The Doctor and Lucie go glam when the TARDIS makes an unexpected landing at a motorway service station in 1974.
1 Comment
Styre
on May 7, 2016 at 9:39 PM
HORROR OF GLAM ROCK
I was surprised to see Paul Magrs among the list of authors of the Big Finish-produced BBC7 radio series. His work has always been postmodern and/or magical realist, and his previous audios have used every inch of their running time to let their atmosphere breathe. I was therefore curious to see how his style would translate into the stricter 50-minute format of the new audios — unfortunately, what I found was that his style was barely detectable, swamped beneath a very traditional Doctor Who story. “Horror of Glam Rock” is still a solid piece of work, but I would never peg it as a Paul Magrs script without being told in advance.
This is the “base under siege” format boiled down to its absolute essence, explaining the title’s pun on “Horror of Fang Rock” — we have a small group of characters trapped in a highway oasis, besieged by ravenous bear-like monsters and unable to escape. Magrs sets his play in the glam rock era of the mid-1970s, complete with “rising stars” Tommy (Stephen Gately) and Trisha Tomorrow (Clare Buckfield) and their manager Arnold Korns (Bernard Cribbins). There isn’t much to the actual plot: the Only Ones, the alien invaders, want to eat everyone, and for some reason I wasn’t able to discern they speak to Tommy through his stylophone and convince him they’re going to spirit him away from Earth. After a few characters are eaten, the Doctor figures out a way to stop the aliens, and succeeds in this endeavor despite a close shave in the climax. And that’s why I don’t have much to say about “Glam Rock” — there’s really nothing to talk about. The aliens view Earth as a sort of highway oasis, which I suppose is ironic, but the script is almost totally devoid of the sort of depth or atmosphere I’ve come to expect from Paul Magrs. Points for the tone, though, which gives the proceedings a distinctly ironic feel.
Fortunately, the characters provide entertainment. The Doctor is much more easygoing than in his previous outing “Blood of the Daleks,” and his relationship with Lucie appears to have mellowed considerably. I’ve seen this criticized, but I think it works very well: I don’t think it’s necessary to show the regulars bickering for several episodes on end, as it tends to alienate the listener from finding the journeys exciting. We’ve been over that with the sixth Doctor and Peri, and it wouldn’t work any better today. We also get to see more of Lucie as a character, as her defensive exterior slips from time to time — Sheridan Smith’s sudden enthusiasm at meeting her aunt Pat (Lynsey Harwick) is adorable — and we also get to see her personal strength as the crisis worsens. Paul McGann gets to play this one on cruise control, though there’s one surprisingly effective scene of darkness and anger with Arnold that commands attention. The supporting cast is very good, particularly Cribbins, whose performance as Arnold is darkly hilarious and surprisingly dignified at the conclusion. Gately isn’t particularly convincing — I gather he’s some sort of pop star — but he’s not a detriment to the play.
On the production front, Gareth Jenkins’ sound design is remarkably gruesome, as we get to listen in to the screaming, chewing and crunching as the aliens devour the human characters. Tim Sutton’s music is a delight, a ludicrously inappropriate glam rock score that provides entertaining transitions between scenes. Barnaby Edwards’ direction is solid, with enthusiastic performances and a great pace. The CD package also includes interviews with Cribbins, Una Stubbs, Gately, and Buckfield, as well as unblemished tracks of the song “Children of Tomorrow” and the glam rock version of the Doctor Who theme.
Overall, this is a solid, unmemorable Doctor Who story, helped mightily by its cast. The ironic, winking tone may be off-putting to some listeners, but this is classic series Doctor Who of the most traditional type. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll love this — there’s really nothing more to say.
HORROR OF GLAM ROCK
I was surprised to see Paul Magrs among the list of authors of the Big Finish-produced BBC7 radio series. His work has always been postmodern and/or magical realist, and his previous audios have used every inch of their running time to let their atmosphere breathe. I was therefore curious to see how his style would translate into the stricter 50-minute format of the new audios — unfortunately, what I found was that his style was barely detectable, swamped beneath a very traditional Doctor Who story. “Horror of Glam Rock” is still a solid piece of work, but I would never peg it as a Paul Magrs script without being told in advance.
This is the “base under siege” format boiled down to its absolute essence, explaining the title’s pun on “Horror of Fang Rock” — we have a small group of characters trapped in a highway oasis, besieged by ravenous bear-like monsters and unable to escape. Magrs sets his play in the glam rock era of the mid-1970s, complete with “rising stars” Tommy (Stephen Gately) and Trisha Tomorrow (Clare Buckfield) and their manager Arnold Korns (Bernard Cribbins). There isn’t much to the actual plot: the Only Ones, the alien invaders, want to eat everyone, and for some reason I wasn’t able to discern they speak to Tommy through his stylophone and convince him they’re going to spirit him away from Earth. After a few characters are eaten, the Doctor figures out a way to stop the aliens, and succeeds in this endeavor despite a close shave in the climax. And that’s why I don’t have much to say about “Glam Rock” — there’s really nothing to talk about. The aliens view Earth as a sort of highway oasis, which I suppose is ironic, but the script is almost totally devoid of the sort of depth or atmosphere I’ve come to expect from Paul Magrs. Points for the tone, though, which gives the proceedings a distinctly ironic feel.
Fortunately, the characters provide entertainment. The Doctor is much more easygoing than in his previous outing “Blood of the Daleks,” and his relationship with Lucie appears to have mellowed considerably. I’ve seen this criticized, but I think it works very well: I don’t think it’s necessary to show the regulars bickering for several episodes on end, as it tends to alienate the listener from finding the journeys exciting. We’ve been over that with the sixth Doctor and Peri, and it wouldn’t work any better today. We also get to see more of Lucie as a character, as her defensive exterior slips from time to time — Sheridan Smith’s sudden enthusiasm at meeting her aunt Pat (Lynsey Harwick) is adorable — and we also get to see her personal strength as the crisis worsens. Paul McGann gets to play this one on cruise control, though there’s one surprisingly effective scene of darkness and anger with Arnold that commands attention. The supporting cast is very good, particularly Cribbins, whose performance as Arnold is darkly hilarious and surprisingly dignified at the conclusion. Gately isn’t particularly convincing — I gather he’s some sort of pop star — but he’s not a detriment to the play.
On the production front, Gareth Jenkins’ sound design is remarkably gruesome, as we get to listen in to the screaming, chewing and crunching as the aliens devour the human characters. Tim Sutton’s music is a delight, a ludicrously inappropriate glam rock score that provides entertaining transitions between scenes. Barnaby Edwards’ direction is solid, with enthusiastic performances and a great pace. The CD package also includes interviews with Cribbins, Una Stubbs, Gately, and Buckfield, as well as unblemished tracks of the song “Children of Tomorrow” and the glam rock version of the Doctor Who theme.
Overall, this is a solid, unmemorable Doctor Who story, helped mightily by its cast. The ironic, winking tone may be off-putting to some listeners, but this is classic series Doctor Who of the most traditional type. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll love this — there’s really nothing more to say.
7/10