The Ghosts of Gralstead

"Is he dead or just asleep?"

Writer: Philip Hinchliffe (Adapted by Marc Platt)

Format: Audio

Released: September 2014

Series: Philip Hinchcliffe Presents 1.01

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

The Doctor and Leela return to Victorian London, in the year 1860.

At St Clarence's Hospital, respected surgeon Sir Edward Scrivener requires the bodies of the dead... At Doctor McDivett's Exhibition of Living Wonders and Curiosities, miracles are afoot... And in Gralstead House, the ghost will walk again. Modrega has come to Earth...

Verdict

The Ghosts of Gralstead was a great start to the Philip Hinchcliffe Presents series of Fourth Doctor and Leela adventures! I think this range is a fantastic idea and I have to say that this story would fight in with that mid-1970s era where Hinchcliffe was at the helm of the show. That was immediate from the atmosphere and tone that was established very early on and I really liked that we had the Doctor and Leela returning to Victorian London following The Talons of Weng-Chiang. There were some fun continuity references from Leela and her wanting to join up with Jago and Litefoot again was a nice touch. I loved her continued mentions of being a lady and how she was taught with a test, and also referring to the police as blue guards. This was Leela at her best and that continued throughout as this story took her wide and far including to Africa. The tribal nature of Africa in the 1860s seemed a perfect match for Leela and I liked her comments about the location, as well as the idea of there being tribes of Cockneys and Toffs in London, but I thought it was a little weird to mix both Africa and London. I think six parts was probably a tad too long with this audio nearly reaching three hours, but the cliffhangers were predominantly strong and led into the next part well. I thought the idea of grave thefts was good and eery and well in line with the atmosphere that was being presented. The family curse that came between Edward and Cedric was really good and I thought the Doctor's annoyance at it being used as an explanation for all that was going on in the house was terrific. The ghostly theme that I expected from the title wasn't in the way I imagined, but I liked how Modrega essentially filled that role as the villain. She was fantastic and her desire to feed on living organic material was disturbing, and a request that Edward didn't seem too willing to adhere to! But she was adamant that if he was going to serve her that she needed to provide nourishment. Clemmie was probably the star of the show and I loved how she was a little too intelligent for her own good. She was a lot of fun and she even expected a gift after the Doctor and her father returned from Africa a little later than scheduled. Abasi was a strong character and I liked the stark reminder of the time in finding that he was taken from his homeland as a slave nine years prior to these audio's events, so his return home was a pretty monumental moment and he certainly knew how to make an arrival! Abasi's relationship with Leela was also a lot of fun. Gideon McDivett was a brilliant character too and his personality was a little off-putting and that's exactly what was required. His purchasing of the corpse was a good revelation too. Obingo was a pretty good character too when it came to Africa, but for me I thought we ought to have stayed local in London. I liked the conclusion with the use of the portal and Clemmie in particular ensuring that Modrega was sent packing half way across the universe, along with one of the Doctor's boots! Overall, a strong start to the series!

Rating: 8/10