The Draconians have taken over the Braxiatel Collection and Bernice is missing.
1 Comment
Tom Swift
on May 9, 2016 at 3:47 AM
Freedom of Information
The second part of the Draconian occupation shows clearly how the Bernice Summerfield range can pay dividends by linking one play into another. Whilst I believe that on a personal level the Judas Gift is the superior play, partially down to the audience’s already firm attachment to Bev Tarrant, Freedom of Information is certainly a competent offering.
Its main weakness is that its main character, Ambassador Kothar, is practically an unknown to the audience. The story follows his hunt for information as he attempts to find the location of the ‘missing’ Bernice Summerfield, alternately interviewing Braxiatel, Doggles, Adrian and Jason with a mixture of interrogation styles. It’s intriguing and a little disconcerting to see characters we’ve known for years from a completely new perspective, and Doggles in particular benefits from a chance to work his way up the social ladder.
That isn’t to say Lisa Bowerman is absent. As the story develops Bernice appears as a figment of Kothar’s imagination. The two characters, Kothar and his personal ghost, continually banter back and forth giving the story a necessary running narration. Through his interaction with his ghost Kothar transforms into a fully developed three dimensional character.
Meanwhile, and more pertinently, Joseph and Hass are away on a mission of peace on the Mimsphere. Unfortunately the Mim are suspicious to say the least, and as the play develops Hass enters a course of action no one expected. I can’t work out whether this ‘ability’ of Hass’s was signposted, or if the character has just become an expedient plot point. It’s certainly a necessary twist to move events forwards, but whether or not it was properly signposted is open for debate.
Making excellent use of the full cast that the range has to offer Freedom of Information is a brilliant detective story. Its greatest strength, as well as one of its weaknesses, is the character Kothar who steps forward as the villain of the previous piece to become a great rounded character. It boasts great sound design and production, sharp writing but lacks the emotional punch of the previous play.
Freedom of Information
The second part of the Draconian occupation shows clearly how the Bernice Summerfield range can pay dividends by linking one play into another. Whilst I believe that on a personal level the Judas Gift is the superior play, partially down to the audience’s already firm attachment to Bev Tarrant, Freedom of Information is certainly a competent offering.
Its main weakness is that its main character, Ambassador Kothar, is practically an unknown to the audience. The story follows his hunt for information as he attempts to find the location of the ‘missing’ Bernice Summerfield, alternately interviewing Braxiatel, Doggles, Adrian and Jason with a mixture of interrogation styles. It’s intriguing and a little disconcerting to see characters we’ve known for years from a completely new perspective, and Doggles in particular benefits from a chance to work his way up the social ladder.
That isn’t to say Lisa Bowerman is absent. As the story develops Bernice appears as a figment of Kothar’s imagination. The two characters, Kothar and his personal ghost, continually banter back and forth giving the story a necessary running narration. Through his interaction with his ghost Kothar transforms into a fully developed three dimensional character.
Meanwhile, and more pertinently, Joseph and Hass are away on a mission of peace on the Mimsphere. Unfortunately the Mim are suspicious to say the least, and as the play develops Hass enters a course of action no one expected. I can’t work out whether this ‘ability’ of Hass’s was signposted, or if the character has just become an expedient plot point. It’s certainly a necessary twist to move events forwards, but whether or not it was properly signposted is open for debate.
Making excellent use of the full cast that the range has to offer Freedom of Information is a brilliant detective story. Its greatest strength, as well as one of its weaknesses, is the character Kothar who steps forward as the villain of the previous piece to become a great rounded character. It boasts great sound design and production, sharp writing but lacks the emotional punch of the previous play.
8 / 10