natural, then, that Big Finish would try to employ the character, but with one of her TV Doctors dead and the other refusing to work with BF, a spinoff series was the only way to go. And to write the first story, “Comeback,” BF turned to the character’s original script editor: Terrance Dicks. Usually, in this situation, I’ll comment that you know exactly what you’re going to get from a Dicks script: nothing incredibly thought-provoking, but a well-structured piece of drama. However, “Comeback” is anything but well-structured: the first two-thirds of the play laboriously introduce the characters, after which a perfunctory threat is introduced and resolved before it can even take center stage. It’s disjointed and confusing. Furthermore, some of the performances are lacking: while Sladen is on top form from the start, and Jeremy James is instantly likeable as Josh, Sadie Miller’s Natalie is wooden and unconvincing. David Jackson engages in some fine scenery-chewing, while Juliet Warner sounds promising for later releases. While David Darlington’s sound design is impressive, Gary Russell’s direction is odd — at the start of the play, Sarah is supposed to be “running scared,” but (after the excellent funeral scene) there’s no desperation evident in anyone’s voice. It sounds rather nonchalant, which is the wrong impression to give. Overall, “Comeback” does a good enough job of introducing the regular characters, but as a piece of drama, it’s subpar.

    4/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:08 pm
  • From Styre on Curse of the Daleks

    CURSE OF THE DALEKS

    If “Seven Keys to Doomsday” is a historical document of Doctor Who, the third and final stageplay release from Big Finish, David Whitaker and Terry Nation’s “Curse of the Daleks,” is a stone tablet with cave drawings. The Daleks feature heavily, of course, but much like the TV story “Mission to the Unknown,” neither the Doctor nor any other regular characters make an appearance. This play was written to capitalize on the explosive popularity of the Daleks rather than the television show itself. Based on the script, it seems this was a very visual production — as an audio production, it’s not bad, but it’s sadly as uninteresting as its successors.

    As with “Seven Keys to Doomsday,” I don’t have much to say about “Curse of the Daleks.” Michael Praed is certainly the commanding figure — his Ladiver is an enigmatic character that keeps the listener guessing throughout the story, and his performance is suitably intense. Beyond him, though, the cast is mostly forgettable, the characters mostly cliched; Nick Wilton’s Rocket is probably the most memorable, and only then for going over the top. It’s been pointed out elsewhere, but the most interesting element of this play is how it prefigures later Doctor Who stories: the Daleks regaining power and pretending to be subservient in the interim is lifted almost directly for “The Power of the Daleks,” and the Daleks rejecting outside control is seen both in “Evil” and “Genesis.” Ultimately, though, “Curse of the Daleks” is an exceedingly protracted whodunnit, and the answer, while not entirely predictable, takes far too long to come to light. The script is also hilariously, blatantly sexist, but considering the authors and the time it was written, this isn’t as bothersome as it would be today.

    The production front, handled entirely by Nicholas Briggs, does an admirable job of adapting the play to audio. Briggs opted to convert the more visual scenes into narration — which he also voices — and it’s quite effective, building atmosphere and revealing background action in a pacy, entertaining manner. It almost goes without saying at this point that the Dalek voices are similarly excellent. Overall, “Curse of the Daleks,” much like “Seven Keys to Doomsday,” is best when taken as a fascinating glimpse into Doctor Who history. You can detect the seeds of later stories, hear how the show was viewed in 1965, and enjoy a solid if unimpressive piece of 1960s pulp drama. On this basis, “Curse of the Daleks” is recommended.

    6/10

    Overall, the Stageplays trilogy from Big Finish must be deemed a success. While none of the scripts are themselves impressive, the opportunity to hear these exceptionally rare pieces of Doctor Who history should not be overlooked.

    Average rating: 5.6/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:06 pm
  • From Styre on The Seven Keys to Doomsday

    THE SEVEN KEYS TO DOOMSDAY

    I can’t speak for the motives behind the Doctor Who stageplays, but unlike “The Ultimate Adventure,” which seemed to be designed to glorify the series’s past, “The Seven Keys to Doomsday” appears to be an “honest” attempt to translate Doctor Who to the stage. It’s not entirely serious, but it’s free of the baffling musical sequences and out-there whimsy of its successor — and while it may not have played as well to a live audience, it’s certainly more successful in audio translation.

    Unfortunately, there’s not much that I can add in the way of analysis. It’s a Terrance Dicks script, meaning that it’s a solidly-plotted runaround with the depth of a dry pond — this isn’t a bad thing, of course, but it doesn’t lend itself to commentary. The plot is straightforward: the Daleks seek to collect seven crystals in order to assemble a doomsday weapon, and the Doctor and his companions must race to stop them before it’s too late. If this sounds remarkably similar to Terry Nation’s “The Keys of Marinus,” well, the similarities don’t stop there, as almost every cliché from the Nation Dalek stories is faithfully reproduced. I’m sure you can guess how things end up — there are no surprises along the way.

    However, the plot is not the main attraction. This play was unique in that it cast a completely new actor — Trevor Martin — in the title role, even going so far as to establish that he regenerated from Jon Pertwee. Sadly, with Pertwee no longer with us, such a transition is impossible to record, so Dicks reworks his script and Nicholas Briggs takes up the brief mantle of the “third Doctor” before regenerating at the start. Martin, for his part, is surprisingly good as the Doctor, totally commanding the play from the moment he takes the stage. It’s fascinating to see how a 1974 “Unbound” Doctor is portrayed: there hasn’t yet been a Tom Baker, and so there are no overtly alien qualities in this Doctor as written. Instead, Martin portrays him as an amalgamation of Hartnell and Pertwee — this Doctor is driven and confident, and surprisingly not too far away from the David Warner Doctor of “Sympathy for the Devil” and “Masters of War.” The two companions, Jenny (Charlie Hayes) and Jimmy (Joe Thompson), are completely unmemorable — but it’s neat to point out that Hayes is the daughter of Wendy Padbury, who played Jenny in the original stage performance after her TV turn as Zoe. More Daleks are present, of course, and Briggs’s voices are as effective as ever.

    This is basically a capsule review of a two-hour play, but I find myself with virtually nothing to say about it. “The Seven Keys to Doomsday” is most valuable as a historical document: this is what Doctor Who was in 1974, and it’s a rare opportunity indeed to get an authentic “new” story from the time. It’s also an opportunity to hear a new actor putting his stamp on the role. No, it’s not a great piece of drama, but I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a glimpse into the history of the series.

    6/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:05 pm
  • From Styre on The Ultimate Adventure

    THE ULTIMATE ADVENTURE

    Doctor Who has been produced in almost every type of media, but one of the most unheralded is the stage play: back in 1989, Terrance Dicks wrote a script entitled “The Ultimate Adventure” to be produced for the stage starring Jon Pertwee as the Doctor with the Daleks and the Cybermen. Pertwee would play the Doctor for half the show’s run, to be replaced by Colin Baker for the second half. “The Ultimate Adventure” was actually the third significant Doctor Who stage play, following after “The Curse of the Daleks” and “The Seven Keys to Doomsday.” As no professional recordings of these performances were made, fans’ impressions of the shows were doomed to be based on hazy recollections and promotional photography — until 2008, when Big Finish produced all three Doctor Who stage plays for audio, starting with “The Ultimate Adventure.” As a way to bring these plays to a modern audience, this was a brilliant move; unfortunately, the first of these productions is horrible.

    I have no doubt that “The Ultimate Adventure” would have been hugely entertaining in a theater setting. You’ve got one of two larger-than-life Doctors — in this case, Colin Baker — along with the series’s two biggest villains, and a series of lines designed to evoke laughter from a supportive audience. Heard in private, as an audio production, however, the story isn’t effective at all. The Daleks’ plan is utterly incomprehensible, revisiting their scheme from “Day of the Daleks” to sabotage a peace conference, but immediately begging the question of why they don’t use their unimaginable power to blow the conference up on their own. The Cybermen contribute absolutely nothing: they’re faceless henchmen who do the Daleks’ dirty work, and show none of the charisma that made them so memorable in the ‘80s TV stories. There’s also a third faction — human “mercenaries” — that’s so ill-thought-out it’s embarrassing. Apparently, every mercenary in the entire galaxy knows all the others, and they all operate by a formal code of honor when they’re not hanging out at the one mercenary bar in space. To describe this as a “plot” would be insulting to plots.

