"The Time of the Daleks"
by Justin Richards

Charley Pollard has shown herself to be a worthy companion to the Eighth Doctor, but she's not without fault. She's confident and adventurous, and shares the Doctor's awe and wonder at the beauty of the universe. She's battled demons, posed as a Time Lady, and escaped the clutches of, um, a sentient house. And yet she can't recognise a famous Shakespeare quote. In fact, she's never even heard of Shakespeare.

Neither have many of the residents of Britain, when the TARDIS arrives there in the future. People are starting to forget the playwright's very existence, and some are blaming Shakespeare enthusiast Mariah Learman, who rules the country and is experimenting with time travel. Things become even more complicated for the Doctor when some old foes reveal their involvement - but the Daleks aren't doing anything wrong - they love Shakespeare! - and they just want to help . . .

Thus, in The Time of the Daleks by Justin Richards, the Eighth Doctor finally encounters the metal meanies who have plagued his previous lives. This particular Dalek story is consciously unconventional, with its author arguing that the Daleks are more effective than ever when they're out of the comfort zone. That's certainly been true on screen - the cited example of Evil of the Daleks is one of the best stories of its era, and the sight of the robotic menaces patrolling the streets of Earth is always more chilling than seeing a Dalek aboard its spaceship. Justin Richards, therefore, has chosen "The Daleks do Shakespeare" as the audio equivalent of this and, in theory, it seems like a good idea. There's definitely something exciting (and unnerving) about hearing the rasping alien voices tackle the Bard's work, but whether or not it's a strong enough starting point for a four-part story is debatable.

The writing, though, is good, with characters reasonably well-formed and the story developing at a decent rate. And the first few minutes of the play are some of the most atmopsherically-engrossing that Big Finish have produced - I defy anyone to listen to the opening of this story and not be compelled to hear it in its entirety. At the same time, there are a few too many scenes which involve people standing around and explaining things, and the science behind Learman's time machine and Shakespeare's gradual disappearance are ridiculous enough to knock the listener out of the story. The "It's fantasy, it doesn't have to make sense!" argument is a fair one, but I definitely wanted a little more realism at times.

There's a lot of pressure riding on Paul McGann, as this is his first confrontation with the Daleks, and he doesn't disappoint. His performance is back to full strength after a lull in the previous story, and he bounces off the Daleks particularly well in the scenes they share. And there really isn't any point in commenting on India Fisher's work in these reviews any more, because she's consistently brilliant, and is definitely a contender for Best Companion by this stage.

Dot Smith leads the guest cast as Mariah Learman, and whilst she makes a valiant attempt at tackling the role successfully, the effect is comparable to Beryl Reid's infamously bewildered performance in Earthshock. It's clear that she's trying her best, but she never really manages to convince as the character, and I found Learman's scenes a bit distracting and unengaging as a result. Jem Bassett is similarly miscast, not convincing anyone in her role as a pre-pubescent boy; but the rest of the supporting actors are good, with Nicola Boyce impressing once again after her strong turn in Embrace the Darkness.

The hints at the ongoing arc are great, too; another appearance from Don Warrington's mysterious character starts the first episode off nicely, and the final moments of the fourth episode are dripping with ominous menace. There's definitely a sense of excitement, a sense of something building up to a climax, and that sort of storytelling is more than welcome in Doctor Who, unifying this series of plays as one long ongoing adventure.

As with the opening story of this season, the ideas behind The Time of the Daleks are strong, and there is a lot of potential in the basic premise, but the finished product doesn't quite gel, and the play as a whole is a tough one to enjoy. Despite its excellent concepts and good writing, this isn't one of the Eighth Doctor's best adventures. If you have two spare hours, it'll make for a diverting listen, but the bar has been set far higher by previous plays.