STORY PLACEMENT THIS STORY TAKES PLACE BETWEEN THE TV STORY "THE TWO DOCTORS" AND THE NOVEL "BLUE BOX."
PRODUCTION CODE 6W/A
WRITTEN BY LANCE PARKIN
DIRECTED BY GARY RUSSELL
RECOMMENDED PURCHASE EITHER BIG FINISH CD#48 (ISBN 1-84435-030-4) RELEASED IN SEPTEMBER 2003 OR 'THE DAVROS COLLECTION' DVD BOX SET (BBCDVD2508) RELEASED IN NOVEMBER 2007.
BLURB TAI stock has shot up by over fifteen percent on news that galaxy-famous scientist Davros, controversial creator of the Daleks, has been hired to work on unspecified technological projects. DAVROS HAS been given the chance to redeem himself. Humanity stands on the verge of a new era, but it needs the help of the galaxy’s greatest ever scientist. But Davros is dead... isn’t he?
From the bunkers and shelters of ancient Skaro to the gleaming Domes of the Future Earth Empire, Davros has always been a man of destiny. Now he’s working for mankind’s benefit. But how much do we really know about Davros? Has Davros really turned over a new leaf? The Doctor certainly doesn’t think so. But is the Doctor always right? |
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Davros SEPTEMBER 2003 (2 70-MINUTE EPISODES)
They have hit pay dirt! There is so much to say about Lance Parkin’s “Davros” - all of it praise - that I really do not know where to begin, and I am afraid that I might not be able to do this superb story justice. For one thing, I do not think I know enough superlatives to adequately express myself; I may have to consult a thesaurus!
“Davros” is a beautifully crafted story, right from Davros’ chilling prologue to the Doctor’s final realisation that Davros will simply never die.
The premise of “Davros” is simple: in Earth’s future one of the huge corporations - Trans-Allied Ink (TAI) - has rescued Davros’ corpse from the Earth prison ship where we last saw him in “Resurrection of the Daleks” dying from the Movellan virus. The CEO of TAI, Arnold Baynes (brought magnificently to life by Doctor Who veteran Bernard Horsfall) and his wife, historian and “Dalek apologist” Lorraine Baynes (Wendy Padbury) plan to resurrect Davros so that they may harness his scientific genius for the good of ‘humanity’ (for ‘humanity’ read ‘profit.’) Almost by chance, the lonesome Doctor (having left Peri at a Botanical conference) stumbles across TAI’s hairbrain scheme and vows to stop them making a huge mistake. How does he plan to do this? He accepts a position working alongside Davros in TAI's Research Team!
Colin Baker and Terry Molloy gel wonderfully together, perhaps even better than they did in “Revelation of the Daleks”. Their chemistry makes their scenes together something really special – there are moments of comedy and moments of terror; even moments of hope. Can Davros really be redeemed? What is it that has made him so evil after all…?
Although the main storyline is quite easily as compelling as any other story featuring Davros, it is in the flashbacks that the story really excels. In a haphazard fashion we are led through Davros’ memories of Skaro, both before and after his disfiguring accident. At first, Parkin cleverly seduces us into thinking that before the accident Davros could have been a good man; his relationship with his fellow scientist Shan is especially thought provoking. If we did not know better, we would think he was in love with her. As the play progresses we learn that Shan was the closest that Davros ever got to a lover or a friend, and even more shockingly that she was the poor woman who came up with the ‘Dalek’ idea that Davros subsequently nicked and made reality!
As the flashbacks progress we realise that Davros has always been evil; always been “unique.” Parkin’s haunting imagery of the climactic scenes inside Davros’ head linger for a long time after listening to the play as Davros relives his memory of Shan being hanged on Skaro at his behest. As she breathes her last breath an image of the Doctor has inveigled its way into Davros’ mind, taunting him; mocking him; torturing him. In revealing to us these short but insightful snippets, Parkin masterfully paints Davros in a completely new light whilst leaving his image as the megalomaniac untarnished. There is one scene in particular that stands out, wonderfully brought to life by Molloy, where Davros is describing to the Doctor what it was like to be left alive in suspended animation for ninety years, conscious for every agonising second…
Negatives? There are none. Some will complain about the length of the two episodes (over seventy minutes each) and whilst they could have been split up into three forty minute episodes or even six regular episodes, I feel that “Davros” benefits from the slow build-up and the dwelling on character. That is, after all, what these three ‘villain’ audios are all about. Character, not incident.
Any more positives? Well, Horsfall and Padbury are so good that they could have easily carried a full-length adventure without Davros. It is great to hear Padbury playing a character other than Zoe, especially considering that we can hear her voice! Previous instances of former companions returning to play new roles (take both Caroline John and Anneke Wills, for example) have either had their voices completely taken apart by voice modulators or have lost them under ridiculous accents!
And so in summary, “Davros” is a phenom. One of the best - if not the best - Big Finish audio drama to date.
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Copyright © E.G. Wolverson 2006
E.G. Wolverson has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988 to be identified as the author of this work. |
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