    Colin Baker clearly enjoys recreating this role, and you can tell from his performance how he would play to the crowd while on stage. Unfortunately, he’s saddled with two horrible companions in Jason (Noel Sullivan) and Crystal (Claire Huckle) who serve no function other than to sing songs (oh yes) and fall in love with each other. There’s some kind of small creature called Zog, there’s David Banks as a mercenary leader (and I know it’s not Big Finish’s fault, but it sounds weird to hear Banks’s unmodified voice alongside Cybermen), and there’s even a scene with Margaret Thatcher (Nadine Cox), of all people.

    Look, it’s an exercise in silly indulgence, and it’s clearly intended to entertain a live, raucous crowd. It’s impossible to give it a serious review, since there’s absolutely no attempt at anything of substance — and that’s not even a bad thing. Unfortunately, outside of historical record, producing “The Ultimate Adventure” for audio doesn’t seem to work: it’s quite clearly fraying at the edges and Colin Baker can’t even hold it together. Check it out if you’re curious about what they put on stage back in ‘89 — but unless you have your own TARDIS to check out a live performance, don’t expect a lot of entertainment.

    Bizarre.

    4/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:04 pm
  • From Styre on 8 – Masters of War

    DOCTOR WHO UNBOUND: MASTERS OF WAR

    Back in 2003, Big Finish released what was by far its most interesting miniseries: Doctor Who Unbound, a series of “what if”-type stories that, at their best, explored the very nature of the series itself and allowed the company to cast a series of famous actors in the title role. The first of these, Marc Platt’s “Auld Mortality,” was sequelized in early 2005 in “A Storm of Angels,” but rumors of a sequel to Jonathan Clements’s “Sympathy for the Devil,” arguably the most popular of the series, persisted for years. Finally, in late 2008, popular author Eddie Robson wrote this long-awaited sequel, and “Masters of War,” an alternate third Doctor story with David Warner, Nicholas Courtney, and the Daleks, was released. Billed as the last Unbound release, it provides a fine conclusion to the series.

    As I mentioned in my review of “Sympathy for the Devil,” the David Warner Doctor is arguably the least interesting of the various Unbound Doctors. He carries a quiet desperation absent from his “real-world” counterpart: he doesn’t have time to wait around upon seeing a problem. As a result, he’s not [i]quite[/i] as morally-bound as the third Doctor, but he’s still recognizably an aspect of the Doctor we see on television. Fortunately, David Warner’s performance is excellent: his natural authority as an actor makes his Doctor a thrilling listen, even if there’s really nothing here to be said about the character.

    Fortunately, the script provides an interesting take on Dalek history, asking what would have happened had Davros succeeded in instructing the Daleks in the concept of pity, thus saving his own life. This leads to a fascinating opening episode, where the Doctor and the Brigadier land on Skaro and find the Thals enslaved by the Daleks — but being treated surprisingly well. The Thals are allowed to stay in their homes, with their families, and are rationed a sufficient amount of food, and punishment starts with a reduction of rations rather than extermination. Nicholas Briggs’s voice acting here is underrated, as he makes these more sympathetic Daleks sound utterly believable while retaining their inherent ruthless character. Robson’s idea of the Daleks taking daily “religious” instruction from a CG Davros is sublime, and the Doctor’s plan to confuse a Dalek into thinking it is Davros in Dalek form is equally entertaining.

    The second episode features the idea that the Thal/Dalek war involved an offworld third party, the Qwatch (sp?), who were responsible for, among other things, the attack that crippled Davros. The cliffhanger is predictable, yes, but effective all the same: Davros (Terry Molloy), working for the enemy, hoping to redesign his Daleks to fit his original vision. Molloy, much like the Daleks, is more sympathetic in this Unbound universe than he is in the main range, but this is still recognizably much the same Davros we knew before, and the same brilliant performance we’ve come to expect. “Masters of War” has been announced as Terry Molloy’s final performance as Davros, which in many ways is a shame: his performances for Big Finish are the best Davros performances ever seen in Doctor Who, and his expert take on the character will be missed.

    “Masters of War” has two primary flaws: first, it’s far, far too long. There isn’t nearly enough incident or atmosphere in this script to justify a running time of over two hours, and I confess to checking my watch on more than one occasion. Secondly, the voices of the Qwatch are sadly unconvincing: much like the Cryons in “Attack of the Cybermen,” their high, lilting voices fail to convey the impression that this species can threaten even the Thals, much less the Daleks. I can’t say whose decision it was, but other voices should have been employed, as these are unintentionally comical.

    The production front, however, is excellent. The sound design provides incredibly convincing Daleks, and the setting is conveyed efficiently and effectively. Most signficant, though, is the score by Martin Johnson, which proves both epic and distinctive: a fine departure from the similar-sounding main range scores of the time. With strong acting across the board — and I’ve barely even mentioned Nicholas Courtney, whose world-weary, guilty Brigadier is one of the best performances of his career — and fine direction from Jason Haigh-Ellery, Big Finish should feel proud of this release.

    Overall, as the final entry into the Unbound series, “Masters of War” is a strong success. Despite some flaws, it recaptures the spirit of the series: to ask questions about Doctor Who and answer them in dramatic form. And as it’s a conclusion in many ways, both to the series and to Terry Molloy’s Davros, among other things, I can’t help but think that Robson wrote Davros’s final lines with this knowledge in mind: “Although it is not quite the end I envisaged, I feel it strikes the appropriate note!”

    Highly recommended.

    8/10

    Average Unbound score: 6.6/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:03 pm
  • From Styre on 7 – A Storm of Angels

    A STORM OF ANGELS

    With the great success of the Doctor Who Unbound range in 2003, it was unsurprising that Big Finish would go back to the well to produce one more offering in the series. A direct sequel to Auld Mortality was commissioned from Marc Platt, with Geoffrey Bayldon returning to the role of the Doctor and Carole Ann Ford reprising her role as Susan. The result — A Storm of Angels — never quite reaches the quality of its predecessor, but it is still a strong release in its own right. The central question? What if the Doctor actually interfered in history?

    A Storm of Angels differs from its predecessors in an important way: it’s much more traditional, both to the old series and to Big Finish’s main Doctor Who range. The play requires two discs, not one. It is divided into four episodes, rather than one continuous play. Even the theme is the Derbyshire version rather than either of the new realizations commissioned for the other Unbound releases. Unfortunately, these changes damage the play. Platt’s script, while full of fascinating ideas, simply does not have the plot to fill two discs’ worth of running time. The script is not structured episodically; the “cliffhangers” interrupt the drama and annoy rather than satisfy. Even the music hurts: the lack of a cliffhanger “sting” evokes the awkward second from the old series between script and credits in which the cast attempted to hold a freeze-frame.

    This is not to call A Storm of Angels a weak play: Platt’s script has many commendable features. There’s great delight to be found in the Doctor rampaging through Earth’s history, warning the Aztecs of the coming invasion, taking Leonardo on TARDIS voyages, and eating hamburgers with Elvis. The jewels, while remarkably unthreatening, evoke amazing mental images. And the steampunk vision of an advanced Elizabethan Earth is fascinating. As above, these various ideas aren’t explored in great enough detail to justify the play’s running time — often it seems as though tedious argument scens have been stretched to a greater length to pad out the play. However, Platt’s vision is still strong enough to hold A Storm of Angels to a high standard.

    Geoffrey Bayldon returns to the role of the Doctor, and his second performance is every bit as good as his first. As before, the performance is something of an alternate Hartnell: while this Doctor has many of the same mannerisms and behavior patterns as Hartnell’s, many quirks are different. This Doctor seems distracted at times, yes, but he never giggles nor gets names wrong: he’s a very stable, serious, yet fun-loving character, and Bayldon gives him as much charm as possible.

