AUDIO REVIEW: FLYWHEEL REVOLUTION (DOCTOR WHO) / AUTHOR: DALE SMITH / PUBLISHER: BIG FINISH / STARRING: PETER PURVES / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
New for 2015 is a monthly series from Big Finish – Short Trips. These are new Doctor Who short stories read by an original cast member. The series kicks off with Flywheel Revolution by Dale Smith, read by Peter Purves.
A group of reject robots have been dumped in the Scrapheap and scratch out the remainder of their existence surrounded by the Wall. One of these, Frankie, tries to mark the passage of time until one day a monster appears. The monster scours the Scrapheap for the bodies of the dead and performs abominable acts on their remains. The monster’s name? The Doctor!
Short stories are often hard to write. Dale Smith (who previously wrote a BBC Audio Tenth Doctor story – The Many Hands) has managed to make this one interesting, popped in surprises, and managed not to over-complicate. The central figure is Frankie the robot and the device of making the Doctor the object rather than the subject is a good one for this type of narrative. That helped make this feel very fresh and bodes well for the rest of the series.
As a simple reading there is little in the way of post-production except some voice effects. The story runs for around thirty minutes, ideal for a commute to work. Peter Purves is a polished reader and Lisa Bowerman does her usual sterling job as director.
If audio short stories are of interest, the Short Trips are often an excellent example of the form, and Flywheel Revolution starts a run that sounds as though it will act as an excellent aperitif to each month’s Big Finish releases.
SHARE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW OR ON TWITTER @STARBURST_MAG
Find your local STARBURST stockist HERE, or buy direct from us HERE. For our digital edition (available to read on your iOS, Android, Amazon, Windows 8, Samsung and/or Huawei device – all for just £1.99), visit MAGZTER DIGITAL NEWSSTAND.
CLICK TO BUY!
MORE FROM AROUND THE WEB:
