Doctor Who: The Wealth of Craytians

[SiHart]

Hooray for episode 2 and the revealing of a new catchphrase!

Si xx

[Pip Madeley]

This is a great episode, a great idea for a plot and full of great performances and great dialogue.

Great.

[Andrew Curnow]

Is Pip channelling Tony Webster?

[Pip Madeley]

Super.

[Andrew Curnow]

Neither I nor Mrs AC got where we are today using single-word catchphrases from popular 1970s sitcoms.




I haven't had chance to listen to part 2 yet, much to my annoyance. So I really shouldn't be risking this potentially spoilerific thread should I!

[SiHart]

I think David Barnes steals this episode with his wonderfully world weary captain. It's a terrific character and obviously very well played by David. It's a great contrast to his counterpart on the other ship who is wonderfully over the top and again has some great moments this episode.

My favourite bit though has to be the brainstorming scene- with the wonderfully bizarre ideas Ed throws in and the squeaky pen sound effect which makes it all the better.

Si xx

[Antony Cox]

With no disrespect to any of the other writers, that has to be the cleverest and most witty script to date, but that's no surprise considering who the author is!

[Martin Penny]

Just listened, and it's all tremendously witty. Mr. Barnes is excellent as the Craytian Captain, giving him a nice quiet dignity (and I love how he married his own ship), as opposed to Steve's smarmy and devious Shroon Captain.

I love the brainstorming scene, and found the bit where all the characters are looking at the map to be hilarious.

Mention must be made of the production side as well. With all the to-ing and fro-ing between ships, the story could have gotten rather confusing...but the editing makes it all very clear.

[Andrew Curnow]

Brilliant - like everybody else, I really enjoyed the brainstorming sequence (particularly Paul's "I'll put a fluffy cloud round that"). The opposing (well, sort of opposing) Captains stole the show (yes, stole - when you take something without killing them first) but everybody really got a chance to shine, it was really entertaining.

And another tantalising tease at the end for (I presume) the season finale next week?

[The Secretive Bus]

I think David Barnes steals this episode with his wonderfully world weary captain. It's a terrific character and obviously very well played by David.

I did enjoy playing the chap, and it's the first time I've ever listened back on a performance without cringing! That's the brilliant thing about usually acting in theatre: you never have to watch yourself act, you just inflict it on the audience...

[Jon Masters]

An excellent part 2 which continued the witty premise from part 1 and developed it to its fullest - top marks for David , and esp Si's no 1 (can we go back now ). Loved the 'thought shower moment' (PC gone mad), and the fact they still had to storm the ship properly anyway. Only niggle - might have been interesting to make the Craytians unlikeable too so we could have the Doctor trying to save two bunches of people that he doesn't really like., but that's just a personal (or personnel ) thought

As for the cliffhanger - hmm, is that special efect that sounds like a classic special effect meant to represent the thing in the classic episode represented by that special effect, or is it a completely different special effect to represent a totally different thing unlike the the classic thing? (see - I've gone all Shroon - I claim that as a descriptive term avaliable only to PSers )

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

I've just listened to both episodes. What a brilliant story!!!

As usual everyone was good but I would like to give a special to mention to Steve, who plays the Shroon captain brilliantly (of course the excellent script helped) and to David for playing the other captain so wonderfully. As usual Martin was great as Ed - especially in the initial TARDIS scene - all the stuff about the Doctor name-dropping etc.

Hats off to Lissa for the whole concept and the very witty script. I particularly liked the cliff-hanger. The script was excellent, Steve played his lines very well and I really enjoyed the way the incidental music builds up and up and then stops just in time for the last line of dialogue - and then straight into the title music - it reminds me of the cliff-hanger to episode 2 of The Keeper of Traken, which does much the same thing (it's the one where the Doc and co are caught in a net and the Melkur tells Nyssa that things are only just beginning).

Also, I love the little comic touches with the post production (was it Si or Steve who produced this one)? - The cheesy lift music was brilliant.

What with Jon's excellent story - this season is turning out to be a great one for PS Audios.

[Jon Masters]

The cheesy lift music was brilliant.

Forgot to mention that - when the Shroon captain breaks off transmission .
And was that a muzak version of 'Many too Many' I spotted in the background at one point?

[Rob McCow]

Many Too Many? Who could possibly comment!?! (with thanks to the RPO plays the hits of Genesis) Spanish Flea also had a good showing, cracking tune.