    In Auld Mortality, Carole Ann Ford’s performance was weak in places. This is not the case here, as she gives an excellent performance to both the Doctor’s companion Susan and the Lord President Susan. Indeed, the conversation between the two Susans may be the most emotionally resonant of the play, and Ford’s acting has a great deal to do with this. It’s also nice to see her acting independently for once, attempting to rescue the Doctor rather than helplessly twisting her ankle every five minutes.

    The supporting cast is an up-and-down group. Cameron Stewart and Ivor Danvers, for example, are generally excellent as Francis Drake and John Dee, but when they become enraptured by the jewels their performances become cringeworthy. Ian Hallard is uneven as Zeuro, and Shiv Grewal is completely over the top as Raju. Kate Brown makes for an amusing Elizabeth, though.

    I’m not sure who at ERS was responsible for the sound design, but it’s excellent as ever — the jewel effects work particularly well. The score is solid as well, reminiscent of the original Auld Mortality score while simultaneously breaking new ground. John Ainsworth assumes the director’s chair, and while nothing particularly striking is on display this seems to be a solid job all around. The cover, too, is beautiful, with a nice twist on the standard Unbound design.

    Overall, A Storm of Angels is a fine addition to the Unbound lineup. It’s unfortunate that the play is long and overtly traditional, for these elements may be all that keep it from classic status — but it is well worth your time in either case. Recommended.

    7/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:01 pm
  • From Styre on 6 – Exile

    EXILE

    It’s impossible to follow up a play as stunning as Deadline, and indeed that was never Big Finish’s intention: they’d intended the Unbound line to end with Deadline, but circumstances dictated that it would be the fifth release. The job of concluding the series thus fell to Nicholas Briggs’ Exile, featuring Arabella Weir as the Doctor and intended as a lighthearted comedy. Though some of the humor is misplaced, this remains a solid outing — it’s just a shame that the original release order could not have been maintained.

    Much of Exile is comedic, generally revolving around two styles of humor. The first — drunken barroom humor — doesn’t really work at all, amounting almost entirely to drunk people slurring at each other, belching, and vomiting. Unfortunately, this mostly isn’t even used for comic effect within the play; these sorts of jokes can be funny but they generally have to be the punchline, not presented forthrightly and as funny in their own right. Mostly, this is just disgusting and unfunny. The second style, though, is much more successful, as we see two bumbling Time Lords attempting to pursue the Doctor on Earth. Their plans are hilarious, their asides are amusing, and every scene of theirs fades out on a good line. Briggs comes across as a talented comedy writer — it just seems as though he doesn’t necessarily know what’s appropriate for what situations.

    That leads us to Arabella Weir as the Doctor, significantly the first female actor to play the character (excepting comedy skits like The Curse of Fatal Death). It’s something of a shame that this casting was used for the comedy release, as it undercuts any arguments it could have supported in favor of the possibility of a female Doctor, but when she’s not acting drunk Weir is quite good in the role. She’s very laid back and resigned, but there’s a surprising degree of heroism that comes to the fore — as mentioned above, I’d love to hear her attempt a serious take on the role. Also as before, though, much of the drunk humor undercuts the character — there are little more than fifteen minutes of this play where one could argue that Weir is actually playing the Doctor at all.

    Hannah Smith and Jeremy James play the Doctor’s friends Cherrie and Cheese and they come across just like you’d expect from drunken bar regulars: obnoxious and unmemorable. Fortunately, Toby Longworth and David Tennant are on hand as the bumbling Time Lords and they’re wonderful: they have excellent comic timing and what sounds like great chemistry, plus Briggs’ script gives them some great material. Of course, nobody knew at the time that Tennant would eventually become the tenth Doctor, but it makes his stealing of the show more than a little ironic! Briggs himself appears as the former Doctor (as Exile transpires after the Doctor’s trial in The War Games) and is quite funny in his own right.

    As usual, Briggs directs his own script, and his direction combined with Andy Hardwick’s sound design produce even more humor. Briggs understands his material: he knows exactly when to have scenes fade, what lines work best where, and so on. Briggs’ music works well, too — it shifts from lighthearted to humorously melodramatic.

    There’s not much to say about Exile — sure, there are some poignant moments but mostly it’s an outright comedy. Weir is decent if unimpressive as the Doctor, the production is average and the script is nothing special. It’s a disappointing way for the range to go out, but there’s nothing actively poor about it. Decidedly average.

    5/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:00 pm
  • From Styre on 5 – Deadline

    DEADLINE

    After two relative disasters, the Unbound series needed a strong offering to rebound — and given the people involved, a rebound was almost inevitable. Uniting the greatest audio writer, Robert Shearman, with legendary actor Sir Derek Jacobi, was bound to produce great results — but nobody could have predicted something quite like this, which, despite its controversial nature, stands as arguably the greatest Big Finish production of all time.

    If Full Fathom Five was a statement about the unassailable nature of the Doctor’s character, Deadline is something greater: a love letter to the series that proves exactly why Doctor Who is a necessary production that brings happiness to countless associated persons. Many have attacked Deadline for showing us a miserable old man who cannot relate to his family and is slowly falling into dementia, but one essential point is missed in such criticism: the source of Martin’s happiness. He sees Doctor Who not only as a source of escape but also as the manifestation of his creative freedom; yes, he may alienate himself by disappearing into his writing but it’s the blending of the fictional reality and his true reality that cause him to reach out. In many ways, Doctor Who shapes his life without even existing. He doesn’t comprehend real life; as seen with his relationships, he doesn’t know the first thing about dealing with people. But in his Doctor Who scripts he’s the hero, he’s beloved by his granddaughter and companions, and everything works naturally; there’s no bad writing on display in his characterizations.

    Indeed, everything miserable on display stems from the absence of Doctor Who. The central question of “What if Doctor Who was never a television series” isn’t answered with “This small group of people would become miserable” but rather “A wonderful source of happiness for many people would be gone.” Look at the Juliet Bravo fan: he’s the only happy character in the play. Martin’s losing his mind, Philip’s desperate for love, Barbara doesn’t even have a personality, and Tom just wants to be left alone with his video games — but the fan is happy and he enjoys what he does. Is he somewhat embarrassing? Sure — he’s got a nerdy encyclopedic knowledge of a television program. But is he pathetic? Absolutely not — he derives enjoyment from a simple television program. None of the other characters — save perhaps Tom, and he’s going down the same road as Martin — can enjoy something so unimportant so much, and as such they’re all miserable.

    Sir Derek Jacobi doesn’t play the Doctor as such — though his brief turns as the character in his fantasies are impressive — but it’s obvious why an actor of his caliber was required for the central role. Martin Bannister is an incredibly complex character: Jacobi is asked to deliver callous lines in such a fashion as to sound naive and even sympathetic, and does so in a perfectly believable fashion. He’s quick to anger, and yet his softer scenes are heartbreaking — his final conversation with Tom is painful to hear because it’s played so well. As delightful as Jacobi was as the Master in The Scream of the Shalka, this is about as good of a performance as one can expect from an actor. Astonishing.

    The supporting cast is equally talented. Peter Forbes drags every inch of pathos out of Philip, making him increasingly pathetic and irrelevant despite his attempts to the contrary. Jacqueline King’s switch from patronizing nursing home attendant to lonely, drunken wreck is perfectly natural, and Genevieve Swallow manages a remarkable degree of hostility as Susan. Ian Brooker is perhaps a bit too cliched as Sydney, but I love Shearman’s reversal here: by presenting us with an unlikeable fan stereotype, he forces us to accept that type of person as happy and admirable in the face of so many other miserable types.

    Nicholas Briggs’ direction is superb — yes, this is a talented cast, but the performances are even better than Big Finish’s usual high standard. Despite featuring constantly shifting realities, the play never becomes confusing and stays well-paced. And Briggs’ sound design is brilliant, especially his music, which evokes the Doctor Who theme in a subtle yet wonderfully innovative sense.

    There’s very little that cannot be said about the achievements of Deadline. It’s an amazingly literate, thematically-rich script that rewards the listener upon each subsequent playing. The cast is on top form with a stellar central performance, and the direction and production values are first-rate. Add to that the fact that it’s deeply controversial and guaranteed to push buttons and you have what amounts to a perfect production.

