AUDIO REVIEW: SCARIFYERS 9: THE KING OF WINTER / AUTHOR: SIMON BARNARD, PAUL MORRIS / PUBLISHER: BAFFLEGAB / STARRING: DAVID WARNER, TERRY MOLLOY, GUY HENRY, DAVID BENSON, STEPHEN CRITCHLOW / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 17TH
After more than eighteen months, the Scarifyers are back. Yes, MI:13’s finest, Harry Crow (Warner) and Professor Dunning (Molloy) are investigating the mysterious Tartarus club whose members seem to be destined to be frozen to death; in the middle of summer!
As Crow and Dunning investigate the connections between several suddenly frozen figures, their investigations take them into the path of the royalty and other influential members of society. The action also moves to the picturesque village of Thornton Gibbet with its tales of a 300-year-old ghost and strange, pagan ceremonies. With the middle of summer comes midsummer itself and great danger to many of the cast. Who, if any, will survive the Green Man and the King of Winter?
The plot never gets in the way of the fun, and the Scarifyers manage their usual mix of horror and humour with some puns almost too bad to document. The writers are never afraid to go for even the most groan inducing of one-liners, then repeating them just for effect.
The cast are superb, and David Warner’s grumpy, blunt and often rude Harry Crow is a delight from start to finish. Lisa Bowerman also gets to show her talents with several roles. Even the most minor character is written and performed with relish by the cast.
BBC Radio 4 Extra has broadcast previous releases; listening to this, Simon Barnard’s directing is as tight as ever and the production of the quality we have become used to.
If you haven’t heard The Scarifyers for a while, or if they’re brand new to you, then consider The King of Winter as a good place to join the many fans of this series. For the show’s many fans, this is another release to savour.
