I often like to inject humour into my reviews. It makes me feel a bit better if I’ve had a shit day. I don’t know if it works all the time, as I leave that for you to decide. But simply, I love comedy and like to inject it into my daily life, and my reviews.
There would be humour in this review, but after listening to this story, I thought it would be disrespectful.
So, here’s a fair warning: if you’re going to listen to this one, prepare to cry…..
DOCTOR WHO MAIN
RANGE REVIEW
210: THE PETERLOO
MASSACRE
BY JACK RYAN
BEWARE: THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
15th August 1819. The Georgian Era is nearing its end in Britain….
15th August 1819. The city of Manchester is preparing for equality…..
15th August 1819. The Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa arrive in Manchester…..
15th August 1819. No aliens have landed, no madmen are plotting to take over the world….
16th August 1819. The darkest day in Manchester’s history…..
16th August 1819. The day of the Peterloo massacre….
This month’s story sees the end of this year’s Fifth Doctor trilogy, and for that, writer Paul Magrs has gone all out, writing one of the most engaging, brilliantly woven period pieces that has ever been graced by Big Finish and Doctor Who. Normally, tackling a period piece would mean the inclusion of some alien elements. But with this story, Magrs decided to hark back to the full-on historical serials of the early years of the show, such as Marco Polo and The Massacre Of St Bartholomew’s Eve. In my view, this was for the best. With most historical events, the series can twist it around to implement a rogue extra-terrestrial force. But, as I have said with my humour, to do this with the events of this story, I believe would have been entirely offensive to the memory of those involved. It would be like a story where an alien causes Hillsborough; not only wouldn’t it make sense, but it would be wrong on every level. Magrs’ choice to keep it purely historical was the best choice. The only other liberty, as far as I can ascertain is that Paul has changed the names of those involved, due to the nature of the story’s events. This in no way detracts from what the release offers.
But, as I say, a story is only as good as those who bring it to life. The acting in this story isn’t just good, it’s commendable. As well as the three regulars (Davison, Fielding and Sutton) giving the best performance they have ever given, but every member of the guest cast is believable. Every line conveys pure human emotion and the delivery is as believable as can be. If I had to point out anyone, then Hayley Jane Standing, Gerald Kerns and Terrahawks’ Robbie Stevens are the pure standouts of the cast.
As for the sound design, it is some of the best I’ve heard in my few years as a Big Finish fan. Nigel Fairs’ work on this story is marvellous, both the sound design and the music. But his score is his magnum opus, with it almost Zimmer-esque in its melody and emotive delivery.
When the name Paul Magrs enters my head, usually the first thing to follow is Iris Wildthyme. When the name Jamie Anderson enters my head, usually the first thing to follow is Terrahawks. Something like this would have been the last thing to enter my mind. But this is Paul’s story and he, along with Anderson’s expert direction, have perfectly crafted it into a masterpiece. A masterpiece so well done, I cried. I cried, listening to this. Not many things make me do that anymore…..
I would normally give a verdict here…. But I don’t want this release to simply be defined by a number. If you want to know how perfectly done this story is, then you have to listen to it. All I can say is what I said at the beginning of the review; you will cry listening to this. But that isn’t a bad thing. Far from it…..
No comments:
Post a Comment