Charlotte Pollard arrives in a toyshop, but she doesn’t know where she is – or even who she is. The mysterious owner wants to play games. He’s the Celestial Toymaker, and he has already defeated the Doctor, whose essence is hidden inside a ventriloquist’s doll…
THE COMPANION CHRONICLES: SOLITAIRE
For the final release in the fourth series of Companion Chronicles, John Dorney’s “Solitaire,” Big Finish offers both the only eighth Doctor Chronicle as well as the most format-breaking story yet seen in the range. While a couple of flaws prevent it from becoming a true masterpiece, it is yet another excellent release in a range full of them.
Before discussing the flaws, I want to emphasize just how much I enjoyed this story. It’s the first Companion Chronicle to eschew narrative entirely: it’s a fully dramatized two-hander between Charley and the Toymaker (David Bailie). Dorney’s script is very elegantly constructed, layering revelation upon revelation with a fine sense of timing. The revelation about the TARDIS is predictable, but there’s a neat double switch that undercuts the predictability. The idea that the Toymaker is stuck in his own game is fantastic – there’s a good reason it’s called “Solitaire,” after all! I also enjoyed the sound effects on the voice of the creature behind the game, making it both creepy and intimidating. And Bailie’s performance is just magical – he was very good in “The Nightmare Fair,” but here he has great material to work with and he rises wonderfully to the occasion. The script demands that he veer frequently from joy to anger to arrogance, sometimes all in the same line, and Bailie doesn’t miss a beat.
Which brings me around to the first of my perceived flaws: the script isn’t quite up to the 10/10 range. My complaint is best summarized by the very end of the story, in which Charley pauses to reflect upon whether the game is truly over and if she’s truly escaped the Toymaker’s clutches. Of all the ways to communicate this, having Charley exclaim, “Maybe I’m still playing!” and the dummy Doctor reply “Shall we roll the dice and see?” is the most obvious and uninspired. “Solitaire,” on the whole, lacks nuance, often betraying its skillful construction by spelling out exactly what’s going on. I really enjoyed listening to Charley talk her way through the puzzles set before her by the Toymaker; the scene where she painstakingly spells out exactly why she thinks the Toymaker is the player, however, isn’t nearly as good. It’s also very plot-driven: the story is all about solving the puzzles, and the very short scene in which Charley tries to recall her relationship with the Doctor is crying out to be longer. I understand why she was given amnesia for most of the story but I can’t help wondering if that was ultimately a mistake.
My second complaint – and it’s going to be unpopular – is with India Fisher herself. While I’ve never been the biggest fan of Charley, I think the character is well represented here – but the two-hand nature of the play flags up how one-note Fisher’s performance can be. There’s absolutely no subtlety to it: every emotion is belted out, every phrase over-emphasized. This often worked paired with the melodramatic eighth Doctor stories of the Gary Russell era, and it was necessary to avoid becoming lost alongside Colin Baker, but here, paired with a command performance from David Bailie, the style falls short. The first few times the same irritated grunt was used to express frustration I ignored it; after that I started rolling my eyes. I felt a similar problem with her narration of “Enemy Aliens” in the Destiny of the Doctor range. In short, I don’t think she’s good enough for a script like this, and that’s a shame.
Overall, though, “Solitaire” is still very successful. Nicholas Briggs directs his first Companion Chronicle, doing his usual excellent work – and the sound design from Toby Hrycek-Robinson is first-rate, using a minimal style to really bring out the oppressive, claustrophobic nature of the environment. In short, there’s really no excuse not to have this story in your collection – even if you don’t like Companion Chronicles in general, this story doesn’t even sound like one. A fine example of Doctor Who audio drama.
Highly recommended.
8/10