Sound the Siren and I'll Come To You Comrade

"It seems the Revolution passed them by."

Writer: John Pritchard

Format: Audio

Released: September 2016

Series: Short Trips: Rarities 1.05

Featuring: Fourth Doctor, Leela

Synopsis

The Doctor and Leela arrive on a barren plain in the Soviet Union of the 1950s. Twisted wreckage and remains speak of the tests of a destructive new power. The scientists responsible live in terror of their political masters.

But now they all have something else to be scared of...

Verdict

Sound the Siren and I'll Come To You Comrade was a great little Rarity amongst the Short Trips range! I don't really know what to expect from this series because it was hidden to even me until recently but it's such a delight to be delving into these adventures. I must say Stephen Critchlow absolutely nails it once again with his narration as his take on the Fourth Doctor is a fantastic impersonation! He honestly should have been doing any and all Short Trips with this incarnation of the Doctor. He captures all of the tones and mannerisms of Tom Baker which is no easy feat! It really does bring an authentic feeling to the episode and in this range in particular I think that's very important indeed. I thought the setting here was tremendous and that is because Russian history in particular is one of my favourites to study and delve into. I really love learning about the twentieth century in particular and the period from just prior to the 1917 Revolutions up to just after the Second World War is so fascinating. Rasputin is an incredible historical figure and I don't think I'll ever forget the Master impersonating him in The Power of the Doctor, and then The Death of Stalin is one of my all time favourite movies. So visiting the Soviet Union in the 1950s was good fun. It wasn't exactly the Tsar that the Doctor intended on taking Leela to meet with, but it was history nonetheless. Just why and how Leela came to be expecting to be meeting the Tsar of all Russias is beyond me but that's definitely a conversation I would love to hear. I thought splitting the Doctor and Leela up here was good as the narrator's strengths were obviously focused on portraying the Doctor, but he didn't even try with a Leela impression and that's the right move in my opinion. I liked the use of a mock town because that's something that feels perfect for the secrecy of the Soviet Union so of course they would be testing their weaponry and beyond on something that felt authentic but wouldn't actually cause real damage to people. I think having an energy parasite inserted into this kind of story was a good move even if it's far from being unique. The circumstances and setting were very different and that makes this feel pretty new so that works for me. Especially in this range. This perhaps isn't the place for continuity-busting and hugely imagined ideas because with one actor and a short time frame, there's just not a huge amount of room to play around with. I thought the characters of Genyeva and Semyonov were really strong and they were certainly different too! The Doctor getting to showcase the mobile nature of the TARDIS was fun stuff and the fact he was speaking Russian thanks to the TARDIS translation circuits working as they should was lovely. Simple stuff but it's good to highlight why people of different countries are receptive to the Doctor. It made sense to finish with the bomb on the mock town and the mushroom cloud descriptions was excellent. I can't imagine being that close in proximity to something of that nature but I imagine the effect is profound. Overall, a really strong setting that served as a fine place for a good story. A very enjoyable listen! 

Rating: 8/10