    The question of why we love Doctor Who is incredibly hard to answer — I just never imagined the perfect answer would come in this form. Buy it now.

    10/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 9:00 pm
  • From Styre on 4 – He Jests at Scars…

    HE JESTS AT SCARS…

    I mentioned in my Full Fathom Five review that the story is important because it goes beyond Auld Mortality and Sympathy for the Devil by asking a question about Doctor Who that isn’t simply continuity-related. Both of the first two plays overcame this limitation with excellent scripts and fine productions, but the fourth Unbound release, He Jests at Scars…, demonstrates exactly why continuity overload is a gigantic mistake 99% of the time.

    Easily the most fannish of the Unbound questions, “What if the Valeyard won?” doesn’t really seem like a good basis for a story. Indeed, what happens in any story if the awful supervillain actually wins? Well, he’d probably just try to take over the world/universe and end up destroying it thanks to his megalomania. Unfortunately, author/director Gary Russell has decided to subject the listener to eighty tortuous minutes in order to make this basic point: it’s actually a pretty good thing that the Doctor defeats the bad guys!

    The strategy through which Russell makes this point is dubious: he paints the Valeyard as an evil anti-Doctor and then has him travel back through time undoing everything the Doctor did in his televised stories. The doomsday weapon from Colony in Space? Used to blow up Gallifrey! Logopolis? Destroyed when the Valeyard tries to cram a third TARDIS between the Master’s and the Doctor’s! Ellie Martin, character from obscure BF Sarah Jane Smith spinoff series? Killed, for no reason! Oh, that Valeyard sure is evil! Fortunately all the Time Lords from the Trial space station are on hand to… do absolutely nothing! That’ll show those noninterventionist fools!

    Of course, this is also a Big Finish production, so we’ve got a series of time paradoxes that threaten the web of time (and this is useful reference material if you want to find out what happens if the Doctor isn’t around to stop the meddling), lists of companions that carefully avoid any mention of the books, and uninspiring returning characters from other plays. It’s amazing that all of the worst excesses of the Doctor Who audio range are allowed to bleed into the separate Unbound range, but there I was listening to it.

    Michael Jayston returns to the role of the Valeyard for this production, and he shows exactly why he was cast in the role in the first place: his wonderful, intimidating voice, his excellent acting, and his ability to read nonsense technobabble non-stop for an hour and a half. Jayston’s lines are terrible: it seems as though Russell is attempting to channel Pip and Jane Baker in his script, and considering their status as possibly the worst writers ever to attempt Doctor Who, I’m baffled as to why. Unlike …ish, the verbal excesses of which were explained through the setting, He Jests at Scars… is full of awkwardly lengthy vocabulary for absolutely no good reason. Jayston actually manages to make the lines sound convincing, but as he never stops talking it’s impossible not to zone out after five minutes.

    Then, of course, there’s Bonnie Langford, who is cast against type as an angry, vengeful Mel out to stop the evil Doctor once and for all. Her scenes on the time station in her old persona are reasonable enough (though every bit as annoying as her performances in Trial) but once she shifts into this new persona she completely fails to convince, even after she shoots someone in cold blood. Langford has done an excellent job in other audios — why give her an impossible task here?

    Anthony Keetch returns as Vansell for no reason other than he’s the stock BF Gallifreyan. Sure, he does a good job, but these Unbound audios are supposed to push the boundaries, not make the listener roll their eyes as it heads down the same avenues as its unimpressive predecessors The Sirens of Time and Neverland. Juliet Warner plays Ellie Martin, a character that adds absolutely nothing to the story and is only there to get killed in front of Mel.

    There are two inexplicably brilliant elements in He Jests at Scars…: Michael Jayston’s performance and Jim Mortimore’s sound design. Mortimore does an amazing job recreating the various environments in which the story takes place; his work with the doomsday weapon in particular is astonishing. The music is equally exciting, subtle yet threatening in equal measure. Russell directs his own script, and though the production is put together well, there’s nothing that can be done to actually make it good.

    The end of He Jests at Scars… is the most depressing element of the whole thing, not because it’s poor but rather because it’s so good. It’s haunting and poignant — but coming after the preceding 75 minutes, it’s impossible to care about. If it wasn’t for Jayston there’d be no reason to listen to this play, and as it stands it’s still a waste of money. Full Fathom Five may have been the most disappointing of the Unbounds but this is far and away the worst.

    2/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:59 pm
  • From Styre on 3 – Full Fathom Five

    FULL FATHOM FIVE

    The third Doctor Who Unbound release proved the most controversial due to its central question: what if the Doctor believed the end justified the means? Many immediately decried David Bishop’s script as “not real Doctor Who” — after all, this is the most unlike the character we’ve ever seen it. However, that’s the entire point of the Unbound series: unfortunately, most of the stories simply obsess over continuity questions without getting to the heart of what puts Doctor Who together. Full Fathom Five is a flawed production at best, but the argument it presents is absolutely crucial to the ongoing history of the series.

    By dismissing the story based on the actions of the central character, one not only misses the point but fails to comprehend that the play is, in its way, a wholehearted endorsement of the “proper” Doctor. The importance of the play’s scale should not be discounted: this Doctor has been inactive for over twenty years, presumably having Pertwee-style Earth adventures, if any. While the previous story, Sympathy for the Devil, showed how much less productive the Brigadier’s methods were than the Doctor’s science in terms of achieving world peace and stability, it also showed that they worked: the alien menaces are not running rampant on that play’s Earth, even if the Earth itself is in a bad state. One can assume that a Doctor willing to employ such methods would keep the world in better shape, even given his lack of moral qualms. But Full Fathom Five demonstrates quite plainly that an amoral (and sometimes immoral) Doctor simply cannot survive. Though the seventh Doctor betrayed Ace’s trust in The Curse of Fenric, he had prepared her for the experience beforehand. Here, while the Doctor aims to keep Ruth from learning the secret of the DEEP, once she does he feels the need to kill her. This cannot work — nobody would willingly travel with a man this callous, and as such Ruth’s decision to kill the Doctor makes perfect sense. And this would happen no matter the situation: the job the Doctor has given himself is simply incompatible with an ends-justify-the-means philosophy. Full Fathom Five shows us what we have in the “real” Doctor and just how horrible it would be if the character was different; this is not a rip-roaring Doctor Who adventure but rather an inexorable march towards an inevitable end. Discounting the play on these grounds is, quite simply, foolish — it’s not Doctor Who and nobody ever said that it was.

    David Collings is absolutely superb as the third Unbound Doctor. The story requires a hard-bitten, angry, and self-righteous Doctor, and Collings delivers in spades: he has a threatening voice that intimidates better than the voices of any of his on-screen counterparts. He also puts a great deal of subtlety into his role: at the beginning of the play he sounds quite Doctorish before beginning his degeneration into the threatening figure seen at the conclusion.

    Unfortunately, Collings is the only convincing member of the cast. Siri O’Neal’s performance as Ruth switches between brilliant and excruciating: at the end of the play, she’s amazing, but her emotional scenes are overacted horribly and pain the ears. Ruth herself isn’t a particularly good character, either; she’s a cutout put in place so that the plot revelations can bounce off someone.

    That’s the main problem with Full Fathom Five: the plot outside of the elements emphasizing the different Doctor is almost nonexistent. Not only is it a cliche, it’s not even explained: we barely learn anything about the purpose of the DEEP experiments and the characters aren’t fleshed out at all. General Flint is a perfect example of this: he’s a one-note military fanatic that only stops his mission in the DEEP to go off on silly rants about how he hates “bleeding-heart liberals.” Maybe these ludicrous one-note American characters are believable to UK listeners, but I just find myself laughing at them. Honestly, “cotton-pickin’”?! The late Ed Bishop’s performance as Flint is shaky, sounding as though he struggled with the material. At times he’s powerful and intimidating, but at others it sounds as though he has absolutely no idea what he’s saying and is reading straight off a script. I suppose Matthew Benson, Jeremy James, and Jack Galagher were in this, but even though I listened to the play an hour ago I don’t remember their characters or performances well enough to comment.

