The latest range from Big Finish Productions is The Early
Adventures. This range is based on the old lost stories format but instead of
using lost stories scripts they are making new original adventures for the
first and second doctors.
The first release is Domain of the Voord.
The Voord were only the second monster to ever be seen on Doctor Who (after the
Daleks) but in the Keys of Marinus they are quite one dimensional. Over time
there have been a number of stories which explored the Voord further but now
Big Finish have taken up the gauntlet and have released Domain of the Voord.
Andrew Smith has written this one. To me
Andrew Smith is a risk as he can write some absolute classics such as The First
Sontarans but has written a couple of weaker scripts such as The Brood of Erys.
I am pleased to say that this is another strong script from him. The story
feels like it has just come out of Season One stylistically, despite the fact
the horror elements and budgetary constraints would have probably meant that
this script would never have been produced if it had been submitted in 1964.
Smith has got the characters just write,
especially people such as Ian and The Doctor. Susan is given a lot more to do in
this one and is frankly a much more interesting character than she was back in
the 1960s. The performances from the entire cast are very very good.
One of the main features of this story is
that it explores the concept of what it is to be Voord. The idea of the mask
fusing to your head and then accepting you to become a Voord is brilliant
enough, but the horror elements that you can be rejected and then the fused
mask will pull itself off your head is just amazing. The Voord are much more
interesting three dimensional monsters here than they were in The Keys of
Marinus. The story also has a lot more pace than most of the stories at its
time had; probably due to the fact it is much more interesting than a lot of
the very early First Doctor stories.
I have to say that this is one of my
favourite First Doctor stories I have ever experienced. Well done Big Finish
for another cracking release and I hope more like this are set to continue!
9/10