Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Tom Baker, Louise Jameson, Michael Maloney, Gillian Kearney, James George, Steven Alexander, Nicholas Briggs.
It only takes one of the finest creations from the classic television series and all seems well within the Tom Baker range of audio dramas from Big Finish.
Drawing upon the past never hurts, as long as there is a feeling of advancement, of progression, in the story or the character’s story. As with the Daleks, who are rightly heralded by many as the best villains in the show’s history, sometimes the feeling of stale breath reeks over the story that it takes a revolution to change the outlook of the character; yet the Zygons only ever appeared in one classic story and have figured in only one since the programmes return, albeit with honour and skill in the 50th Anniversary edition episode. There was no chance to ever get to complacent about their structure; they just have been hugely overlooked.
If 1950s and 60s America was preoccupied with the idea of infiltrating spies, of so called and alleged Communists being hidden in plain sight as part of the fabric of society, which was captured rather superbly in many a classic film such as Invasion of the Body Snatchers or Village of the Damned and theatre, notably Arthur Miller’s The Crucible . British television didn’t pick upon this concept till the appearance of The Zygons during Tom Baker’s incarnation of The Doctor and the undercurrent of what viewers saw made them embrace the Zygon race as a deadly enemy. If Daleks represents right minded people’s fear and loathing of the evil of Fascism, then the invention of the Zygon played with idea of not knowing who your family or friends really was, what they thought or represented for the trepidation of being found out to have Communist sympathies is a powerful message.
The idea takes hold even more during this audio play as Leela, portrayed in her usual intrepid fashion, points out that Nina Challis appears to be on their side, however who really understands the point of sides when nobody really listens to even the sanest of arguments. As if more thought on the notion of aliens being unwelcome, the constant barrage of insults about anything that is non-Human from Gregor Saraton, perhaps the most loathsome Human to appear on either the television programme or audio dramas since Marvic Chenn, is arguably the most disturbing aspect. It takes a writer of excellent quality to capture the feeling of distaste that claws at the throat and Nicholas Briggs captures the moment with aplomb.
One of the most welcome aspects of Nicholas Briggs’ script, aside from the return of the incredible Zygons, is the appearance of Liverpool Playhouse/Liverpool Everyman Theatre favourite Gillian Kearney in a role within the Doctor Who Universe. This incredibly talented woman has for many years had audiences in the city gripped and held in the realm of great theatre and to have her play one of the most important parts in the entire series run is something to behold. As Mina Challis and the Commander of the Zygons, Ms. Kearney picks upon the psychological aspect of dual personality and the theory of immersion into the character of the human’s body that the Zygons seize and copy with deftness which only gives the listener the thrill of wanting to have them appear again.
This third series of stories with Tom Baker at the helm has finished on a very good high with the previous story, The Abandoned, and Zygon Hunt being absolute belters. Zygon Hunt is a story that doesn’t just ask to be explored it should be done so with no qualms or prejudice, for it gives a positivity that has been missing for a while in Tom Baker’s audio helm as The Doctor.
Doctor Who: Zygon Hunt is available from Worlds Apart on Lime Street, Liverpool.
Ian D. Hall