    On the production front, things are solid as usual, with Andy Hardwick and Gareth Jenkins providing all the mechanical and disgusting sound effects. The score was unimpressive, but I did like their attempt at an audio portrayal of a regeneration at the play’s conclusion — and the fade into the closing credits is brilliant. Jason Haigh-Ellery directs, and though he keeps the play moving at a good pace, I question his work with the actors: few of the performances convince (with Collings the huge exception) despite the talent of the cast.

    Overall, Full Fathom Five has a wonderful central conceit and a great lead actor — but unfortunately everything else ranges from subpar to poor. It’s worth hearing just because someone had to make this story at some point, but I doubt whether it’s worth a repeat listen. Full Fathom Five is the biggest disappointment of the Unbound range — not for what it was, but for what it could have been.

    4/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:58 pm
  • From Styre on 2 – Sympathy for the Devil

    SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

    With the first Unbound release concentrating upon the Doctor himself and his behavior while restricted on Gallifrey, it is no surprise that the second took the listener to the series’ most familiar stomping ground: Earth. Here, in Jonathan Clements’ inversion of the Pertwee era, another simple question is asked: what if the Doctor’s exile had started in 1997?

    Clements adopts a strategy used previously by David Bishop in his Who Killed Kennedy: he examines the events of the Pertwee era through bystanders’ eyes, allowing the listener to hear of events in much the same way as they would have done had they seen them on the news. Except this time it’s different: rather than reading of real-time journalistic accounts, we hear the aftereffects of UNIT action without the Doctor’s temperate influence. Clements brings a stunning amount of continuity to bear on this play, but it works: we learn about how almost every TV invasion story was handled by UNIT without the Doctor, and the results are never pleasant: from craters across America to a giant lake in the heart of London, it is apparent that, with the Doctor absent, UNIT resorted to its usual explosive methods to eliminate its adversaries.

    As such, this is a much less attractive 1997 than that through which we lived. The story takes place on the eve of the Hong Kong handover, and the China on display is a massive world power with scary military technology — the threat of war is constantly audible in the background, even if it’s never overt. This allows for a much more hard-bitten UNIT, which is also conveyed well by Clements — I can see why he was drafted to write for the recent UNIT miniseries.

    The second Unbound Doctor is easily the least distinctive, but that is not to say that David Warner’s performance is lacking in any way. He’s not the upright, moralizing Pertwee Doctor, but rather something more unnerving; he’s just as desperate to escape his exile but he doesn’t appear to have the same difficult moral hurdles to overcome. Shifting from threatening to appealing with ease, Warner slips into his role remarkably quickly: you can feel him chafing against the limits of life on Earth, and the only time he sounds perfectly at home is discussing the outer limits with a monk. Warner is also the most accessible of the Unbound Doctors, so it’s no surprise that his Doctor drew the most fan demands for a return — or indeed that those demands will apparently be satisfied.

    The more obviously changed character is the Brigadier, who has retired to Hong Kong in disgrace after apparently being drummed out of the corps with an honorable discharge. Setting the play in 1997 also allows Nicholas Courtney to play up his age, and he brings a downtrodden, saddened Brigadier to the ear — but unlike his counterpart, he hasn’t fallen into the abyss of fatalism, as seen in his heroism as the play progresses. Courtney is stellar in the role, as this Brigadier bears his disgrace with a quiet dignity — but, like the Doctor, rises to the bait when challenged.

    There are really only two significant supporting characters in Sympathy for the Devil, both of whom have great significance to Doctor Who as a whole. Ke Le, pronounced quite similarly to Keller, and usually known as the Master, is brought to the audio stage by the legendary actor Sam Kisgart, who bears a strong anagrammatical resemblance to one of the new series writers. “Kisgart” is exceptional — rather than the forthright nature of Delgado or Ainley, or the brink-of-death insanity of Beevers and Pratt, this Master absolutely relishes his mania. It’s smug, languid evil, and “Kisgart” pulls it off effortlessly — it shouldn’t, but it *works* so well when he says the classic Master lines. Second of the important supporting characters is Colonel Brimmicombe-Wood, played by upcoming tenth Doctor David Tennant. I wasn’t a particular fan of Tennant’s performance in Colditz, but here he’s amazing — the Colonel is as complex a military character as you’ll find, showing contempt for the Brigadier, sympathy for yet command over his underlings, and absolute desperation to escape at the conclusion. He’s also hilarious — his exhortation of a soldier to look at the sun and use it for light had me laughing. Unfortunately, the other supporting characters range from annoying to insignificant, but the story isn’t particularly concerned with them.

    Gareth Jenkins provides some of the most “realistic” real-world sound design I’ve heard from Big Finish — the background sound is amazingly constructed, right up to the final scene. Andy Hardwick’s score is also well-produced, lending the play a suitably epic feel. And Gary Russell’s direction is its usual strong self: given the great number of characters and settings, he keeps the play on track and suitably pacy. The first two Unbound plays have had a more “immediate” feel than much of the main range — this is not to criticize the main range, but it does seem as though the Unbound range is structured to sound differently in more ways than just the script and lead actor.

    Overall, Sympathy for the Devil is a strong second offering for the Unbound range. It’s not without its flaws, as such a complicated script will almost always have disappointing elements, but the acting and the production help make up for many deficiencies. 2003 was a wonderful year for Big Finish, and this play is just one of the many examples of why.

    Highly recommended.

    8/10.

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:57 pm
  • From Styre on 1 – Auld Mortality

    AULD MORTALITY

    In commemoration of the fortieth anniversary year, 2003, Big Finish launched an “alternate” range of Doctor Who plays: Doctor Who Unbound, a series of productions which ask a fundamental “what if” question about the Doctor Who universe and show the results when that change is made. Produced separately from the main range, these plays demonstrate the true range of the Doctor Who universe: and they’re mostly excellent to boot.

    The first Unbound release, Marc Platt’s Auld Mortality, is done in the author’s typically concept-heavy, metaphorical style that vanished somewhat for his two previous Big Finish plays. Here, though, it’s in full display, with the bulk of the story taking place within an idea generator which creates quasi-fictional worlds with which the user can interact. The central question? What if the Doctor never left Gallifrey?

    The approach Platt takes is unexpected. Most authors, I’d expect, would examine the repercussions of this absence upon the universe, but Platt chooses to look at the Doctor himself, and he shows that the character is, at heart, totally unchanged. Indeed, Platt doesn’t even believe that the Doctor would have voluntarily stayed behind, and so we learn that the Doctor has been kept on Gallifrey against his will. Platt uses a similar Gallifrey to the one seen in Lungbarrow, and much like in his novel the Time Lord homeworld comes across as mystical and high-concept rather than base and political as it was sometimes seen on television. Hannibal’s crossing of the Alps is a fascinating parallel, with Hannibal’s search for the correct path mirroring the Doctor’s.

    Part of the appeal of the Unbound series is the central role: for each play, the Doctor is recast as a new actor. Here, it’s Geoffrey Bayldon, who appeared in the series in The Creature from the Pit and was offered the initial role of the Doctor back in 1963. His portrayal comes across almost as an homage to Hartnell, as he shows remarkable range, shifting from gleeful to crotchety to heroic by the minute. Yet this isn’t an imitation: there aren’t any line fluffs, there’s no giggling, and only a couple of “hmm?”s make an appearance — what you see instead is how the first Doctor may have been if recasted, and it’s very impressive. This Doctor has his characteristic wanderlust, and the joy at the conclusion as he regains his freedom is palpable.

    Returning to her role of Susan is Carole Ann Ford, and her performance is very reminiscent of her time on television — both in good ways and bad. At times, her line readings are questionable, especially when they’re heavy in technobabble — but her rapport with Bayldon is excellent and she convinces very well when she appeals as his granddaughter. Platt’s suggestion that Susan is in line for the Presidency is interesting if only because the character was never anything more than incompetent — but he writes her well and she’s recognizably the Susan we knew before.

