Breaking Bubbles written by LM Myles and directed by
Nicholas Briggs
What's it about: The Doctor and Peri find themselves in the palatial gardens
of the deposed Empress Safira Valtris where nothing is ever quite what it
seems.
Softer Six: The relaxed and casual chemistry between the
sixth Doctor and Peri at this point in their relationship is a joy to behold.
The Trial music suggests that this story is set post-Mysterious Planet where
the two travellers have been together for some time and have found a way of
communicating beyond yelling at each other. The maturing relationship between
Colin Baker and Nicola Bryant adds so much to the mix too and they now share
the kind of interaction that was never really possible on TV. An Imperial Agent
or a computer engineer, he has been called many things in his lives.
Busty Babe: Peri fancies taking a few cuttings from the
gardens, the writer stressing her interest in botany (that hasn't been
mentioned for some time). Peri has seen enough wars by now to know that the one
unfortunate consequence is that a lot of innocent people end up dead.
Standout Performance: Jemma Churchill. What has taken Big
Finish this long to acquire her services. She has a voice that is made for
audio.
Audio Landscape: Bubbling water, crying birds, explosion,
Peri transported away.
Isn't it Odd: None of the ideas in this story are especially
original and the storyline could be said to be quite predictable if you were
the sort that was always looking to be tricked. And it does rather fizzle out
without much of climax. It's a nice piece, rather than a gripping one.
Standout Scene: Russian doll tricks have been deployed
before but it is always a nice trick if it is pulled off well. The Doctor
realises with some annoyance that they never left the prison but merely stepped
into the illusion of the spaceship. They are walking through one large
simulation.
Result: 'How many lives are your freedom worth?' Nice
title, explaining away the illusions within illusions. A pleasant rather than
gripping first story for the set, not so much hitting the ground running but
easing you in at a gentle pace. That's not such a bad thing since so many of
the main range stories of late have been a lot of noise and bluster, a charming
piece that sees the Doctor and Peri at their height uncovering the illusory machinations
of a war criminal is a nice change of pace. Jemma Churchill gives a fine
performance as Valtris, ambiguous enough so she could have been falsely
imprisoned or guilty of the crimes that are directed at her. Colin Baker
mentioned in the special features of his last anthology (the much undervalued
Recorded Time and Other Stories) that he wishes that all of the truncated
stories could be longer because they contain ideas that could be explored
further. Had Breaking Bubbles been a four parter it might have wound up in the
same league as Antidote to Oblivion and Moonflesh, existing far beyond its
ability to entertain. This is one story that feels as though it is made for
half an hour and doesn't outstay its welcome because of it. Unlike much of the content
of late I am pleased to have listened to it and it is firm reminder that if the
sixth Doctor can no longer be paired with Evelyn Smythe, his relationship with
Peri is a delight to listen to these days. As a taster for the upcoming trilogy
featuring them, this has truly wetted my appetite: 7/10
Of Chaos Time The written by Mark Ravenhill and directed by
Nicholas Briggs
Softer Six: It feels as though Mark Ravenhill has been
writing for Colin Baker's Doctor his entire life, capturing his delightful
arrogance and conceitedness but peppering that with a sense of humour and
gentle assurance. He scores a big win by having the Doctor completely in the
dark about his situation and yet improvising madly and putting together the
pieces of the puzzle with real incisiveness. Running down corridors has become
a regular feature of his life. He might not know where he is or what is going
on but the Doctor still has unstinting confidence in his own abilities.
According to Peri as well as being the worst dressed person in all of time and
space, the Doctor is also the most brilliant. It isn't worth fighting with him when
he gets a bee in his bonnet because the Doctor always gets what he wants.
Mysteriously finding himself in secure compounds and having to answer questions
is an occupational hazard. Someone of his capacious intelligence is hardly in
need of luck. Why is it that every person he has ever met that has condemned
him as traitor has been a complete idiot?
Audio Landscape: Hydraulic footsteps, robotic voices, baby
cooing, time jumps.
Standout Scene: Both the cause and the cure, the same event
experienced twice cancelled each other out. Very neat.
