Doctor Who: The Companion Chronicle: Starborn by Jacqueline Rayner (CD review).
Vicki was one of the youngest companions ever aboard the TARDIS. In the story, ‘The Rescue’, she is rescued by the kindly Doctor, from a tortuous existence under thrall to a monster, living in on crashed starship. Vicki has embraced the life offered with the substitute parents, Barbara Wright and Ian Chesterton, and grandparent, the First Doctor.
Now she is confident and full of fun fresh from ‘The Romans’, her adventures with Nero in Ancient Rome. Now she is in London, where suddenly she is in danger again and all alone. Accosted by Madame Violet, Vicki is told that the medium has a message for her but it might not be what she wants to hear. Her dead self has come back to tell her that she needs to take action to avoid a disastrous mistake.
Essentially a two-hander, this becomes a three-hander as Vicki talks to herself, the medium and, with the Doctor also making a voice appearance, there is almost a fully rounded play.
‘Starborn’ fits the show’s kooky premise as a journey of a million miles is really about the nature of friendship and trust. Vividly told through Vicki, the tale of future past comes to life as we travel through the stars and this time we get really close.
Jacqueline Rayner has come up with a story that is more fairy tale than space adventure. It has a whiff of stardust and falls into the ‘far out’ category rather than the space hardware and software category but there is nothing wrong with some whimsy once in a while.
Maureen O’Brien is joined by Jacqueline King (Donna’s mother from TV’s ‘Doctor Who’) and with Lisa Bowerman directing, this is nothing short of girl power in action.
I don’t think the story will suit everyone as each listener has a particular idea of how they think ‘Doctor Who’ should play out but I enjoyed the rather more fanciful nature of this production just for once.
Sue Davies
May 2014
(pub: Big Finish. 1 CD 60 minute story. Price: CD: £ 8.99 (UK), Download: £ 7.99 (UK). ISBN: 978-1-78178-091-6)
cast: Maureen O’Brien and Jacqueline King
check out website: www.bigfinish.com
