The Doctor, Susan, Ian and Barbara land on the planet Hydra, where Admiral Jonas Kaan leads a vast flotilla of ships trying to elude the vicious race that has invaded and occupied their world. But his ships are being picked off one by one, vessels and crews dragged underwater by an unseen foe. The time travellers find themselves pitched into battle against the Voord, the ruthless enemy they last encountered on the planet Marinus. As they take the fight to the very heart of the territory now controlled by the Voord the stakes get higher. First they lose the TARDIS… then they lose that which they hold most dear. And that’s only the start of their troubles. In the capital, Predora City, they will learn the truth of what it means to be a Voord. And that truth is horrifying.
When you talk of “quintessential Hartnell” you might talk of Daleks or those wonderful first Cybermen, maybe even Zarbi or Mechanoids… but Voord? while surprising at the first instance, there is something very evocative in their memory, something uniquely Hartnell that isn’t found in later periods of the show. The Keys of Marinus is very 1960s in it’s feel and is a perfect serial to pay homage to in the first of the new Early Adventures range, a range that David Richardson has gone out of his way to ensure sounds “authentic” in it’s delivery. And authentic it is, both in sound and plotting.
Set on the ocean planet of Hydra, our TARDIS crew land amidst an immense flotilla of ships, soon set upon by a mysterious enemy… the Voord! With the flag ship of the flotilla sunk, the TARDIS gone and our heroes split-up (two staples of the Hartnell era) Domain of the Voord tells a long tale, set over several months as Ian and Susan believe the Doctor and Barbera drowned at sea. Making for Predora, the Hydan capital, the enormity of the situation some becomes apparent…
Splitting up the Doctor and Barbera from Ian and Susan is a masterstroke, allowing William Russell and Carole Ann-Ford to take centre stage in the production, both giving atypical excellent performances, William Russell once again an absolute delight as he captures the nuances of William Hartnell’s Doctor in his performances as the lead and both Andrew Bone as Nebrin and Andrew Dickens as Tarlak stand out, Bone at his best paired with Carol Ann-Ford while Dickens is deliciously evil as power-mad Tarlak.
Andrew Smith has seemingly effortlessly recreated the world of 1960s Doctor Who, yet left his own mark as he delves into the backstory of Terry Nation’s lesser creation, imbuing them with a fascistic streak and delving into the races hierarchy and assimilation of other beings into an expansionist empire.
Smith, alongside director Ken Bentley, have crafted a dark and meaningful tape that is full of atmosphere and nods to the past. Domain of the Voord however is more than a nostalgia piece, looking backward yet finding new ground and avenues to explore on familiar territory. Should The Early Adventures continue in this vein, we are in for a treat indeed. Domain of the Voord is one of the Big Finish highlights of the year.
Written By: Andrew Smith
Directed By: Ken Bentley
Cast: William Russell (Ian Chesterton), Carole Ann Ford (Susan), Daisy Ashford (Amyra), Andrew Dickens (Jonas Kaan/Tarlak), Andrew Bone (Pan Vexel/Nebrin)
Domain of the Voord is available now from BigFinish.com or via the Amazon link below.
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