I had a whale of a time putting this together, great fun, so I'm really pleased people are enjoying it!

I'm especially delighted that nobody is cringing at their performances. It shows that it all hangs together and that the story stands out well enough - what makes people cringe (I think) is when it sounds too much like an amateur effort. A few years ago this would have been impossible, you can imagine what it'd be like if we had to put it together on tape. It makes all the difference giving it that sheen of professionalism. It's a very good script, very different from anything we've done before, but it still needs that extra effort to bring it alive. It would be fascinating to hear how someone else might produce one of these stories! Though I don't think it'd be quite as good with David Tennant and the Welsh boys production team.

Listening to it back, there probably is a little bit too much music again, but it's not so intrusive as it is on The Christmas Gnomes. See! Learning. We've got dear old Ed and his entertainingly off-kilter line delivery, the Doctor being spot-on throughout, a lovely turn from the two Captains (obviously!) playing polar opposites from different sides of the UK and excellent work from the supporting cast. I really liked Treevor as well, one of the few characters with a more-or-less proper name.

What next I wonder?!

[Lissa]

I thought the music was superb. One of the many reasons I could never produce one of these plays is that I simply don't get music and have no idea how it works. But I can recognise when it works and it worked here.

Episode specific praise must go to Bus who did an extremely good job with a not terribly brilliant character.

But - BUT - the Christmas pudding joke didn't survive the edit. That was the only cut I actually spotted having not read the script for nine months. I did research for that joke.

[Antony Cox]

it's the one where the Doc and co are caught in a net and the Melkur tells Nyssa that things are only just beginning).

Oh, that Keeper of Traken part 2 cliffhanger...

[Ian Lethbridge-Stewart]

Oh, that Keeper of Traken part 2 cliffhanger...

Well, I didn't expect everyone to know what the cliff-hanger to episode 2 of Traken actually was - I mean some people find the story so boring they don't get through 2 minutes let alone 2 episodes!

Actually, I just realised that I didn't mean Nyssa, I meant that other woman - 'Casio' or whatever her name was!!!

[WhiteCrowNZ]

So this is what Star Trek would be like if Young Conservatives ran the Federation???

[WhiteCrowNZ]

Just relistening to this, as it is fun - is it me, or do you feel the Craytian captain is channelling the spirit of Jimmy Saville when he delivers his ultimatum to the Shroon vessel?

A lot of fine performances there.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

3.4 The Wealth of Craytians

OK, cards on the table; The post-production and performances in this story are super but...and Lissa I'm so sorry because I love what I've managed to read of Dennis and Francois so far...I'm not as much of a fan of this story.
I don't know whether the first time I listened just caught me on a bad afternoon but I've tried again a couple of times and whilst I can find lots of things to enjoy I still can't quite shake off my first impression and I think I've isolated it down to a particular scene but more of that later.
It must inevitably happen to most reviewers that when they review a whole series they end up realising that somewhere there must be a least favourite episode, so by the law of averages I've reached that point and this is mine.
I read a few of the preceeding posts and Steve makes the excellent point that this is very different to what PS have done before. Maybe, given that to date I've loved virtually every play that has emerged from the PS stable that has caused this one's different style to jar somewhat with my expectations.
Anyway so that I can say some nice things about what I did enjoy here's some scene by scene analysis:
This starts off really well. I love the opening soundscape of marching, sirens, laser guns and soldiers being killed in battle, not to mention the accompanying music.
I genuinely adore the scenes between the two soldiers discussing the battle outcomes as if they're the latest premier league scores and placing bets.
Next up we find ourselves back aboard the TARDIS with the Doctor and Ed and it is nice to hear them back together after they were mostly apart in The Hand of Peace, so far so good although Ed admonishing the Doctor for name dropping does give a slight sense of déjà entendu and the whole name dropping business has been done by the Eighth Doctor, a lot, so please forgive me for not finding this scene very interesting although on relisten there’s not that much wrong with it.
Next we’re back the soldiers and the gambling love it.

