The King of the Dead

"The story goes on around you."

Writer: Ian Atkins

Format: Audio

Released: May 2015

Series: Short Trips 5.05

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

When the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan arrive in 1980s London, they find the current hot ticket is The King of the Dead, an interactive theatre experience they've inadvertently become part of. The Doctor settles into his usual role – trying to save the day after discovering an alien presence – but it's Nyssa who finds herself dealing with someone who is working from a different script entirely...

Verdict

The King of the Dead was a very good little Short Trips audio! There was certainly no messing around when it came to this story as there was a frantic pace and sense of action from the start which is probably needed for an audio in this kind of format and whilst things did have a feeling that they were a little rushed, something that was very evident in the first few minutes of the story, it did add to the excitement of the adventure which was of course a big benefit. In saying that, the way the abrupt opening titles even seemed to be shedded for time was a little off-putting and something I didn't recall coming across in the Short Trips range before so that was a little strange. I thought Sarah Sutton did a fine job as the narrator and also in her reprisal of Nyssa. I was also incredibly impressed with her Australian accent when it came to her impression of Tegan. It was actually uncanny and I don't think I would have batted an eyelid had Janet Fielding's name came up in the credits! It was excellently done and really gave the audio a credible feel, something that can be prone to lacking in this range. Her take on the Doctor was good and definitely aided by the writing and I liked the pacy nature of his involvement in the story. The plot behind this audio was a very good one and I liked the use of foresight in the Doctor's aim of taking Nyssa and Tegan to the London 2012 Olympics. Of course, had this story been intended for airing in the 1980s when this trio were the main cast then we couldn't have known where the Olympics would take place in that year, but by the time of release they'd happened so for the Doctor a causal drop of knowledge was excellent. They ended up in the 1980s though and quickly found themselves taking part in an interactive play which was great! The King of the Dead was certainly a catchy title and the initial confusion from Tegan regarding the fact it should be Elizabeth II on the throne was fun. The way some of the characters shifted between the roles they were playing and their real selves was mightily intriguing and a clever ploy, even if it was sometimes a little difficult to fully follow. The Joshua character claiming knowledge of the Doctor was interesting and it was clear that he had a vast amount by referring to Tegan and Nyssa as companions. I thought that was a nice little touch and use of terminology. His character as Patrick was very good and learning how his dad had died whilst fighting for UNIT during the time the Doctor was employed as the scientific advisor was a fantastic dynamic and it was brilliant to hear how he blamed the Doctor and thought he had a disregard for life like the ordinary soldier. Of course, that's very much the opposite of what the Doctor is. The mentions of the UNIT Vault and the Doctor's role in creating the security for that along with the brain print was fun and allowed for Patrick to be found guilty almost instantly. It was his dad who had stolen the alien tech to draw the enemies to the play and the attempt of feeding over 600 attendees in a form of revenge was pretty scary! Nyssa's story of forgiving the Master for what he did to Tremas, her father, during The Keeper of Traken and what that meant for her in the proceeding adventures was really heartfelt. It was a powerful story and showed just how mature and kind of person Nyssa was which was really nice. Overall, a very good little story!

Rating: 8/10