After a mere three episodes, we have to bid farewell (but hopefully, not goodbye) to the gorgeously crazy Baker’s End with the story Tatty Bogle. While less anarchic (in a good way) than the first stories, a more measured story-telling leads the listener down a path to the mad village of Happenstance, in this very modern horror-cum-Wonderland. Imagine Lewis Carroll mixed with Stephen King and the rain of blood seems almost every day as the villagers get ready for the festival of Tatty Bogle. If you think The Wicker Man meets Monty Python you will begin to get some idea. Paul Magrs has much to be proud of in this fabulously creative tale.
Tom Baker is still playing Tom Baker and spends much of the first half of Tatty Bogle tending his cabbages, or friends as he likes to think of them. He is still talking of Goblin chicanery, but it is housekeeper Mrs Frimbly (Susan Jameson) who has most to worry about and she is up to something. It is to Suzy Goshawk (Katy Manning) to make sense of the rising tide of madness and she makes a wonderful counterpoint to the rest of the Baker’s End household.
Stakes rise as bad things and some of our heroes take a trip to the very shores of Hell itself (not to be mistaken for Middleborough). A lot more happens beside with some fabulous twists that can’t even be hinted at. Suffice it to say if you enjoyed the first two episodes, this will leave you keen for more and knocking at the door of the publishers demanding more.
The Baker’s End series may just be the maddest thing to come to audio this millennium, but beneath the surreal insanity is a cunningly crafted (if sometimes well-hidden) story.
BAKER’S END: TATTY BOGLE / AUTHOR: PAUL MAGRS / PUBLISHER: BAFFLEGAB / STARRING: TOM BAKER, KATY MANNING, SUSAN JAMESON / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