    The supporting cast is excellent. Derren Nesbitt is suitably creepy and threatening as Quences, Toby Longworth is hilariously exasperated as Badger, and Matthew Brenher’s Hannibal is everything you’d expect from the Carthaginian general. Special mention, though, to Ian Brooker, who manages as Surus to sound exactly like you’d expect a talking elephant to sound. It’s good to see that the BF guest casting success extends past the main range.

    Alistair Lock’s sound design might be the best element of this play, as it manages to unite both the “reality” of Gallifrey plus the Doctor’s fictional worlds — the final scene is a masterpiece of design. Nicholas Briggs’ direction keeps clear a potentially muddy script — this is a great foundation for the next five plays in the series.

    Auld Mortality isn’t perfect, with the few faults centering around Susan, but as a start to a range this is exceptional. By showing such an intriguing “what if” Doctor Who concept, Big Finish almost guarantee that listeners will want to check out the next play in the series — this is yet another success from Marc Platt that’s well worth picking up.

    9/10.

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:56 pm
  • From Styre on 1.4 – Telos

    CYBERMAN: TELOS

    I don’t know if there are any recurring themes in my Big Finish reviews, but there are certainly a couple of recurrent critiques. For example, I can’t count the number of times I’ve criticized Big Finish for unsatisfactory resolutions to story arcs — and I’m adding another log to the fire after hearing “Telos,” the fourth and final chapter of the Cyberman miniseries. After four complete stories, the fascinating backdrop of the human-android Orion war isn’t explored in any depth whatsoever, and after “Telos” we still don’t know what started the war or why it’s still being fought. We’ve seen this allegory in Doctor Who before, though, right? Both sides realize the war is pointless and resolve their differences? Nope! Instead, we’re told that humans and androids will put their differences aside to team up against the Cybermen — but considering that the androids in “Telos” distrust everything Barnaby says to the point of utter lunacy, and the only positive human-android relationship in the entire thing is based on sex, this concept is completely unbelievable. Nonetheless, the dialogue goes to great lengths to pound the idea into the listener’s head — lines on the order of “too bad nobody will ever know we teamed up!” had me laughing out loud, and not in a good way.

    Which begs the question: what on earth is Cyberman supposed to be about? It’s not about the futility of war, or two sides overcoming their differences, because these ideas aren’t explored in any meaningful sense. It’s not even about the usual Cyberman themes of the horrors of conversion and forced conformity — all we hear is a robotized Karen Brett having an unconvincing identity crisis. As far as I can tell, Cyberman is nothing more than an empty action epic pitting humans against androids against Cybermen. And even the Cybermen themselves are ludicrous! Look, the Cybermen were never supposed to be invincible supermen. Yes, they enhanced themselves at the expense of their humanity in order to survive the death of their planet, but crucial to the concept is the idea that they’re always on the edge of survival. Yet here they’re shown to be so advanced that they built planetary vaults that survived the destruction of Telos itself, and so powerful that they rampage through an entire brigade of superhuman android soldiers without taking a single casualty and survive several massive explosions. Leaving aside the fact that they collapse at the sight of nuclear fuel rods, the only reason their plan doesn’t work is that only a few of them go to Telos in the first place — if they send even one extra ship, they win! Meanwhile, all the androids and humans that know about the plan are killed except for Barnaby and Samantha, and they’re left floating in a ship without hyperdrive. Looks like the Cybermen win this one after all! And rightfully they should — the idea that there are billions of Cybermen just waiting to be reactivated removes all subtext and turns them into generic metal monsters. So why shouldn’t they win? They’re bigger, stronger, faster, smarter, and they massively outnumber us — and nothing in this miniseries says that we stand a chance in hell against them, emotions or not, androids or not.

    The preceding rant shows what happens when I try to digest something completely without substance. Empty spectacle I can handle — but ill-considered, badly-written empty spectacle I cannot, even with good production and good performances. And so, after two solid opening chapters, the Cyberman series plummets sharply downhill and ends in this.

    Don’t waste your money or your time.

    3/10

    Series average: 5.8

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:55 pm
  • From Styre on 1.3 – Conversion

    CYBERMAN: CONVERSION

    As long as I’m raising similarities between Cyberman and the Dalek Empire series, let me point out another one: meandering, padded third episodes. An attentive listener will already have deduced that the immigration center is really for Cyber-conversion and that the Cybermen seek the ultimate conversion of all humanity, and furthermore that the androids don’t want this to happen. Yet this is precisely what “Conversion” takes another full hour to relate to the audience. Most of the action follows Barnaby and Samantha as they flee to android territory by hijacking a Cyber-controlled Earth ship, but unfortunately most of the drama revolves around them sitting still in an escape pod wondering who will collect them first. The androids, naturally, are just as close-minded and prejudiced as the humans, but we’re starting to see the first glimmers of “Hey, they’re not that much different from us!” that will invariably cause them to band together and save the day. Still, the android doctor was a pleasant injection of humor into an otherwise-dead-serious universe, and the acting is always convincing.

    Two more points, since I have very little to say about “Conversion” itself: first, as other reviews have pointed out, the Cyber-plan is almost as ludicrous as the Dalek scheme in Dalek Empire I. In that serial, the Daleks launched an invasion of an entire galaxy simply to distract attention from one single planet that was their target all along. Here, it looks like the Cybermen already have billions of soldiers in hibernation, waiting to be awakened — so rather than immediately taking one of their covert ships and going right to Telos, they’re busy taking over the entire Earth government and winning the Orion War first? Why? Secondly, I’m a little bothered by the portrayal of women in “Conversion” — the first of them, supposedly the President of Earth and a great military leader, is shown to be weak-willed, weepy, and easily manipulated, while the second, an android spy, deduces that the best way to overcome Barnaby’s mental dampening is to… have sex with him! It’s bizarre, and really out of place.

    In short, “Conversion” really doesn’t accomplish anything other than setting up the pieces for the final part. The production and acting are up to the usual high standards, so it’s a little better than average, but it’s almost completely inessential listening.

    6/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:54 pm
  • From Styre on 1.2 – Fear

    CYBERMAN: FEAR

    I’m already getting the “heard it all before” feeling from Nicholas Briggs’ Cyberman series, mostly because he seems to be hitting exactly the same notes as the Dalek Empire predecessors. In both cases, invasions proceed in part because humanity has absolutely no recollection of either the Daleks or the Cybermen. Yes, there’s a point to be made here about repeating forgotten history, but it has the unfortunate side effect of making the humans look stupid — especially when we know that the humans programmed the androids with knowledge of the Cybermen in the first place! Briggs also includes the fairly standard political thriller tropes of a mysterious outsider gaining the president’s ear and freezing out the leader’s closest friend — there’s nothing wrong with these ideas, but they’re a bit unbelievable here. As far as I can tell, Paul Hunt is working alone, and yet nobody questions how he has singlehandedly shifted the approach of the executive government of the entire planet? The commander-in-chief of Earth’s armies, a highly-respected officer with millions of troops under his command, is completely disregarded as insane by everyone even though he has hard evidence of strange goings-on? Doesn’t this society have news media? I see what Briggs is getting at — it’s easy to control the flow of opinion during wartime, hence the title — but some of “Fear” is ludicrous under closer examination.

    Plot quibbles aside, “Fear” picks up months after “Scorpius” left off and flies along at breakneck speed. Barnaby (Mark McDonnell, I think) is the central figure, and we listen as his entire world is turned upside down and destroyed in a matter of days. Briggs’ script ratchets the paranoia up to 11 and, much like a good episode of “24” or “Spooks,” the listener can feel control slipping away right along with the characters. Barnaby’s conflicted relationship with android spy Samantha is an old standard as well — the person he’s prejudiced against and distrusts the most is also the only one with any interest in helping him — but it’ll be interesting to find out how this android war started in the first place, given that these androids are practically indistinguishable from humans. It seems pretty clear even at this point that the humans will eventually side with the androids against the Cybermen — “better the devil you know” and all that — but despite this very familiar ground, “Fear” covers it with enough excitement and atmosphere to keep the interest throughout.

    Very solid work.

    7/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:53 pm
  • From Styre on 1.1 – Scorpius

    CYBERMAN: SCORPIUS

    With three Dalek Empire series in the book at the time, it was unsurprising that Big Finish would turn to Doctor Who’s other iconic monster, the Cybermen, for a miniseries release of their own. Much like Dalek Empire, Nicholas Briggs is again in charge of everything — and the backstory to this series can be found in Briggs’ own Doctor Who release “Sword of Orion.” “Scorpius” is an introduction to the “Cyberman” universe: it establishes the war between humans and androids in the Orion system, shows that the war isn’t going particularly well for Earth, and introduces (presumably) the major players. There’s a clear parallel here with the Iraq war — an initially-popular conflict expected to last a year at most degenerating into a wildly unpopular campaign with casualties on the rise — and the motives behind the conflict are equally unclear. There’s talk of humanity “defending its way of life” — which should sound familiar — but it’s also clear that Earth initiated hostilities, and it’ll be interesting to hear if this develops.

    This first story follows Karen Brett (Sarah Mowat, much improved over Dalek Empire), an Earth admiral, as she rapidly advances upward until she becomes President of Earth. Her advancement is controlled behind the scenes by Scorpius — a mysterious organization quickly revealed to be under the control of the Cybermen — as all those in front of her are killed or otherwise removed. This includes one particularly surprising scene in which Cybermen march right into the Presidential palace and assassinate the President, one of several well-directed set pieces throughout the play. It’s all setup, of course, so we don’t know the Cyber-plan, but they clearly have domination on their minds. I’ve seen other reviews draw attention to similarities between this play and the Dalek Empire series, and this is certainly true: the future-historical period seems similar, the bad guys have a secret plot to which the lead character (played by Sarah Mowat) is uniquely suited, etc. Fortunately, the material is gripping enough to forestall any concerns for now. The voiceover narration is an interesting creative choice, also similar to Dalek Empire, but I’m not sure if it works.

    Briggs does his own sound design and direction, and it’s all very good: the pace flags at the conclusion, but there’s never any confusion and the senes of place is always strong. The score, also by Briggs, is a bit discordant, and the theme music, complete with “Cyberman!” intonation, made me giggle, but it’s solid nonetheless. I’d like to comment on the acting, but unfortunately Big Finish decided for some reason to omit liner notes on these releases, directing listeners instead to a series-specific website. Sounds like a cool idea — or at least it would be if that website hadn’t been deleted in the BF main site relaunch. In sum, I have no idea who’s playing whom. Oh well.

    “Scorpius” is a fine introductory episode, and is recommended.

    7/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:52 pm
  • From Styre on 3.6 – Dalek Empire III – The Future

    DALEK EMPIRE III

    CHAPTER SIX: THE FUTURE

    I appreciated what Nicholas Briggs did with the fourth and final part of “Dalek War.” He recast the events of the previous three audios as part of a larger, grander, more mythological narrative, redefining the Daleks in the process as a nebulous evil force rather than a specific race of conquerors. Briggs tries a similar strategy here in “The Future,” but it doesn’t succeed, as it bears almost no connection to the five plays which preceded it. As the nature of the Dalek plan is fully revealed — the Daleks spread a devastating plague, then arrive offering help, and cure it by turning victims into more Daleks, thus building their army — we’re given a conflict of philosophy: do the Daleks need to become human in order to achieve true success? Is the conversion of humans into Daleks a means to achieve this, or just a grotesque perversion of the truth? Will humanity need to become more Dalek-like in order to defeat the Daleks? If so, then is Dalek conversion just another means to an end? Or will the Dalek invasion lead to a stronger, more unified human race? All of these questions are posed in the final half-hour, and all are left open-ended. This is intelligent, thought-provoking material, but why was it saved until now? There hasn’t been a moment of moral ambiguity thus far — even the question of whether a plague cure is worth a Dalek alliance is definitely given a negative response, since all the plague survivors are forcibly converted into Daleks. None of this is helped by a sudden streak of brutal fatalism, as Briggs rapidly dispatches the entire regular cast (including a rather poor scene of overdramatic battlefield shouting), culminating in Tarkov’s forcible conversion. I’ve heard this compared to Blake’s 7, and it’s nowhere close — this is obfuscation for the sake of it. You can’t spend fourteen plays portraying the Daleks as the ultimate evil and then throw your hands into the air and declare “it’s all ambiguous!” It’s an unnecessary, unsatisfying cheap trick. Which, come to think of it, is a fairly apt description of “Dalek Empire III” as a whole.

    4/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:51 pm
  • From Styre on 3.5 – Dalek Empire III – The Warriors

    DALEK EMPIRE III

    CHAPTER FIVE: THE WARRIORS

    One episode worth of padding was bad enough, but two? I’m forced to ask a second time why “Dalek Empire III” consists of six parts, now that Nicholas Briggs has essentially wasted two of them with needless repetition. The dramatic rescue of Galanar, Elaria, and Tarkov at the beginning is exciting enough, but it quickly gives way to interminable scenes of suspicion amongst the Wardens, the Demons, and Tarkov himself. There’s nothing particularly wrong or illogical about Tarkov’s suspicion, and Galanar opening up to him in order to earn his trust is a time-honored dramatic device — but we’ve heard all of this before. We already know Galanar’s background, and being forced to sit through a rehash is totally unnecessary. Furthermore, Tarkov’s paranoia is almost completely over the top — it would be okay if the situation allowed time for it, but considering that the audience is presented with a tense race against time, the Tarkov scenes jar horribly. The fuel depot, too, is problematic: “Dalek War” contained an obvious trap, but it was so audacious (a terraformed Jupiter?!) that it invited curiosity. Here, the depot is an even more obvious trap, and it doesn’t even have a hook: a lightly-guarded gas station isn’t gripping in the slightest. The play is rescued somewhat by its first part, in which Kaymee learns the true nature of the Dalek plot, but even these revelations are fairly obvious: the Daleks are behind the plague? You don’t say. Still, the desperate performances from Laura Rees and Oliver Hume hold the opening scenes together. Overall, the plot is becoming more linear, more obvious, and slower, and the series still isn’t showing any thematic ambition — it’ll take a stellar final part to save things.

    5/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:50 pm
  • From Styre on 3.4 – Dalek Empire III – The Demons

    DALEK EMPIRE III

    CHAPTER FOUR: THE DEMONS

    Oh, dear. I was wondering if Briggs would be able to sustain the tension through six parts, but if “The Demons” is any indication, the answer is a firm, disappointing “no.” The play does tie itself together with Dalek War, providing an interesting explanation of just what the alt-universe Daleks were doing at the medical research station, but the prolonged flashback sequences add little to the drama. Galanar learning of his origins is one thing, but the interminable sequence of Amur trying to break her Dalek conditioning is both boring and unfulfilling — and the action sequence in which the two of them attempt to escape is genre-standard and uninteresting. Briggs apparently has nothing for the Graxis Wardens to do: they’re barely in the play except for a clichéd scene in which they pose as a different ship in an attempt to fool Dalek patrols. Saxton’s moral dilemma seems forced and out of character, especially with little information about the amount of time that has passed since their escape. The revelations about the new Dalek Supreme — and about how the Daleks survived Kalendorf and Suz’s final, catastrophic assault — are quite interesting, and potentially explain this new Dalek Supreme’s apparent insanity. Unfortunately, Sarah Mowat goes completely over the top, reducing this Dalek Supreme to an unconvincing object of mockery that provoked nothing but laughter from me. While “The Demons” is up to Briggs’ high technical standards, and the acting, Mowat excepted, is stellar, it comes across as almost totally superfluous. It’s not bad, just unnecessary, and begs the question of why a six-part series was produced instead of the usual four.