An Eye for Murder written by Una McCormack and directed by Nicholas Briggs
What's it about: The year is 1939, and a case of poison pen letters at St Ursula’s College threatens to change the course of the Second World War. Fortunately thriller writer Miss Sarah Perry is on hand to investigate...
Softer Six: Peri finds the fashion of the post-war women's
colleges a little tweedy but I rather like the idea of the sixth out of his
eyesore of a coat for an adventure and donning a costume more akin to his
eleventh persona. Given his asexual nature throughout his first seven
incarnations this is the perfect time for him to ask people to not consider him
a man but just the Doctor. From his eighth body onwards that is not really a
possibility. His ego is in check this week and he's happy to pose as Peri's
writing assistant, the plucky man who helps her to investigate crime in their
spare time. There are relatively few period pieces for the sixth Doctor, which
is a crying shame because he slots seamlessly into the past (the last time he
had a genuine historical was in Recorded Time, officially yonks ago) thanks to
his naturally theatrical nature. He is still capable of moments of
inexplicable, inexcusable and uncharacteristic moments of stupidity even if he
says so himself.
Busty Babe: She sounds positively transatlantic and
Hollywood is said to blame for her accent. Peri is mistaken for a famous
novelist but has the gumption and the brio to pull off the disguise. Apparently
she has an eye for a protagonist, a dashing, aristocratic and tormented
individual.
Standout Performance: Is it a condition that every time
Doctor Who touches upon the Second World War that Janet Henfry has to play a
part in proceedings? The unforgettable Miss Hardaker in Curse of Fenric, she
plays a much more grounded character in this story and her cultured, sabulous
voice is simply made for bringing to life a stalwart Professor in a women's
college.
Sparkling Dialogue: 'That ghastly little man Hitler!'
'This is a different world now, Peri.'
Audio Landscape: Quiet chatter, typewriter, church bells, an
electronic device beeping, birdsong, a door crumbling away, a car chugging
along the road.
Musical Cues: I was especially aware of the music in this
story, an atmospheric score to accompany this period mystery adventure. One of
my favourite pieces of music, Pachelbel's Canon, features. Wilfredo Acosta
includes a playful theme at the close of this story that suggests optimistic
times ahead for the Doctor and Peri.
Isn't it Odd: Una McCormack has a proven track record
outside of Doctor Who but is starting to make an impressive name for herself
within the series' spin off material too. Which makes her Big Finish debut, her
ghastly contribution to Gallifrey series five, a bizarre aberration. Mind you
it has been my observation that the Time Lord driven spin off has the
nullifying effect of denting the reputation of genuinely decent writers, post
series three (Scott Handcock, David Llewellyn, Justin Richards & McCormack
has all proven themselves elsewhere).
Result: Precisely the sort of story that I would have loved
to have seen the sixth Doctor and Peri enjoying when they were the incumbents
on television, An Eye for Murder is a lovely period piece that concerns itself
with poison pen letters doing the rounds at an all women's college that could
have a disastrous effect on the War. There was a vocal criticism made about a
year ago (addressed in my last interview with Nicholas Briggs) about the lack
of a female presence within the talent pool at Big Finish and it would appear
that steps have been made to rectify the situation. The companion chronicle
Starborn, the recent Charlotte Pollard adventure The Shadow at the Edge of the
World and now An Eye for Murder are all stories that have a strong female
ubiquity and pleasingly don't feel like a reaction to censure but stories that
have come to light because of female talent that has been waiting to be
harnessed. I welcome much more because the standard of these stories is very
high. What I really liked about an Eye for Murder beyond the plot that kept me
interested throughout was how it was made to feel like a much longer story, the
Doctor and Peri's presence within the college feels permanent rather than a
half an hour nugget that we get. A potent setting, a strong cast of characters
and a self contained piece of drama in its own right, this is a very strong
piece. Between this little treasure and her superb contribution to the latest
Bernice Summerfield, Una McCormack is slowly making a name for herself as a
very reliable new writer for Big Finish: 9/10
The Curious Incident of the Doctor in Night-Time written by
Nev Fountain and directed by Nicholas Briggs
What's it about: Michael is a young boy who likes to solve mysteries, such as
the mystery of the extra gnome, the mystery of the absent father, and the
mystery of the strange man in yellow trousers at the bottom of the garden.
