I've started listening to the 7th Doctor and Ace audio plays recently.
Liking to listen to these is order, I've so far listened to 'The Fearmonger', (although apparently the author of this one says he thinks its placed continuity wise in the midst of the Virgin new adventures) 'The Genocide Machine' and today the above mentioned 'Dust Breeding'

Ace mentioned in Dust Breeding that they had come across the Krills before, but I don't remember any mention of them in the previous 2 plays or on the tv series? Is this just one of those times shes referring to a adventure we've not seen or heard? It just seems a bit unusual if thats the case, as I've found the companions only refer to aliens they've met before that we've heard of in previous plays or on the tv.

Also, on a slightly different topic, I see there have been 2 audio plays done with the 7th Doctor, Ace and Bernice. Bearing in mind that by the time these 3 characters were travelling together in The Virgin books that Ace was quite a hardened, sometimes bitter individual, is this was reflected in these plays?

The Krills appear in one of the books. Can't remember which one. Maybe the Cybermen one? Written by Tucker & Perry anyhow.

I listened to Shadow of the Scourge, and found it thoroughly disagreeable. It was the beginning of the end of the CDs for me. The play seemed very smug. Ace seemed annoying (I stopped the books, back in the day, cos she wasn't Ace Off The Telly anymore, and had become some intergalactic warrior space-bitch) and the Doctor knew everything that was happening before he even stepped out of the Tardis. Shadow of the Scourge captures that era perfectly. More's the pity.

The Krill were in "Storm Harvest".


Apart from 'Scourge', the other story was "The Dark Flame". Ace is kind of different but, for me, Sophie's at her worst in these stories. I found her practically unlistenable in 'Scourge' - there's a scene where Ace is having a rooftop fight for her life and Sophie plays it as if she's mildly inconvenienced. It's awful.

That's a shame. Do you think, it's because she cannot act, the scrips are badly written or because she was misdirected.?

A combination, I suppose. Cornell's 'Scourge' script isn't particularly great but I'd say that about a lot of BF work! Personally, I've not been impressed with Sophie Aldred as an actress on audio - some of her performances have really made me cringe. It's sad because she seems like a nice person and always comes across as enthusiastic in interviews about her time on the show.

Do you think she is a better actress in the TV series? I'm curious, I sometimes wonder if not every actor can actually act in audio plays because you have to use your voice differently.
By the way, I loved Ace, but I know that this is due to the fact when I started watching Doctor Who and I'm very aware that she wouldn't win acting awards.

I must listen to one of her and the seventh doctor's audio plays.

Yes, I much prefer her on TV. I think all that "bilgebag" stuff is, ahem, well naff but Ace was a breath of fresh air and I thought Sophie did a good job. Audio-wise, she has her moments but I feel that she's not as great as some other actors. Bonnie, for example, is a revelation in her stories - who knew she could act, after all?!

As I said it probably requires a different skill and not everyone can do it (rather than using all your motor skills and facial expressions you can just use your voice and people either exaggerate their voices completely over the top or they don't pitch it at the right level, e.g. it all becomes a bit monotone). I still think Bonnie can act by the way (well at least in the stories I saw her), although I haven't listen to any of her audio plays.

Yeah, you're right. Sophie doesn't do a "monotone", though, but she oftens sounds like her CBBC presenter incarnation, which isn't Ace.

Now I don't know if I want to listen to one of hers. I've seen one of the BBV films with her (on youtube; the one with Gatiss in it), in which she was a bit dire, I must say.

Slowly raises hand...

I thought The Shadow of the Scourge is really good. As is Colditz, The Harvest, and most of the Ace plays actually. I even think The Rapture is quite underrated, although I concede I'm in the minority with that one.

Magic Mousetrap is a good one to look into if you want a demonstration of Ace on audio, because she gets given a lot to do in that one.

Interesting to read that she's not so good as an audio actor. She's done masses of audio work. She's often doing voiceovers for adverts, and does voices in animation too.

I've not listened to the BF plays for years (might flog them on Ebay actually, as I'll never bother with them again), but I never thought she was that bad. She's a bit over-emphatic in her delivery in some of the TV stories, but not a bad performance at all.

I think Sophie is pretty good in the audios, I don't see any problem with her performance.

I have to agree, I think her performance in the audios I've listened to so far is good.

I asked the original question about how Ace was portrayed in the plays with Bernice in them as I wanted to see if it stayed true to the Ace portrayed in the virgin books. If it does (as mentioned higher up the thread) I might get them at some point as I always wondered how Sophie would have played that version of Ace on screen, and audio is the next best thing!

The Ace who appears in the two audios with Benny is definitely the older NA version of the character, though all her other audio appearances seem to take place when she's younger.

I agree with this also, however, apparently the author of 'The Fearmonger' has stated that in his eyes it takes place after the N/A 'Nightshade' and before 'Love and War'
I suppose that can still fit though, it was only after her return in 'Deceit' she was hardened and bitter.

Just finished listening to 'Colditz' - thought it was really good - a bit 'timey wimey', but thats usually a good thing!

At what stage do Big Finish start using the Doctors 'own' version of the theme tune as opposed to the bog standard 70s one?

Dunno about the theme songs but if you liked Colditz I'd strongly recommend the Klein trilogy, A Thousand Tiny Wings, Survival of the Fittest and The Architects of History.

The Architects of History is one of my favourite Big Finishes.

Had anyone else heard The 8th Doctor story Book of Kells yet? It has possibly the most bonkers ending to any Who story ever, the ending being that:



When I put the play on, I didn't see that coming I must say!