    5/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:49 pm
  • From Styre on 3.3 – Dalek Empire III – The Survivors

    DALEK EMPIRE III

    CHAPTER THREE: THE SURVIVORS

    This is the best installment yet, as Briggs is tightening up his plots and tying them all together, all the while springing new revelations on the listener. The Graxis story reaches its first conclusion, as the Wardens are driven off the planet by the Dalek onslaught. We get to see trust in the Daleks start to fall apart, as Carneill (Oliver Hume) is finally convinced by hours of brutal slaughter that maybe the Daleks aren’t acting in the interests of peace. The decision to leave Kaymee behind is heart-wrenching, and Ishia Bennison shows why she headlines these plays with a commanding performance. All three leads are in excellent form, including William Gaunt, who dominates his scenes before the council and later before Ian Brooker’s Bulis Mietok. Briggs wrong-foots the listener here: we learn that Tarkov’s happy ending in “The Healers” was anything but, and that Galanar is not what he seems. Gaunt, playing the experienced old soldier, doesn’t let these mistakes shake him. But the best material is that which dominates the second half of the play: David Tennant’s Galanar investigating the Dalek facility. The chase through the building is gripping, even as Galanar’s superhuman abilities are revealed, and the presence of the Dalek Supreme/Susan Mendes hybrid hovers over everything like a bird of prey. Sarah Mowat comes dangerously close to going over the top, with her peculiar tendency to whisper one line and bellow the next, but for now she is remarkably intimidating. Unfortunately, this is only the halfway point — can Briggs continue building these tensions for two more parts? Hard to say, but for now, this was very impressive.

    8/10

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    2016/05/07 at 8:48 pm
  • From Styre on 3.2 – Dalek Empire III – The Healers

    DALEK EMPIRE III

    CHAPTER TWO: THE HEALERS

    It appears that Nicholas Briggs will spend this third Dalek Empire series with three primary plots, each of which is remarkably engaging. Perhaps the most immediate is the continuing saga of the Graxis Wardens, who quickly learn the true nature of the Daleks. These scenes are structured shakily — Briggs doesn’t have the David Whitaker Dalek style completely down, and as such it is almost impossible to understand how anyone came to trust the Daleks in the first place. The Daleks in “The Power of the Daleks,” for example, exhibited the patience of saints, only revealing their true, violent nature when victory was all but assured. These Daleks, however, are barely-restrained psychopaths, screaming and exterminating at the slightest provocation, which makes for tense scenes at the expense of believability. Fortunately, the sheer energy of the Graxis scenes carries them along. In direct opposition are the brief scenes with Siy Tarkov returning home to meet his daughter Amur (Claudia Elmhirst) — while there’s not much here, it’s reassuring to know that Tarkov hasn’t lost everything in his life. And lastly, David Tennant takes center stage in the third segment, as his Galanar heads undercover to the border territories to engage in some espionage. The consequences quickly spiral into a massive set piece, with Galanar trapped on a Dalek hospital planet, and contemplating Dalek motives as he examines plague victims under the guise of a doctor. It’s naturally bizarre to hear David Tennant’s voice addressed as “Doctor,” but he is easily distinguishable from his television persona. I like the way Briggs structures this play — each plot strand is at a different stage of development, forcing the listener to concentrate. “The Healers” is another solid installment — and what a cliffhanger!

    7/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:47 pm
  • From Styre on 3.1 – Dalek Empire III – The Exterminators

    DALEK EMPIRE III

    CHAPTER ONE: THE EXTERMINATORS

    I’ll be honest — right from the beginning, I think the setting of Dalek Empire III is more interesting than that of its predecessors. While writer-director Nicholas Briggs’ initial vision featured the Daleks as an omnipresent threat, here they are much more nebulous. Using the Daleks as a more indistinct threat allows them to act as more of a faceless threat from beyond the stars — and deleting them entirely from human memory, while implausible, gives them a unique feeling. We also get narrative links back to the first two series through opening monologue from Susan Mendes (Sarah Mowat) as well as scenes about Siy Tarkov’s (Steven Elder) return to “civilization” from Velyshaa. These scenes, mostly two-handed dialogue between Elder and William Gaunt’s brilliant Selestru, summarize events since the conclusion of Dalek War and, through Elder’s tortured performance, render Tarkov one of the play’s most sympathetic characters. Meanwhile, we’re also introduced to the Graxis Wardens, led by Commander Saxton (Ishia Bennison, in another fine performance) and joined by new recruit Kaymee Arnod (Laura Rees), who serve as wildlife rangers of a system-wide protectorate. It’s obvious, of course, that the Daleks are the unidentified threat on Graxis, but Briggs keeps the listener’s attention by limiting the perspective to that of the Wardens, thus enhancing the suspense. Oh, and David Tennant is in it, though his character barely appears in this first episode. “The Exterminators” is little more than an introductory segment, but with a massive cast and multiple settings, as well as five upcoming parts, a slow buildup is ideal. Oh, and as an aside — Briggs isn’t especially good at making up “sci-fi” names. “Bulis Mietok?” Really?

    7/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:46 pm
  • From Styre on 2.4 – Dalek Empire II – Dalek War: Chapter Four

    DALEK EMPIRE II: DALEK WAR

    CHAPTER FOUR

    It often takes a series several episodes to find its feet, and several more to hit its first home run. The Dalek Empire series bears this out — while it took until the second series, Dalek War, to stand upon firm ground, it took until the final chapter, Chapter Four, to produce the first truly brilliant play of the run. After three episodes of mostly plot-oriented sci-fi action, Nicholas Briggs abruptly changes focus, telling the entire final chapter in flashback and recasting the entire series as a parable about humanity and the freedom to choose. In Kalendorf’s final, brilliant scene with the Mentor, we see one of Doctor Who’s central themes revisited in spinoff form: the true wonder of humanity is its unwillingness to submit to control, and its endless fight for survival in the face of insurmountable odds. We see Suz kill Alby in desperation, a shocking moment that stands in keeping both with the characters and what the play seeks to say about desperation. And the “present-day” sequences with Siy Tarkov (Steven Elder) and Saloran Hardew (Karen Henson) elevate the play to its greatest heights. The events of the war are reshaped into legend, with Kalendorf now standing as a mythical Bringer of Death. The Daleks are now seen as a faceless enemy, threatening humanity from a faraway place — and now that we understand that these Dalek/human conflicts are regular occurrences, we can view the Daleks as a force for change, a means through which humanity can rediscover its purpose and driving force. Chapter Four is amazing stuff, arguably the best Nicholas Briggs play I’ve heard to date, and the mere fact of its production justifies the Dalek Empire series as a whole.

    10/10

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    2016/05/07 at 8:45 pm
  • From Styre on 2.3 – Dalek Empire II – Dalek War: Chapter Three

    DALEK EMPIRE II: DALEK WAR

    CHAPTER THREE

    The best way to hold an audience is to keep them guessing, and Nicholas Briggs accomplishes this in the third part of Dalek Empire II: Dalek War. Was it obvious that the terraformed Jupiter was a Dalek trap? Yes, but the nature of the trap wasn’t so obvious, and the scenes of the besieged Alliance soldiers on Jupiter are gripping sci-fi horror material. The Vaarga plants are a nice throwback to the classic Doctor Who series, referencing an episode few fans will ever have seen. Of course, this Dalek plan is needlessly overcomplicated, but as these are the same Daleks who launched an entire galactic invasion just to conceal the flight of one ship to one planet, the ludicrous plan isn’t exactly surprising. Chapter Three also seeks to demonstrate the evil nature of the “friendly” Daleks, but Briggs takes this a step too far. The “punished planets” remove any moral ambiguity from the story — how much better if these Daleks hadn’t slaughtered untold billions, and Kalendorf didn’t have a foot to stand on aside from his own suspicions? Regardless, his scenes with the Mentor are the best thus far, as Hannah Smith’s surprisingly intimidating anger comes to the fore. Indeed, Briggs uses his characters to their greatest effect in this story, with two scenes in particular standing out: first, the quiet, desperate scene of Mirana and her first officer in the escape pod; and second, the climactic confrontation between Suz, Alby, and Kalendorf which, while it ends in another silly melodramatic scream, perfectly encapsulates Briggs’ three leads and practically begs the listener to move on to Chapter Four. This is the best Dalek Empire play thus far.

    8/10

    Go to comment
    2016/05/07 at 8:43 pm