When I saw that
Big Finish were issuing a second special edition box set of old Virgin Doctor Who novel adaptations I thought
it was an odd choice to pair up Russell T Davies’ late Seventh Doctor ‘New
Adventures’ story Damaged Goods with
Gareth Roberts’ The Well Mannered War,
the finale to both his Fourth Doctor Season 17 trilogy and to the ‘Missing
Adventures’ range as a whole. Surely if they weren’t going to use Jonathan
Morris’ BBC Books ‘Past Doctors Adventure’ Festival
of Death and complete the set of Season 17-style era story adaptations, Big
Finish were much better off sticking with Roberts’ work and putting The Highest Science (also announced as a
stand-alone release) in the box set instead, to make a Roberts / Chelonian double-header?
I was, of
course, almost entirely wrong.
Damaged Goods is simply awesome. Yes it doesn’t have
any connections with The Well Mannered
War at all, but both stories share something in common: they are superb
adaptations and brilliant productions.
That is what
makes this box set feel special.
I’ve read the Damaged Goods novel a couple of times
over the past five years, first as a one-off (I never even realised Davies had written
an NA until I saw it on a friend’s shelf and was allowed to borrow it) and then
again a few years later when I was reading all the NAs in order. I disliked it
intensely the first time around and I really had to convince myself to read it
a second time (I couldn’t renege on my plan to read them all in order). I coped
with it better the second time, probably because I knew what I was getting and
I had more background having read the books preceding it, but I still found it
a highly uncomfortable read in places. Doctor
Who was being shoved into a kitchen sink drama world into which I didn’t
want to be taken. With hindsight one can spot a lot of standard Davies tropes
in the book; that’s not to say Russell is predictable or repetitive in any way,
but there are clearly aspects of life and society that he chooses to highlight
in his works. The use of the name Tyler for example is a personal preference –
he likes the name and has used it often, so Winnie Tyler here isn’t, say, a
precursor of Rose’s mum Jackie from the later TV series. But there are bold
statements about homosexuality, relationships, class – and particularly assumptions
based on social perception. It’s grittier, earthier than what he chose to do on
TV – either in Doctor Who or Torchwood (which gets a namecheck in the
adaptation).
Davies says in
his highly engaging interview within the bonus material that he threw
everything he could at the novel at the time – including, I’d argue, the
kitchen sink. He didn’t want to become a Doctor
Who novelist so he gave it his one shot, satisfied himself that he’d
written for Doctor Who (the novels being
the only legitimate form of new Who
at the time) and that he’d written a novel and went back to his TV work. I
think that’s one of the underlying problems I have with the original novel –
there’s a bit too much in there - of everything; nothing has time to breathe and
it all becomes a bit relentless after a while.
Jonathan
Morris’ adaptation streamlines the story wonderfully without losing any of the story
narrative threads or the overall sense of ‘real life’. This gives the story a clarity
and pace that the book lacks. There are deviations and changes, naturally, but nothing
really stands out as being forced or inappropriate and in doing so Morris
avoids some of the more unpleasant extremes and excesses of the book –
particularly the relentless death and devastation at the end. But he skilfully makes
these changes and deals with the book’s challenges in ways reminiscent of Davies’
TV work, giving the production a sense of affinity with its TV counterparts. We’re
left with everything that was great about the book, in my view, but without the
bitter aftertaste and discomfort in the pit of the stomach.
The cast
deliver ‘undamaged’ goods, with spot-on performances. McCoy relishes his late,
dark Doctor, a bit tired with all the scheming. Newby companions Roz and Chris
play well against McCoy, even though this is nearer the end of their ‘story’
and it would be good to hear more from the team. Chris was, unfortunately, very
unevenly written in the novels - often becoming whatever the writer needed him
to be that month. If Big Finish continue with these adaptations I’m hoping this
previous inconsistency will be ironed out.
Michelle
Collins does what she does very well, there’s no denying. Much of her TV output
has not been to my taste, but there’s no denying her ability and as soon as she
starts speaking in that very distinctive voice of hers the listener paints in a
lot of character background – i.e. makes shorthand social assumptions and waits
to be corrected. Denise Black is also excellent as Eva Jericho, but a huge
shout has to go out for Georgie Fuller as Bev Tyler who is just incredible and
gives the part such depth and range. It’s no wonder Russell T Davies asked
Morris to change his storyline and have her survive at the end; she didn’t need
to die – or rather the story didn’t need her to die especially, so it’s fitting
to have her live on with her brother at the end.
It’s not
perfect, but any criticisms are really only niggles at best, not actual faults.
We know that Torchwood has always considered the Doctor to be the main enemy,
so when McCoy introduces himself to Doctor Greco you’d expect an alarm bell to
ring somewhere. I’m sure the scene would have played just as well without the
Doctor introducing himself – Greco is already on the back foot from the start. Because
of the size of the cast in the novel there is some necessary doubling up here
amongst the actors. Occasionally on both listens so far I’ve struggled to know precisely
which of the thug characters was speaking – which isn’t necessarily important
to the overall narrative but is frustrating nevertheless. Robert Duncan gives
fine performances as Thomas, Dr Greco and Mr Jericho, but there are times when
all three speak consecutively and no amount of vocal dexterity from Duncan can
hide the basic timbre of his voice
when none of his characters require treated voices. But like I said, these are
really just niggles.
It’s the only
Big Finish story I’ve listened to of late that I’ve felt compelled to play over
again immediately after, and I think that says a lot.
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