Audio and radio plays

An archive of entries about audio and radio plays, including reviews

Tuesday’s “girls are soppy” news

9 October 2007 Rob Buckley Post a comment

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Audio plays

  • Andy Serkis and David Warner to appear in adaptation of The Brightonomicon

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Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – Frozen Time

7 September 2007 Rob Buckley Post a comment

Frozen TimeNicholas “I’m the voice of both the Daleks and the Cybermen, suckers” Briggs has been doing Doctor Who audio adventures for a very long time. A very long time indeed.

So it shouldn’t be absolutely surprising that despite the presence of Sylvester McCoy, the lack of any onscreen companion and the presence of former Bond girl Maryam D’Abo doing a really bad French accent, his latest writing project, Frozen Time, is actually a bit of corker.

I guess you could write a receipe of sorts about it: take one nifty sci-fi idea (Antarctica explorers unearth/un-ice a Police Box that’s been buried for millions of years and a mysterious man who starts to wake up), an old Doctor Who monster (not telling, so as not to spoil) and a healthy (not unhealthy) wodge of continuity, a relatively pacey plot, flashbacks and a tried and tested case of amnesia and you have a rather enjoyable way of spending your time.

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Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – The Wishing Beast/The Vanity Box

7 September 2007 Rob Buckley Post a comment

The Wishing BeastThere is a certain truth to the idea that what you can imagine is a whole lot spookier than what can be shown on-screen. With the minimal budget available to the Big Finish team, you’d have thought they’d have taken advantage of that simple premise to do their best trying to spook us with sound effects, rather than trying to pretend that battles between giant robot transformers sound good.

Hang on, they’ve tried spooky with Sapphire and Steel. I can understand their reticence now.

Anyway, they’re giving it another go with this slightly intriguing tale, in which two old ladies try to grant a wish for that amazing adventurer in time and space, Mel – and her companion, the Doctor – with the help of their pet dragon The Wishing Beast. There are ghosts. There’s a vacuum cleaner. And it alternates between silly and threatening.

Oh yes, it also comes with The Vanity Box, a one-episode play better described as Doctor Who: The Coronation Street Years.

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Friday’s flapping news

24 August 2007 Rob Buckley 2 Comments

Donna does the 20s

Doctor Who

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Audio and radio play reviews

Review: Doctor Who – Valhalla

2 August 2007 Rob Buckley 3 Comments

ValhallaFirstly, can I just ask, “What the Hell happened to the Big Finish web site?” Have a look at it: it’s horrible!

Putting that to one side for a moment, though, does anyone actually look forward to the Sylvester McCoy releases? Just before I’m about to listen to one, I always feel like I’m in that Revels ad – you know, the spoof of Deer Hunter – and someone’s pre-loaded the bag with toffees.

For one gleaming moment, though, it looked like I was going to get a coffee-flavoured audio play with Valhalla. No Sophie Aldred. Good. Sylvester McCoy playing the Doctor all quiet and melancholic, with scarcely a word beginning with ‘r’ in sight. Excellent. Hints that we’re going for season 25 or 26, rather than 24, with the Doctor having a cunning plan up his sleeve from the beginning. Excellente.

Then, oh dear. Mango-flavoured.

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