The Bonfires of the Vanities

"It's like there's a powder keg under the town."

Writer: Una McCormack 

Format: Audio

Released: June 2017

Series: Companion Chronicles: First Doctor 2.03

Featuring: First Doctor, Polly, Ben

Synopsis

When the Doctor, Polly and Ben arrive in Lewes in the late 1950s, they're just in time to celebrate Guy Fawkes' Night. But there's no fun on the streets tonight – the town is in the grip of fear. There are imps on the loose in Lewes, the Bonfire Boys are on the march, and nobody is safe from the fire.

Verdict

The Bonfires of the Vanities was a fantastic Companion Chronicle! I thought this was a really great adventure and a brilliant way to continue what is turning into quite the volume in the range! I was very excited by the prospect of a story featuring the trio of the First Doctor, Polly and Ben because we don’t often get that and it didn’t happen on screen much at all, and I love each of the characters so getting more with them together is always a delight. There’s always the issue of where it might fit in continuity wise with what we saw on screen, but is that really important? I’d argue no. It was fun to hear how Polly liked the TARDIS wardrobe and just the idea of the First Doctor discussing fashion was amusing. The distortion effect that occurred when the trio left the TARDIS was intriguing and I think is something that has happened in at least one of the precious two stories in this series. Might they be linked? I’d love it if the finale brings them all together somehow. The arrival to Earth and being close to Polly and Ben’s own time was great and I enjoyed the simplicity of a red postbox meaning so much. It was also Bonfire Night which was fun! I loved the writing of the First Doctor despite the impression not being that good, and having him not quite feeling himself and looking old was a nice way to emphasise how close we were to The Tenth Planet. His time was coming. Mary was a terrific character as the librarian that initially took the trio in and her role in revealing the importance of the bonfires here in Lewes and dating it back to a nineteenth century tradition was marvellous. I liked the mention of the Chartists and had to laugh when Polly had no clue of their significance. I remember learning about them at A-level and loving it. The Bonfire Boys made for a good group and having them forcibly trying to get into the library behind the guise of masks and rags bearing rotting green flesh left quite the impression. I thought Gamble was a very good villain and his connection with the strange happenings in the town coming as soon as he was elected councillor showed that there was something afoot with him. Polly being attacked by an animated pile of rags was excellent stuff and the kind of thing you can get away with on audio so that had my appreciation. I must admit that I was slightly taken aback by the shift in narration from Polly to Ben and vice versa, but that didn’t have a huge impact on my enjoyment of the story. The Bonfire Boys engaging in chaotic parades was great action and the description of them setting fire everywhere fitted in well with the story’s theme. The significance of the library was fascinating and I liked how it was targeted. The Doctor and Ben realising that the instigator of the violence would be close was fun and it was hardly a surprise to find that it was Gamble. The Guys turning out to be robotic mechanisms was good and logical with the paper mache mask a nice touch. Mary finding an eyewitness account from the 1840s that told of a person being burned on a bonfire was excellent with how it tied in with what was to come in the following minutes. The emergence of the creature that Gamble was just a front for was done very well and I liked how his raspy voice demonstrated the pain he was in. He was angry after his ship crashed a century ago and when seeking help from humanity, he met them on their cruelest night and was greeted with being burned on the bonfire! I must admit I had sympathy for the creature at that point! I could fully understand his desire for lighting a fire under the town that would never go out and exact his revenge. It was all his doing, and Gamble’s realisation that he’d been used was brilliantly portrayed. It was good to hear how he was ashamed of his actions and apologised though, taking full responsibility. The Doctor’s speech to the town appealing for them to conquer their fears was sublime and it was nice that he allowed the creature to just run off and not cause or be subjected to anymore trouble. Overall, an excellent audio!

Rating: 9/10