Big Finish Doctor Who Audios
"The Holy Terror"
reviewed by Kathy Sullivan
by Robert Shearman
"The Holy Terror", a four part adventure written by Robert Shearman and directed by Nicholas Pegg, opens in a dark and dank dungeon with Captain Sejanus conducting the interrogation of the court scribe Eugene Tacitus on the charge of heresy. The Emperor has died and everyone must now worship the new God Emperor.
In the TARDIS, Frobisher is chasing fish in the bathtub. The TARDIS responds to Frobisher's interference with the console by going 'on strike', and the only way the Doctor can get the ship to work again is by giving the TARDIS control over its landings. The TARDIS materializes during the coronation of the new God Emperor, and the court hails its appearance as a miracle. Their arrival also frustrates the plans of the new Emperor's brother. And the plans of the treacherous High Priest. But then the story gets more complicated than that.
"The Holy Terror" is one of those rare stories that is not predictable at all. Just when you've got it labeled a comedy, another twist sends it off in a different direction. The talented cast is able to handle all the twists and turns wonderfully, providing some delightful dark comedy in the best Python style one moment, striking drama in the next. You might have to listen to the audio more than once, though, to spot when things suddenly change.
Russell Stone composed the atmospheric music, while Gareth Jenkins handled the marvelous sound design (I loved Frobisher's flipper sounds) and post production.
Robert Jezek brings the wise-cracking Frobisher to life, and the banter between the shape-changing being and the Sixth Doctor works to convince the listener that they've been traveling together for some time. The cast also includes Dan Hogarth as Captain Sejanus, Sam Kelly as Eugene Tacitus (who has a wonderful narration of the coronation), Roberta Taylor as Berengaria, Helen Punt as Livilla, Peter Guinness as Childeric, Stefan Atkinson as Pepin, Peter Sowerbutts as the High Priest Clovis, Bruce Mann as Arnulf, and Robert Shearman as the Sculptor.
The trailer for the "The Mutant Phase" is included on the CD and sounds intriguing. And, at the very end of the last track, there is a short music piece.
140 minutes
Highly recommended.
The Bernice Summerfield Adventures Bernice's long-awaited return in audio format is in the dramatization of the novel Dragons' Wrath, written by Justin Richards. As directed by Edward Salt, the adaptation is a mixture of Benny's diary entries and action scenes. This works very well, letting the listener into Benny's thoughts about people and events. A wealthy overlord has asked St. Oscar's University on Dellah to send an expedition to Stanturus III to verify that this was the site of his ancestor's rise to power. The University chooses Benny, a history professor and an accountant to go, but meanwhile, Benny has fallen over another mystery. An art history professor at the university is murdered, and his dying words to her are 'Dragon...key.' Searching his apartment, Benny finds a jewel-encrusted dragon statue. On a visit to the overlord's home on Thaan, she finds a similar dragon, a symbol of his ancestor's power and supposedly one of a kind. Which statue is the original, and how could it have been copied? What is the real reason for the overlord's decision to fund an expedition? The new theme song "Adventure is my Game" takes a bit of getting used to, but it does set up the "James Bondish" side to Benny's life. Along with the song, the sound design and post-production by Toby Richards and Emily Baker seems to be bit intrusive to the story, with little odd ticks and clatters at strange moments, sometimes threatening to drown out the dialog. Incidental music normally enhances the mood or serves as transitions between scenes; this tended to detract from the drama by sounding 'humorous' or as if the story was taking place in a construction zone. The tracks are also longer than usual. Justin Richard's novel Dragons' Wrath had been one of my favorites of the Benny books, and I have been looking forward to the audio version. This CD has been well worth the wait. Jacqueline Rayner's adaptation of "Dragons' Wrath" is a very well-plotted fast-paced mystery/adventure story. Benny is on top form: observant, stubborn, and quickly spotted as a potential trouble-maker. The sequence of her breaking into the overlord's archives is especially well-done. Lisa Bowerman returns in grand form as Professor Bernice Summerfield. Another familiar DW voice, Richard Franklin (Mike Yates), portrays the overlord Romolo Nusek, who switches from charming to nasty with ease. Gary Russell voices Mappin Gilder, the University's accounts manager whose fussiness has hidden strengths. Nigel Fairs is very convincing as the historian Dr. Nicholas Clyde, who works with Benny to solve the mystery behind the dragons. Other members of the excellent cast include Jane Burke as the famous archeologist Dr. Truby Kamardrich and Jez Fielder as the delightful Librarian Reddick. 70
minutes Other Audio Doctor Who: Music from the New Audio Adventures. Volume 1 Okay, I'll admit it: I'm a big fan of soundtracks. I've enjoyed
the incidental music of Big Finish's Doctor Who Adventures, and I jumped at the chance to get the
full version of this music. Alistair Lock's selections from "Phantasmagoria," "The Fearmonger," "The Marian Conspiracy," and "The Spectre of Lanyon Moor" are wonderful, ranging from period music for "Marian" to truly spooky pieces for "Spectre" and "Fearmonger." It's also fun to see the titles for individual tracks, such as "Tea With The Locals," "Kitchen Attack," and "First Shooting." I've been listening to the music again and again since the CD arrived and I've yet to tire of it. Each section is introduced by the trailer for that particular story. 70 minutes
"The John Nathan Turner Memoirs" "The John Nathan Turner Memoirs" are an interesting production. This is a two-volume set of four CDs, on which John Nathan Turner talks about his memories of working on Doctor Who, starting when Patrick Troughton was The Doctor. Volume 1 covers 1969-1985, and Volume 2 covers 1985-2000. Listening to these CDs is, in a way, reminiscent of attending panels at American conventions. If you've attended some of
JNT's panels, some of the stories will be familiar, but others are the side that the fans hadn't been told before. Unlike a published biography, where the text would be broken up with pictures and illustrations, the memoirs are told with only occasional incidental music by Alistair Lock, track breaks and the changes between disks. The CDs are organized in chronological order, so it is possible to listen to memories from particular time periods and skip around to different stories. The anecdotes are interesting. Here are told the casting decisions, the costume designs, location plans, successes and failures. Some gossip is included, as would be
normal with any behind-the-scenes tales. Those who enjoy the Doctor Who
Handbooks, biographies and other
behind-the-scenes books will find
these CDs a valuable addition to their collections. I know I do. Two volumes, 120 minutes each
"Dragons' Wrath"
adapted by Jacqueline Rayner
Highly recommended.
composed
and compiled by Alistair Lock
Highly recommended.
Recommended. Return to Sullivan
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