Softer Six: Never one for understatement, the Doctor will
happily turn up on your doorstep and inform you that he is looking for an alien
gnome who could potentially put the whole planet in danger. Peri is aghast at
his lack of censure. He likes the word imminent and he may use it next time.
The Doctor has a wonderful way of communicating with Michael, often agreeing
with his points of logic. He acknowledges that they have a lot in common and
that is also being tripped up by invisible rules wherever he visits (never a
truer word was spoken). Michael cannot understand why the Doctor wears the same
trousers every night because his mums says that that is dirty (clearly a critic
of the JNT 'costume'). He doesn't always see the emotions beneath the surface,
Peri agrees.
Busty Babe: She has a boys name, which is a logically sound
point if you have only met boys called Perry.
Standout Performance: Not an easy task for Johnny Gibbon,
being asked to bring an autistic young man to life without trying too hard to
push the condition to make it stand out. He's remarkably good, the best
performance I've heard in the main range for some time. Imagine an autistic boy
as a companion? Could that work long term? I don't have the answers but Gibbon
certainly makes a strong case for it being a possibility. Hang on...an eye for
detail, an obsession with counting, lacking an understanding of social graces -
I think I have finally diagnosed Adric's behaviour. Michael is a much more
attractive prospect because he is written and played with such care.
Sparkling Dialogue: 'My mum was going out with my sister on
a hen night in Canterbury, which wasn't at night and not about hens at
all...though she did come back with a box of chicken and chips from the shop on
the corner.'
'An invisible rule is a rule that nobody tells you about
until you break it...'
'When people say they have friends they want you to meet on
television they mean something completely horrible. Especially if they laugh at
the end like you just did.'
'He is in a very special place' 'Oh please don't say heaven.
Clouds are just evaporated water, I know this for a fact.'
Audio Landscape: Doorbell, shower, shop clutter and chatter,
killer robot activating his weapons, police siren.
Standout Scene: The Doctor visits the past an awful lot (not
often enough for my tastes) and he finds it just as exciting as the present and
the future. That is where Michael's father exists now, all stored safely and
they will never go away. What a beautiful way for the Doctor to explain that
Michael can still visit him, just by closing his eyes. It has been some time
since I have blinked away tears at the end of a Big Finish story.
Result: Beautiful, a profound piece of writing that is given
full justice by a stunning central performance by Johnny Gibbon. I have worked
with a boy with autism and listening to this brought back many happy (and
frustrating) memories. Nev Fountain usually comes up with something special but
he has surpassed himself this time, producing a script that offers probing
insight into autism whilst still providing an entertaining story and oodles of
sparkling lines. Anything that manages to say so many reflective things from
the world we live in from a unique perspective and still provide a rollicking
ride concerning psychopathic alien gnomes has got to be doing something very
right indeed. I think this is the perfect length, the exclusive selling point
of the story might have lost it's charm if it had been stretched to fill a two
hour running time. Fountain writes the sixth Doctor and Peri radiantly too and
as much as I hate to wish my life away it makes me want to leap forward three
months and listen to The Widow's Assassin next. Touching me in a way that only
stories I can truly identify with can, The Curious Incident of the Doctor in
Night-Time is my favourite story to have stepped from the main range in an
awfully long time: 10/10
Overall: A terrific collection of stories that just gets better
as it goes along. Big Finish has mastered the anthology by now and this a clear
step up from 1001 Nights (which in itself wasn't too shabby). Each story has
its own merits and there is far more novel and impressive than the majority of
the main range stories for the past 12 months. I especially enjoyed the last
two stories but there isn't a duff one in the batch. You've got a great use of
the sixth Doctor and Peri, my favourite current Big Finish team and Colin and
Nicola are riding a wave of great chemistry which has me hungry for their
trilogy at the end of the season. It pleases me to be quite this positive about
the range that has always been the beating heart of Big Finish, I just hope the
following McCoy trilogy can keep up the good work. Breaking Bubbles & Other
Stories gets two thumbs up from me: 9/10
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