And then we’re back with the Doctor and Ed and we’re still stuck in the TARDIS library. “Can we go” says Ed (it took me three listens to gather that he actually meant could they go and visit Sir Charles Summer). During the first couple of listens I found myself almost wanting to shout “yes please get us out of this boring scene!” although the bit with Ed asking about “naughty books” is funny.
Then we get the first mention of The War which I find a really interesting concept I just wish we could get going with the story proper rather than waiting for more explanation. As a matter of personal preference I’m not entirely happy that we get an allusion to the Time War which didn’t need to be there as there’s no direct connection. The PS Audios have got along fine thus far without referring to the new series and as far as I’m concerned the new series hasn’t happened to this version of the Doctor (just my personal view of course).
Once we get past that I do like the explanation of how The War started and how it became “the most absurd historical event in… history”, nice tautology.
Like hearing Si Hart computer voice at different pitches.

And at last the Shroon captain arrives, wonderfully played by Steve with such terrific smarminess and an underlying sense of threat throughout.
Interesting reveal about gambling on the outcome of battle being illegal.
I can’t help smiling at Ed’s cheeky reference to Zen and love the awful lift music.
Like how the captain sees straight through the Doctor.
I do like the scene explaining the Shroon ship’s suicide mission although it’s mission. Yes this scene is talky but at least it serves to advance the plot a bit.
I adore Ed’s line about the almost all male crew: “your moral must be at rock bottom or you have a very entertaining amateur dramatic society.”

I like the crew completely failing to heed the Doctor and Ed’s warnings when they attempt to escape. Love the captain’s speech “our comrades will etcetera”
Love the climax to episode one as the captain becomes genuinely menacing when threatens to let Ed go for a space walk without a suit and graphically describes the manner of his death that would inevitably result. A very fine cliffhanger indeed.

I heart Treevor. Pip’s cheesy American Craytian is just class.
And enter the Craytian captain, beautifully played by David Barnes. A perfect counterpoint to the Shroon captain.
Love the Doctor trying to ware him down with the repeated variations of “why haven’t you fired.”
Like the little scene with Not Lionel.
Another interesting piece of music in the Shroon captain’s ready room.
Love Martin’s understated delivery of the speech about the death of Ed’s cousin in a terrorist attack, genuinely moving.

Like the reveal that the Craytian ship is also on a suicide mission therefore explaining the stalemate.
Love the Shroon Captain’s provocative response and followed up by that lift music and that it almost succeeds.
Love the Doctor’s barely hidden amusement at the reveal that the Craytian captain married his ship.


Liked the pen noise and somewhat amused and surprised by Ed’s weird suggestion of the captains fighting “stripped to the waist!?”
Really like the Craytian captain’s reveal that he knew who the Doctor was all along and that he’s had a lot of involvement with The War, presumably all in the Doctor’s own future. Definitely something to revisit one day

Like the Doctor doing his own triumph theme although the stuff with the computer hubs does get a bit talky again.

Like the music cue after “why not, it’s a lovely day outside.”
Pity the Shroon captain didn’t take the pendant of Norombra rather than Ed’s watch

And no one died

at Jackie Lane, and a second even bigger for “muddy field here we come.”

Oh and I do like the teaser for The Kalrexi Mutation at the end.

I think it’s fair to say that I really enjoyed the second episode which on its own is not far off being at least 8.5/10 however for the story as a whole I have to go with my first instinct and mark down a little but this is still a very respectable…

7/10

[Si Hunt]

I think this is the only PS Audio which I had absolutely nothing to do with! But don't worry, I'm all over the next one!

Si.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Next stop of the chronological review tour is going to be
Once Upon A Time Lord which I'm really looking forward to revisiting.

[SiHart]

Nice review Richard. Don't worry, you're allowed to not like things and even so 7/10 isn't a bad score overall!

I think this is the only PS Audio which I had absolutely nothing to do with! But don't worry, I'm all over the next one!

I think you're in it Si! Acting as one of the guards who banters with Paul Clement at the start.

[Richard Brinck-Johnsen]

Oh so Paul was the other one and yes I'm sure you were in this play at least twice Mr Hunt but not having full cast lists for season 3 I have to play audio guessing games for some of these (and also trawl through previous posts for clues)

[SiHart]

Doctor Who - Paul Monk
Edward Bradley - Martin Penny
Shroon Captain - Steve Alexander
Craytian Captain - David Barnes
Shroon No.1 / Computer - Simon Hart
Man 1 / Crewman - Paul Clement
Man 2 / Guard - Si Hunt
Treevor - Phillip Madeley


Hope that helps!