“The end of the world is nigh. That’s what everybody is seeing in their nightmares. That’s why they are congregating in Liverpool for the party to end all parties, hosted by Rufus Stone, a celebrity turned doomsday prophet. He claims he’s the only one who can save them when the day of judgement comes. Because he’s on the side of the angels.
The Doctor, Ace and Hector arrive to find the city in the grip of apocalypse fever. There are lights in the sky, earthquakes and power cuts. The Doctor is determined to investigate, while Ace is more concerned about finding a way of restoring Hector’s lost memories.
Meanwhile, in the river Mersey, hideous, slug-like creatures are stirring…”
Sylvester McCoy returns as the 7th Doctor, with Ace (Sophie Aldred) and Hector/Hex (Phillip Olivier) in tow, in this thrilling audio adventure. It’s again an almost perfect continuation of McCoy’s years as the rogue Gallifreyan. The basic story itself is pretty good, with plenty of action, menace, deception, some decent mystery, and humor, though it does falter in a few places.
I didn’t like that Ace was basically doing to Hector what the Doctor did to her in Ghost Light, forcing him to face his past the way she does. Her time traveling with the Doctor has caused her to become like him in the way he manipulates people. I’ve always loved Ace as a companion and character, so seeing her going down this road saddens me a little, losing her more upbeat, friendly, yet guarded personality.
I liked that the story just drops you into the fray; Rufus planning the concert, and using it to manipulate people through fear. The story is epic in scope, with so many different factions and so much going on to keep your interest. Matt Fitton has written a strong story that he should be proud of for sure. The chemistry between the main cast is wonderful, and that is down to not only the actors, but Fitton’s script and Ken Bentley’s direction. And the dream device was a great way to get into the cast’s heads, especially the Doctor’s.
The voice-acting is superb as always; Big Finish has a way of always casting the perfect actors, and this is no exception. McCoy, Aldred, and Olivier are brilliant as always, even if McCoy does go a bit hammy in places. The other key actors, Jessica Martin (Reverend Janet Green), Warren Brown (Rufus Stone/To’Koth), Jemma Churchill (Praska), Rory Keenan (Captain Gormley), all deliver solid performances as well, and everything is consistent throughout. The Foley artists at Big Finish outdo themselves once again, as everything seems like it’s going on all around you, immersing you in the Doctor’s adventure yourself.
Over all, Signs and Wonders is another great addition to their monthly range of titles, remaining consistent with where the Doctor has been before, yet adding so much to the mythos. As a huge McCoy fan, I give it four stars out of five.
More information on the full range of Doctor Who audio adventures is available at http://www.bigfinish.com/hubs/v/doctor-who
