In Edinburgh 1827 the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn encounter notorious body snatchers Burke and Hare, and discover the Universe itself is under threat.
In Edinburgh 1827 the Sixth Doctor and Evelyn encounter notorious body snatchers Burke and Hare, and discover the Universe itself is under threat.
MEDICINAL PURPOSES
Big Finish’s resolution for 2004 was simple: every play would be written by an author new to Doctor Who audio. Yet while 2003, which featured only three authors new to Doctor Who audio, was the most experimental release year in Big Finish’s history, 2004, featuring all new authors with supposed new takes on the material, was surprisingly traditional. Robert Ross’s Medicinal Purposes fits this profile, winding some new material into a very traditional Doctor Who format that appeals nicely.
The largest bone of contention about this story is the Doctor’s attitude towards Burke and Hare: despite his insistence that he does not condone their actions, he seems remarkably accepting, even encouraging, of their murderous ways. Certainly his motives for meeting them are humorously appropriate: he wants to be able to name-drop them in conversation. Would the Doctor do such a thing? Of course — if he can drop Mao’s name, he can certainly use Burke and Hare or Robert Knox. However, his actions seem out of character: it’s one thing to begrudgingly respect someone’s contributions to history, but it’s quite another to shake their hand and encourage them to keep up the good work. However, this is only a minor distraction in the first episode and is not something which takes away from the drama.
Much like its immediate predecessor The Roof of the World, Medicinal Purposes does not have enough of a plot to justify a running time of well over two hours. In terms of actual plot events, little to nothing happens — the characters mainly run back and forth between the public house, the catacombs, and Knox’s house and learn something new at each stop. There are also a great number of misleading plot threads: it takes three explanations before we learn the true reason for Knox’s involvement in events and their particular nature. However, again much like The Roof of the World, this play succeeds because it approaches its material and its setting with complete devotion. Edinburgh of the time is captured amazingly well in both dialogue and performance, while the characters are so involved in the plot that its flaws struggle to stand out.
Colin Baker is, as always, excellent here, as Ross characterizes him a bit more harshly than usual and allows his abrasive side to shine through. His confrontations with Knox are delightful, while his scenes with Evelyn show that it’s been some time since Arrangements for War, but the lessons of that play have not been forgotten. It’s easy to take Baker for granted at this point, as his performances are so steady, but it’s also surprising that he seems to get the best scripts — for whatever reason, this Doctor brings out the best in his authors.
Unfortunately, Evelyn doesn’t get much of anything to do in this play. She’s used to great effect as an emotional point of reference, but her involvement in the plot is minimal and consists mostly of walking back and forth from place to place much like everyone else. Maggie Stables gives a fine performance, and much like Baker, her interactions with the Doctor show a subtle understanding of the character development incurred over the course of their previous appearance. Their rapport is easily the strongest of any of the BF Doctor/companion combinations; hopefully this will continue into 2005 and beyond.
The supporting cast is exceptional. At the time, the easy headliner was Leslie Phillips, who lends nuance and menace to a character that might have been a generic ranting maniac in a lesser actor’s hands. However, in hindsight, David Tennant’s scenes suddenly take on greater importance — the play is full of scenes between two Doctors! Fortunately, Tennant is brilliant as Daft Jamie — it’s easy to overplay such characters but he makes him very sympathetic. Kevin O’Leary and Tom Farrelly present a fine case of contrasting personalities as Burke and Hare, while Glenna Morrison is surprisingly effective as Mary.
On the production front, the high standard continues, as David Darlington provides a fine recreation of the sounds of 1827 Edinburgh. The score is first-rate as well, and his use of certain more familiar sound effects in unexpected places is quite effective. Gary Russell finally surpasses the quality of the script with his direction, taking a plot-light script and managing to keep up an excellent sense of urgency while getting strong performances from his actors. And I love the cover design.
Medicinal Purposes is not without its flaws. However, it still represents a strong entry into the Doctor Who canon — if you like your stories heavy on plot, with lots of complicated twists and turns, you might want to stay away. If you’re more into atmosphere and character development, this is a fine effort and well worth the purchase. Overall, nicely above average and recommended… it says something about the Colin Baker releases that I consider this his worst story since …ish and it still gets a…
7/10