all the latest information about the brand new audio adventure

Behind The Soap posted 6th April 2007 by Pip Madeley

I've just uploaded a behind the scenes video of a section of recording from January, I hope it's of interest to a few of you! It really highlights how hard Si Hunt works during post production, adding the music and effects in. Thanks to Tim and Paul too, great work guys!

Soapy Chit Chat posted 14th March 2007 by Pip Madeley

Just a little update to let you all know that we've added three interviews featuring the main cast of Soap of Fatal Death to the downloads section, each in WMA format (easily playable in Windows Media Player). Also, there's a selection of some lovely publicity shots, including the lovely Trudi fully in-character as Virginia Purseglove! Check them out! :-)

Ready To Go! posted 4th March 2007 by Si Hunt

"Soap of Fatal Death" is now finished. Hurrah! Listening back to Episode 1 last night, it strikes me what an unusual Doctor Who story it actually is. I've lived for so long with the knowledge of what we are trying to do, the flitting between 'fictional' "Clear Waters" scenes and our actors acting the role of their actors, and I realise I have no concept of what an uninitiated listener would (will!) make of it. Will they think it's genius or just plain crazy? I just have no idea! There's a trailer up on the website now, go have a listen!

Trailers are odd things you know. It's without doubt the hardest part of the whole story because when faced with doing it both times I have just had no idea of what I'm going to do. Assembling an audio-only fight scene with three people who have recorded their assaults in different months and counties? Fine! A two minute trailer? Argh! But it's worked! I hope! It's come off. I've just chucked everything in there. And it makes me realise how many different performances and characters we've stuffed into "Soap", one of the nicest things about it. You can decide if it's a good trailer yourself, but I certainly hope it makes you grin like a loon in anticipation of the story! You can download it from the Downloads page.

And then there's the cover! It was completed some weeks ago and for the first day of getting it I couldn't stop looking at it! I just sat at work with this big pink camp thing on my screen smiling! Pip's truly done a fantastic job.

The story will be released on Saturday March 31st, which is (yike!) under four weeks away. Ordering is now open - if you want a copy, please e-mail me for my address (if you don't have it) at si_hunt99@yahoo.com and then post your cheque off! The cheque is to cover production and P&P costs - £3.00 plus whatever extra you'd like to donate to our charity, Cancer Research UK. Please be generous if you can afford it!

If by any chance we are seeing you on or just after the release date, then of course you can simply pick your CD up from us, though a donation would of course still be welcomed. If you have Paypal, you can forget the cheque and donate via that, just use the above e-mail address. For your money you'll get a double CD set of the story with full colour cover. That's around 100 minutes of brand new Doctor Who action, an episode longer than last time!

So enjoy the cover, enjoy the trailer and stay tuned because there are some big surprises coming up! Both in the play and... beyond. Mystical!

Full Steam Ahead! posted 9th February 2007 by Si Hunt

Hello my dears! Thought I'd post a quick update and let you know that things are still going full steam ahead with work on "Soap of Fatal Death". About three quarters of the story has now been completed, with the remaining scenes involving lines still to be recorded. In case you're now thinking "whaaaat, I thought this thing was in the can!!" well, it mostly is. But there's still a couple of parts to complete, and as this project has no clear deadline, I've left it to my co-writer and now co-director Si to supervise these recordings when he is able!

That said, now that there's very much an impression of being in the "home straight", we've started thinking about when and how the audio will be released. The impression I got at the recording was that the cast were in favour of another grand "premier" of the play, which we're happy to host if people do want that! So let me know people and I'll make it happen!

I also put together the trailer for the story yesterday, so bar a last lap of production work, we're almost all set for the run-up to release! The trailer is very much like that for "Echoes" last year, a minute of scene-setting for the story to hopefully get everyone nice and eager to hear it! With fingers firmly touched to wood given there is still material to record, we're hoping for an April release date at present, with the trailer and cover to be unveiled next month!"

Si.

Getting Down To It posted 31st January 2007 by Si Hunt

Good golly the play is recorded! Yes, as those of you who made the trip down this weekend will know, "Soap of Fatal Death" has now made the journey from a lot of printed words into actual, living, breathing performances able to be spun, chopped, treated and otherwise knocked into the shape of a proper story. Once again I have to salute the wonderful members of our cast, who were whirlwinded into our top room to rattle off around four hours worth of scenes, all out of order, while cackling, kissing, buffetting into each other and otherwise trying to drop into the story at random points! They all did it marvellously of course and there are some delightful performances there to bring out in the final play.

The danger of listing highlights is to open myself up to somehow leave someone deserving out, but among the treats to look forward to is the lovely sinister performance of Charlie given by Tim, Kathy's cackling, terrifying Auntie Rosie and Si's very unique double-portrayal of Ethan/Daniel. Our three leads were also wonderful, Steve and Dave breathing all the character into Rob and Nick that we scripted, and Paul bringing some significant and intriguing character development to his Doctor.

Not forgetting the role of "Soap"'s own designer guru Pip, of course. In a change from last year, instead of a "Making Of..." Doc-Who-mentary on the CD (which has an extra episode to squeeze on instead), Pip somehow found time between playing ruthless businessman Rufus Sugar to record a whole host of behind-the-scenes interviews and performance footage telling the story of the making of the play. Along with the excellent lock-side photographs taken late on Saturday for the cover, Pip's now going to be weaving his magic to make "Soap" a truly multi-media experience!

Of course, now the cackling, screaming and secret scene recording is over (for at least two weeks, when a second session will be held to tape our alien menace!) the big task of putting everything together begins. I'm pleased to say that work is already well underway, and, yes, the first three minutes and forty seconds of the play exist!! Along with a ragbag of other bits and pieces. Already I'm facing editing challenges, realising late yesterday that we forgot to record a rather important "Quiet you" from the Doctor in one scene! I plundered the script looking for somewhere else Paul had uttered those two words, but alas there was nowhere! Undeterred, I have robbed a "Well, here we are!" from another scene which, in context, makes a capable substitution! There's also a scene I can't find (!) but I'm sure it's around somewhere (maybe down the back of the sofa). Luckily, it's only a brief flashback and can easily be chopped if it never turns up!

So. The fun is over, but at the same time the fun is just starting. Keep a check on the thread and this website for photos, teasers, footage from the recording sessions, oh and a hopefully-rather-exciting trailer. Not to mention news of the release date, premier and LOADS of other great stuff!

Si.

The Year Of The Soap! posted 2nd January 2007 by Si Hunt

Happy New Year to all of you reading this! And welcome to the Soap of Fatal Death news page. I hope to use this space to keep you updated with the production of your brand new Doctor Who adventure, currently in production. Scripts have now been sent out to main cast members, and on 27th January 2007 the play will be recorded! In the meantime, there's the cover, the trailer and the website to keep an eye on. Last year we raised over £200 for Great Ormond Street Hospital - will 2007's Doctor Who adventure inspire an even bigger donation to this years charity, Cancer Research UK?

I hope you keep checking back to this page for news of the new production! In particular, coming very soon I'll tell you about the pre-production work currently being put into the play, and about scenes which have already been completed!