BF 096: Valhalla

[Dirk Gently]

New play due out in June.

Writer: Marc Platt
Director: John Ainsworth
Starring: Sylvester McCoy as the Doctor
Release Date: June 2007
Recorded: 16 and 17 April 2007

Welcome to Valhalla, Capital of Callisto, Jupiter's premier moon, where anything and everything is up for sale. But Valhalla isn't quite what it says in the brochures not since Earth granted independence and cut off the supplies.
The former Doctor (FOR SALE. EXCELLENT CONDITION) visits the Job Centre and finds power cuts, barcoded citizens and monthly riots (ALL BOOKABLE.)
And then there's the problem with the termites

Cast List

The Doctor

Sylvester McCoy

Jevvan

Michelle Gomez

Laxton

Philip Jackson

Our Mother

Susannah York

Gerium

Fraser James

Tin-Marie

Donna Berlin

Sergeant

Duncan Wisbey

Groom

Dominic Frisby

[Pip Madeley]

That's some impressive BB coding, Tim!



I'm even more impressed by the casting of Michelle Gomez

[SiHart]

For a minute there I thought Susannah York (great bit of casting BTW) was playing OLD Mother.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

Dominic Frisby

There's a name I've not heard thrown around for a while.

Hurrah for Marc Platt. This play even sounds as if it may have a few jokes in it! One to look forward to, perhaps?

[Paul Monk]

It does sounds quite good actually.

[Si Hunt]

As you know, I love Marc Platt, stories set on future colony worlds, and Seventh Doctor audios, so a combination of the three promises to be orgasmically exciting.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

Si Hunt has shifty eyes.

[Si Hunt]

Don't mistake me for the old bag in my avatar! In whose eyes lies only insanity and nine minute chorus-free bonus tracks.

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

Oh dear, oh deary deary me. What have they made. It's a story but not as we know it or is it too much like what we know, do we know enough.

That makes about as much sense as this story. The ending was good though...the last 2 minutes.

6/10. Could do better.

[SiHart]

Hmmm. Halfway through and I really don't know what to make of it so far. McCoy is as variable as always, the plot is meandering around and there's an army of termites on the loose.

Si xx

[Andrew Curnow]

How interesting. I haven't heard it, but the DWM review makes it sound like the best thing since sliced bread!

[Si Hunt]

My previous post makes it sound like I'm dissing Kirst, now my avatar has changed.

"Valhalla" wasn't crap, it wasn't badly written, but it BORED me. And being bored when you are stuck in the car on the A414 anyway is a real feat.

Yawn. McCoy gurning his way through an adventure on a future colony under seige. Haven't we been here before? I found Platt's script, as usual, overly clever and inpenetrable. So wordy that I actually got fed up trying to listen out for the key plot details and frequently realised I didn't have a clue what was going on, because it was dressed up in so many quips and wordplays (e.g "you must be shellshocked" when the bloke breaks out the egg).

The woman playing Our Mother or whatever it was was good, but this just didn't interest me. Dull writer, dull premise, dull Doctor.

I've started Part 4 early because I really don't want to have this hanging over me at the start of next week.

Si.

[Rob McCow]

What bugged me about Valhalla (apart from the giant termites, hahahah!) was that there were loads of half-arsed ideas, half explored. Like the riot for which you need a ticket. And the old mayor refusing to hand over power at first.

And the conceit with the telepathic control of the TARDIS, turning the Doctor into a big termite.

It's more Cats Cradle: Time's Crucible than Spare Parts. In short, a big old mess. And the 'special' feature of the bonus music was absolutely dreadful.

[SiHart]

It was dreary overall. McCoy was as variable as ever- swinging between good and terrible. Give me something as imaginative and dare I mention it, fun, as the Wishing Beast and The Vanity Box over this one that takes itself oh so seriously any time.

'Scrumming hell' might be the most annoying piece of fake swearing ever.

Si xx

[davethesailor]

I have just listened to this today. Dull, Dull and even more Dull!!! What actually happened, more importantly, do I care? No! I believe there were some good actors doing some good acting, but it was all so dreary...................

[Rob McCow]

So that's a thumbs up from Dave then?

[Dirk Gently]

It's unanimously dull & boring then?

[Rob McCow]

Part 3 where McCoy turns into a giant termite was OK.

[davethesailor]

Part 3 where McCoy turns into a giant termite was OK.

ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[stuartdg]

Valhalla had a promising opening episode with plenty of intrigue,although McCoy's performance varied after this episode,as the story became little more then a base under siege tale;not bad but too formulaic on the whole