The Doctor, Jamie and Zoe find themselves on an almost deserted space lab. Earth Station 454 is being closed down, mothballed, its staff relocated. Years of research and co-operation are coming to an end and only distinguished xeno-botantist Professor Arnold Biggs remains on board.
But is there more to the closure than meets the eye? For the operation is being supervised by the Rosemariners of the planet Rosa Damascena. Their terrifying Commander, Rugosa, seems to have something to hide. Who is he? What do the Rosemariners want with the scientists? And what is the secret of Rosedream?
In a world where no one is quite what they seem, and deadly plants lurk around every corner, the Doctor will have to use all his ingenuity just to stay alive… just to stay himself.
THE LOST STORIES: THE ROSEMARINERS
The final release of Big Finish’s third series of Lost Stories, Donald Tosh’s “The Rosemariners,” is set within season 6, the only Patrick Troughton season to exist in its majority. As one of the few surviving Doctor Who writers and script editors from the 1960s, Tosh was able to adapt the script himself for audio, contributing to its authentic feel. The story is no masterpiece; however, it stands as a faithful, enjoyable throwback to a fine era of the program.
As with the other Lost Stories of the 1960s era, “The Rosemariners” is presented as a narrated audio rather than a full-cast production. Frazer Hines and Wendy Padbury share narrative duties, and each shows admirable range and talent. I’ve mentioned this before, as have many others, but Hines’ Troughton impression is just staggeringly good, to the point where it’s easy to forget that Troughton himself wasn’t in the studio with them. About the only questionable decision is having Padbury affect a French accent to play station officer Colbert, and only then because it’s disconcerting to hear her impression followed by references to the character as “he.” The guest cast is particularly impressive: David Warner is naturally excellent as Biggs, especially in his scenes opposite Hines’ Troughton, while Clive Wood’s Rugosa is a threatening megalomaniac in the finest Doctor Who traditions.
Unfortunately, despite the wonderful efforts of the actors, the script isn’t that impressive. It’s a very simple, straightforward good-guys-versus-bad-guys sort of tale, without a hint of subtlety or shade to any of the characters. They’re well crafted in their one-dimensionality, of course – it’s easy to understand each character minutes into their first appearance, and the talented cast lends weight to each role. Even the plot doesn’t take any chances: there’s nothing inventive about the Rosemariners themselves, and the only twist – the slaves are actually the guards! – is predictable and obvious. It’s interesting to compare this to the stories that Tosh edited: that something this simple and comfortable comes from the same program as “The Myth Makers” and “The Massacre” is almost difficult to believe. Lastly, the story also proudly features some of the obvious problems of 1960s television such as excessive padding: the scene between Zoe and Colbert in the communications room is cute, yes, but it’s also excruciatingly long.
All that said, I particularly enjoyed the imagery of the script. Tosh shows a particular talent in his prose, evoking wonderful visuals such as a rose garden aboard a spaceship with only a few well-chosen lines. The descriptions of the characters are effective without being redundant, and the dialogue is often left to explain what the narrative does not. I’ve seen this said elsewhere and I agree: it’s actually quite like listening to a BBC Audio release of a TV story, an effect that other Lost Stories have tried and failed to achieve. And that’s not even talking about Lisa Bowerman’s first-rate direction, or the fantastic sound design and evocative score from Jamie Robertson. Overall, “The Rosemariners” could be described as a quintessential Lost Story: it’s a note-perfect recreation of its era, with all the advantages and drawbacks that entails. And while it doesn’t reach the heights of “The Invasion” or “The War Games,” it’s certainly nothing like “The Dominators,” either!
Recommended.
7/10