The Sleeping City

"We went shopping under an alien sun."

Writer: Ian Potter
Format: Audio
Released: February 2014
Series: Companion Chronicles 8.08

Featuring: First Doctor, Ian, Barbara, Vicki

Synopsis

After travelling with the Doctor through time and space, Ian Chesterton is back in his own time. But the mystery of how he and Barbara Wright disappeared in the year 1963 has altered the authorities – and both are suspected of being enemy agents in the Cold War.

Ian protests his innocence. He has a story to tell about traveling through time and space.

And one adventure in particular – a visit to the city of Hisk...

Verdict

The Sleeping City was a very good audio adventure and a great return to my listening of the Companion Chronicles range! This is my first blog entry for a story in this range for ten months which I struggle to believe, with the Masters Degree (which is now completed!) certainly taking its toll, but I just couldn't resist to take up some offers on the range from a recent Big Finish clearance. I purchased seven stories all from the First Doctor era but this is the only one that seems to be a certain standalone. I found the premise of a story told by Ian following his return to the 1960s in The Chase really intriguing and I had never considered how suspicious the circumstances may have appeared. Two schoolteachers go missing along with a student at a junkyard and two years later the teachers are back without the child! Well, I was hardly surprised that it was front-page newsworthy in the immediate aftermath. With that occurring, I was a little shocked that it was actually Vicki who was the fourth main character in the story but it did actually make sense with it being placed not long before Ian and Barbara left the Doctor and Vicki behind. Gerrard was a good interrogator and I liked how interested he seemed in the story of Hisk that Ian told. Ian knew that there was more than met the eye and that things involved the Doctor, but I was quite taken aback by how desperate Ian was to see the Doctor and Vicki if they were in fact close by. His reaction to Gerrard knowing of the Doctor and that he had come back to this time was great, if not a little saddening given how strenuous his efforts were to return Ian and Barbara from whence they came. Hisk itself was a good setting and I really liked the concept of Limbus. Sleep is something that is perfect for a Doctor Who adventure to play with, and here it was particularly the dream element. The timeframe being around the 25th century and close to Vicki's own time and allowed her to shine without Maureen O'Brien actually appearing. I thought the little throw in of how Ian (alas William Russell) not being able to get her voice right was wonderful as he really was pretty awful. But not in a bad way at all. I would have liked some more of the Doctor if I'm being cynical and that might only because Russell's impression is usually excellent. The cliffhanger was pretty good with the death and I liked how the second part turned into a murder mystery concerning the killing of the boy who just dreamt of selling cakes and pastries. That was quite saddening really that his dream was mocked. The development of things turning out to prove the Doctor wrong and that there was no physical killer was great as it meant that the Doctor had to admit he was incorrect. That doesn't go down too well with his first incarnation which is just terrific. The ending was a tad surprising with Gerrard actually being a part of Hisk and the last remaining element of the Limbus and that needing to be defeated. I didn't see it coming which was good but it did make sense that the interrogation was to learn of the Doctor and Vicki's strengths and weaknesses. Overall though, a terrific little tale.

Rating: 8/10