BF 107: The Haunting Of Thomas Brewster

[stuartdg]

Couldn't find a thread for this but my copy arrived today...

[Rob McCow]

I wonder what's happened to our copy? I'm sure it should have turned up by now. I hope it's not time to renew the subscription

[SiHart]

It arrived this morning, you'll be pleased to hear!

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

We've listened to this one now. There were loads of things about it that were really good. The first episode was the best, it was told entirely in the first person with the Doctor and Nyssa popping in from time to time. It was a refreshing change to have a narration in a BF audio! There were loads of 'borrowed' bits from Dickens and it was very atmospheric.

The rest of the story wasn't quite so successful, borrowing from MR James and Stephen King (very similar to a certain forthcoming horror movie) more. However, after playing spot-the-reference it was a pretty good story. The story wasn't as good as the development of Thomas Brewster's character though.

Like most BF plays, there's just a few too many elements that don't quite mesh together. It's as if the writer always sends in a pitch with one or two good ideas and then they're told to include a couple more things to stretch it out to 4 episodes. It's a real shame, if Thomas Brewster was a bit more focussed it would be a classic.

This is definitely one for Wayne though!

[Lissa]

I liked it but I found episode 1 too miserable (I'm too fragile to read Dickens). I also found *that* bit of music was used too often and was totally out of place in a historical story. It's catchy as hell but also intrusive as hell.

And nice swerve making us think that Robert McIntosh would be a new companion when it turns out to be Brewster.

[SiHart]

There seemed to be some shoddy production though... there was a very intrusive cut in the music in episode 3 and the start of pt 4 cut the sting off the opening credits. It seemed really trebley too. The music was wrong for the play though. It belonged in some kind of techno-thriller in the future not in a Victorian oodles of fog play!

Maybe I'm just getting critical now I'm making plays too!

But I enjoyed it. Tons of atmosphere and I really liked Thomas.

Si xx

[Rob McCow]

OMG! That bit of music! DON'T MAKE ME REMEMBER IT!!! It was sodding awful!!!

[Si Hunt]

I enjoyed this, though the production was appalling! Si's right, the credits were just cut off at one point (and they do it AGAIN in "The Boy That Time Forgot"... isn't anyone proof-listening to these before they go out?!) and the music was just wrong! The story kept stopping to allow 20s musical cues to amble to their conclusion.

But it was a good tale, and I enjoyed my mind being tied in knots by the typically Jonny Morris-esque plot. John Picard has long been a "favourite" actor of mine too.

Si.

[SiHart]

It still, probably, stands as the play of the year. Though we are somewhat behind right now.

Si xx

[Jim]

Part One stood out and the performances were good (didnt recognise Leslie Lips Ash) but as with so many BF's it seemed to sink into dull circular logic - a frustrating one!