Davros

Review

This is an audio adventure that I have had for a few years and one that I bought because of the subject matter, Davros. Davros's story since his introduction in Genesis of the Daleks has been somewhat chequered in that all subsequent Dalek stories tend to involve Daleks either fighting him or being influenced heaviliy by him. So, the prospect of a Davros story without the Daleks really piqued my enthusiasm.

This story is extremely interesting for fans of the old TV series. I doubt that it will hold the same appeal for listeners who are less familiar with Davros's previous stories. What it does contain however, is a facinating insight into the Davros back story. We are constantly treated to dream sequences from Davros's youth, showing his rise to power, his relationship with another scientist, a female called Shan, and further insight into the Kaled-Thal war. There is also a big revalation about the origins of the Daleks, one that I will not mention here so as not to spoil the surprise. These dream sequences are from before Davros was harmed to such an extent that he needed to have his chair and life support system, so are really facinating for an older Who fan.

Another good element is the interaction between the Doctor, played by Colin Baker, and Davros. They are forced to work together for Baynes, the head of the largest corporation in the galaxy on projects to expand the Earth empire inter-galactically. There is very good dialogue between the main characters of this story, namely Davros, the Doctor, Baynes and his wife Lorraine, incidentally played by Wendy Padbury who also played Zoe Herriot under the stewardship of Patrick Troughton. Lorraine is a historian fascinated by Davros, and it was her intervention that led to Davros's capture and appointment at TAI (the corporation headed by Baynes). What then follows is more of a story about character development and situations, and is very carefully scripted and acted.

The other components of the adventure are up to the usual good standrds of Big Finish. The incidental music is good, not over used and only adds to the story. The effects here are in my opinion better than other adventures I have listened to from Big Finish. They all fit very naturally in context, and nothing detracts from the dialogue that is so important in this tale.

Overall, Davros is an excellent adventure and one that should grace any fans collection. I still have my reservations however that the story will be as fascinating for listeners who are not fans of the old series. Nevertheless, the story could stand up on its own as it is also a good tale of corporate corruption and one upmanship.

Rating:



Back to Sixth Doctor Big Finish Audio Index