The Doctor, Charley and C’Rizz are trapped in an oppressive society where questions are a crime and everyone is being watched – even the watchers.
The Doctor, Charley and C’Rizz are trapped in an oppressive society where questions are a crime and everyone is being watched – even the watchers.
THE NATURAL HISTORY OF FEAR
After the ultratraditional The Creed of the Kromon, it didn’t even matter that Jim Mortimore was writing the following story: The Natural History of Fear was going to be more complicated and more experimental. Nobody could have guessed that it would be quite this experimental, however, as Mortimore’s script deals with the nature of perspective and of history in such complicated fashion that the play almost demands repeated listening. This style has its drawbacks, of course, but ultimately it stands as a minor masterpiece of the audio range, something of which the McGann series could use more.
Mortimore has long been one of Doctor Who’s most imaginative, high-concept authors. Even his short stories generally aspire to terrifying heights, and his novels often seem to slip the bounds of sanity. Given the landscape of a true dramatization, then, it is unsurprising that Mortimore brings the full scope of his imagination to bear, producing one of the most complete societies heard in a Big Finish audio. Despite encountering only a few of its citizens, the constantly shifting personalities on display allow the listener to experience the full breadth of life within Light City. This also leads to some very confusing initial scenes: by the time Paul McGann is repeating the attempted suicide heard at the beginning of the play, one wonders if events are even supposed to make sense.
By the conclusion, however, Mortimore has elegantly wrapped up all of his script’s themes and plot strands, using a particularly inventive series of twists, one involving the physiology of the population of Light City. Rather than a story of the Doctor, this is a story about the Doctor, showing his impact on a population generated simply by showing up and asking questions. Indeed, since even possessing an identity is a bizarre occurrence in the city, the presence of such a powerful individual as the Doctor naturally prods along the breakdown of the society. It’s not the easiest Doctor Who story ever recorded — indeed, if you haven’t been paying attention the last half of episode four will melt your brain — but it’s amazing to see what a mind like Mortimore’s can produce in a performed medium. It’s easy to see why McGann loved the script: it’s as good as any to come through BF.
Paul McGann is simply excellent in his role as (generally) the Editor, playing a man with everything to lose and nothing to gain nonetheless pursuing the so-called revolution with almost fanatical devotion. It’s a desperate, intense performance injected with some Doctorish mannerisms — and when the Doctor does make an appearance at the end it’s easy to see the differences between the two strong performances. An actor who is enthusiastic about his script almost always gives a better performance because of it, and this is some of the best acting we’ve seen from McGann in the range.
India Fisher, on the other hand, seems to struggle somewhat with the opportunity to expand her range. Her performance is too close to Charley for my liking, and when her characters undergo stress she often resorts to whining — still, her sinister moments as the Conscience work very well, much less over the top than their equivalents from Neverland. Her brief time as Charley is much more successful, as Mortimore demonstrates quite a grasp of the character and she rises to the occasion.
One of the primary flaws with The Natural History of Fear, much like The Creed of the Kromon before it, lies with its release order. This is the first full story with C’rizz as companion, and unfortunately Conrad Westmaas loses his identity in the script just like everyone else, meaning that it’s almost impossible to tell who he’s supposed to be. Westmaas lacks a particularly distinctive voice as C’rizz, and without more exposure to the character and his mannerisms, it’s impossible to draw comparisons with his performances in this play. Still, he turns in a solid performance — he seems to be quite good at wringing emotion out of his characters.
Unfortunately, it’s impossible to critique individual members of the supporting cast since I have absolutely no idea who any of them were. As a group, however, not a single performance sounded anything less than good — this is yet another strong supporting group from BF.
Not only did Mortimore write this play, he also handled all the design work. His earlier work was some of the range’s most innovative, and this is no different, as here he creates an immersive soundscape which utterly convinces. The effect accompanying the Light City public address system is terrifying, while the effects use to describe the spinning top are bizarre yet appropriate. Mortimore’s music, too, is wonderful, working a strange rendition of the Doctor Who theme into the play as part of the regular “infotainments” of the city. Gary Russell directs, and clearly has a strong grip on the material as the actors seem to effortlessly reach the right notes in their performances and the pace never seems to drag.
Its placement causes some problems, but unlike The Creed of the Kromon, The Natural History of Fear is not negatively affected by these issues. Jim Mortimore has proven with this script that he remains one of Doctor Who’s most important writers, one who is willing not only to push boundaries but to do so in innovative ways. The themes at the heart of this script might be old but the execution certainly is not; that it also stands as one of BF’s greatest releases is almost incidental.
It gives me great pleasure to unreservedly recommend a McGann audio after so long.
10/10
The Natural History of Fear
During my run of Big Finish’s Bernice Summerfield in 2010 I said once before that I struggled to review their main range of Doctor Who stories. This is because more than any other series the format of Doctor Who is so variable, so flexible, that pinning a consistent style in it is impossible. Doctor Who is unique in that though there are some stories I prefer over others, I struggle to call many of them truly ‘bad’, just ‘different’. Every other series I can try to judge what they’ve achieved compared to what I thought they were meant to, but the intention of Doctor Who varies so wildly from one moment to the next that this becomes almost impossible. The Natural History of fear represents this, and so much more. More than anything else it is ‘different’. In truth the reason you are seeing this review is because it is not, in any sense of the word, a traditional Doctor Who Story.
There have been tales of the Doctor and his companions loosing their memories and living new, alternate lives, slowly recovering their pasts. Despite first appearances this is not what is happening here. This is no standard sordid tale of the memory cheating, although that is a part of it. Jim Mortimore; both author, composer, sound designer, delights in confounding audience expectations. The first episode introduces us to ‘Light City’, a place like no other, although if I compared it to anything it would be George Orwell’s 1984. The voice of Light City directs the citizens about their daily lives, the citizens in question at first played by what sounds by familiar voices, but slowly things change.
In the cast list none of the actors are given roles. That is appropriate as with the exception of the DJ and the Editor there are no definite characters. The first is the haunting voice of Light City, director of the proletariate, and the programme creator who puts together television shows which citizens are required to watch by law. This show, which bears such similarity to the old television show Doctor Who, has been perverted to become a method of control, teaching people messages and rules that the original never intended to come out. The second character, the Editor, played with much gusto by Paul McGann, turns into the plays central character, and his quest to save or destroy Light City is truly gripping. One of the best moments of the play is the end of episode three, a moment which truly changes everything. India Fisher and Conrad Westmass also impress, though their characters change over time.
This is one of the most ambitious productions from Big Finish to date, both within their Doctor Who ranges and beyond. Although certainly not to everyone’s taste it manages to convey a soul destroying emotional journey, a psychological nightmare and journey to the centre of what it means to be alive. Full of references to the old television show to keep fans happy, yet with a strong central message of its own, this truly is the epitome of storytelling.
10 / 10