Bringing Clear Waters to Life

(posted 31st January 2007)

One of the joys about making Soap of Fatal Death for audio has been that we were able to massively expand the Clear Waters sections of the script. Despite the success of the story of a Doctor Who: The Legacy story back in 2003, there were elements that quite come off, because it was being written as prose. Even that sites own Discontinuity Guide said that this story needed to be seen or heard to make its satire complete.

So with this in mind, the script was written to include far more scenes from the soap itself. I have to admit it took me a little while to really get into writing these little cutaways. I think part of the problem was that I tackled one of them first, rather than part of the actual story and it took me a little while to really go for it with the spoofing. By the time we get to the ones heard at the end of episode 2 I’d really hit my stride and was having great fun with the characters. There’s some definite referencing of a favourite soap moment of my own in there, and it’s all the better for it. I wonder if anyone will spot it…

When it came to the recording, these little Clear Waters scenes were the most fun of the day. It was great to hear everyone arrive so full of ideas about their characterisation and with such definite ideas about how to approach their characters. As I said in my last column, I’ve always had a sort of idea about these characters and it was great to hear that our performers (and two of our new ones at that!) were pretty much in tune with that. They took the lines and interpreted them in their own unique way and from what I’ve heard so far it works incredibly well. I’m really pleased. There was plenty of OTT cackling and kissing, and I hope the fun we had doing the scenes comes across on the CD.

As for me, well I’m playing Daniel Nelson, the actor who plays Ethan Fox in the show. It took me ages to work out how to play the role. I knew that everyone else would be going for it in a huge, over the top way and I wandered if having another person doing that would work. So I wanted to find a contrast.

Remembering the genius that is Ronald Allen’s portrayal of David Hunter in Crossroads, I used that as the inspiration. There’s a marvellous scene where David is confronted by his mad ex-wife who’s about to shoot him and the best reaction he can manage is a very passive “no”. I find that very funny, so I used that as the basis for the way I played Ethan Fox. After all, if Ronald Allen can become a heart throb with his laconic performance, then why shouldn’t Daniel Nelson. I just hope that my scenes as Daniel will convince everyone that I’m not a bad actor! Well ok, not a really bad actor then!

Join me again soon as I reveal what new talent I’ve discovered during the recording weekend!

Si Hart's Soap Thoughts

(posted 7th January 2007)

We’re very close to recording the audio play of Doctor Who and the Soap of Fatal Death now and its lovely to think it’s progressed a long way from the hastily scribbled note for the story that I wrote in my notebook as we wrote Echoes of the Protii back in 2002 “Aliens attempt to take over UK by taking control of soap opera and beam hypnotic signal as a helicopter crashes into lake!”

The Soap of Fatal Death always been a story that I’ve been very proud of. Adapting it for audio has been great fun. I’ve really enjoyed revisiting the characters I got to know quite well in the summer of 2003- including the cantankerous old star June River (no s), the down to earth star Daniel Nelson (who got a new name but is still pretty much based on someone I know well), little Ant and Ol’ Charlie (who had a sex change, but is still vital to the plot).

In some ways it seems odd to me that we’re about to let our group of actors loose on it. For a long time it’s all existed in my head and all the characters have had very set voices, which are about to change in a big way. It’s funny trying to describe how I find that. In some ways it’s going to be better than ever hearing our cast bring it to life, but will it live up to the soap in my head? I’ll have to let you know the answer when I hear the finished product.

Writing the script has been great fun. What was brilliant this time was that after Echoes of the Protii I really felt as if I knew what all about Paul’s Doctor, and his companions Rob and Nick. I could hear them bringing the lines to life as I wrote my episodes and instinctively knew if they were saying things that were out of character. I think that says a great deal about the talents of our regulars. I think we’ve given them some material that plays to the strengths they showed in Echoes of the Protii and that they’ll find some new challenges too. Above all, I hope they like what we’ve got in store for them. I think it’s a great script!

The eagle eyed among you might be able to spot that Clear Waters is based on some of Si’s and my own favourite soap operas. It started out as a straight take off of Crossroads, but it’s grown into something a little more than that as we wrote it. The plots and dialogue became more overblown and far more fun than I could have imagined. The original soap scenes in the novella version seem tame by comparison now. They’re going to be great fun to bring to life and I hope they make you laugh as much as they made me laugh as I wrote them.

In true Russell T. Davies I’ll leave you with some tantalising hints… The script contains the words 'banshee', 'concertina' and 'broom' and someone’s birthday… How intriguing!