A big thank you to Ryan Button (www.rbillustration.com & https://www.facebook.com/RBIllustration) for illustrating this review.
Exploring Doctor Who in the Nineties, there was one era that I enjoyed most: the Pertwee years. A single story would reel me in for more, and I think the reason for this is expressed in the name UNIT. The regulars – including the Master – form a close family, and they are the main attraction, even when the monsters arrive. The same feeling is rife in Vengeance of the Stones, which serves as Mike Yates’ real introduction.
I have to say that I wasn’t enthusiastic about the Destiny of the Doctor range, but looked out for the covers each month. However, I’m a sucker for the scary adventures, and as a Third Doctor fan, this CD appealed to me. The title also helped, matching the period and slotting in easily afterInferno. As I expected, there’s a moment in the plot that relates to the Destiny arc. My impression was of the sincere colliding with the silly, and coming off best…
Andrew Smith’s resource is Season 7, and it was fun to pick out the influences in what is a compelling thriller. The Doctor gets to be in the thick of the action, and there is some typical banter between him and the Brigadier, with every line feeling authentic. There are a few surprises too, particularly a sequence where the duo are following up a lead, which gave me the shivers.
To be without a female character in Doctor Who seems odd, yet the opportunity to put Yates centre stage has completely paid off. It’s the first time I’ve heard Richard Franklin on audio, and his mature sound adds a lot to the mood. His intonation for the various characters is at times exact, and although Frazer Hines’s Second Doctor is the peak of re-creations, I thought Franklin had great success with them here.
Stone circles provoke a sense of reverence and mystery, and while The Stones of Blood’s notion of living stone creatures was good, I think this premise is better because it grounds the threat in reality. There is some exposition for Mike that becomes a lecture as opposed to quick details, but the stones never lose their power to unnerve, largely due to Simon Hunt’s soundtrack. The disturbances are ghostly and forceful, and the ambience used has a religious tone, with otherworldly whispers and screeches. These things are most effective in Mike and the Doctor’s initial visit to the circle, and the reference to Mike’s childhood is very atmospheric
One of my favourite audios is The Spectre of Lanyon Moor, and the Armidians can be compared to its Tregannon and their technology. The image of the “beasties” in their hideout is a disturbing juxtaposition, and the fact of them occasionally being seen, and by whom, reminded me of Stephen Gallagher’s Chimera. In certain places I also remembered Communion and The Tommyknockers, and every one of these productions was both alarming and akin to the Seventies exile stories. Vengeance of the Stones taps into the fear of the unknown or unseen extremely well, with Yates’s reaction to aliens excellently written and performed. The Armidians’ aspect is their best quality, but although Trevor Littledale was an interesting voice, I felt that for an alien it wasn’t distinctive enough. Garlin sounds rather arrogant, and the circumstance of the aliens’ grievance is derivative and basic, in contrast with their science.
Mike Yates receives a satisfying debut among the stones, and I appreciated the care and attention given to capturing the era. We hear a cordial Doctor, before exile starts to get to him, and I was chuffed to see something from The Invasion make a return appearance. I’m now really looking forward to The Mega, and am hopeful that John Levene might join Katy Manning and Richard Franklin for an audio. Fingers crossed!
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