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Big Finish's Fifth Doctor stories have been of a consistently high standard of late, but this run of success was bound to end sooner or later, and it does so here. Sadly, newcomer Austen Atkinson's script is a major part of the problem. It's not particularly bad, but it is a bit average and doesn't appear to have inspired too many on the production side of things to do anything that might pull it up from its mediocrity. The three regulars get treated rather unevenly. The Doctor gets some good scenes at a cricket match, but is otherwise rather ineffectual, and doesn't actually do a whole lot in the whole story. Peri is similarly sidelined as well. She works well with Erimem, and gets one or two good liines (and well as some bad ones), but after getting some great material in THE CHURCH AND THE CROWN, Nicola Bryant doesn't get anything like that here. That leaves Erimem. Terrance Dicks used to say that things weren't as interesting when the Doctor isn't around, but here it would be more accurate to say that things aren't as interesting when she isn't around. Caroline Morris manages to combine her naïveté, her delight at what's going on around her (this is her first time off Earth) and her Egyptian background into a highly likeable and interesting character. The character is well-written her, but she still puts in an excellent performance. The story's most controversial scene also involves Erimem. I really could have done without an attempted rape, and I honestly think that the story could have as well. It didn't seem to add anything to the story, or Erimem's character, so what was the point? On the guest star front, there's an incredibly annoying performance from Gilly Cohen as Jal Dor Kal. Her hysterial cackling is embarrassing, and you'll want to listen to the story on headphones (or, at least, with all the windows closed) in case anyone else hears her. Glyn Owen has a very distinctive voice, but it didn't seem to fit the character he was playing. In particular, Harlon's attempted rape of Erimem should have come across as highly dramatic, but is nowhere near this due to Owen's performance. A shame since, given a different character, his voice could have been a definite asset. NEKROMANTEIA isn't the worst thing that Big Finish have produced, but it's definitely one of their weaker efforts. After a strong run of Fifth Doctor stories, it's disappointing that one of the show's best Doctor/companions line-ups gets a story like this. In fact, with a lesser TARDIS crew, the story would probably have earned an even lower score. BACK TO THE TOP |
NEKROMANTEIA |
