| CREATURES OF BEAUTY by Nicholas Briggs |
| Story 44 Synopsis: The TARDIS lands on the planet Veln, where the Doctor and Nyssa are soon split up. Nyssa is arrested for murder, but the Doctor manages to rescue her. They are in a society torn apart by the effects of diestrial pollution which have blighted the Veln for generations, and may lead to their extinction. The pollution was caused by the Koteem, whom the Veln despise. But a Koteem explains to the Doctor that the discharge of pollution was an accident, and whilst both race's governments refuse to deal with each other, it and some Veln sympathisers are working on a scheme to combine Koteem genes with those of the Veln, an operation which has some success. But they must operate under secrecy for both governments would stop them if they knew. The Doctor agrees not to object, and he and Nyssa are allowed to return to the TARDIS and leave. What nobody realises is that the Koteem accident was caused by the TARDIS. |
| Review:- Amongst other high profile plays released in the 40th anniversary year, this drew less attention but deserves a lot more. Briggs recounts his narrative in a form of reverse jigsaw, allowing the listener access to pieces slowly, moving to events at different times in the story, and then revealing more in each episode, until finally the picture is complete. Certainly a challenging form, but done very well here. The story needs a gimmick like this because if told straightforward, it would only need to take half as long. And also the final confirmation of what most could presumably see coming has to be the last point of the play, given its value. Briggs' idea of what effect a catastrophic pollution leak might have on a sentient species provides a simple enough idea, allowing a discussion both of ecological chaos, and also of racism, since the pollution has caused the Veln to fragment biologically, and leave many with a natural loathing for the perpetrators of their misery, the Koteem. The real tragedy is that the Koteem are innocent and some are trying to avert the inevitable demise of the Veln. But it seems to be suggested that the Veln are too far gone to be saved, and wouldn't take an offer of salvation from people trying to make amends. The Doctor and Nyssa make ideal intruders in a society which has stratified so rigidly that their efforts to establish their being neither Veln nor Koteem fall on deaf ears, and once it is proved, then they're bundled off out of the way as soon as possible. Whilst the efforts of people like Forleon suggest there deserves to be a future for the Veln, the dogged attitude of people like Gilbrook shows that some would be justified in ploughing their own course, opposed to any further contacts which might make their already-grim existence even worse. David Daker shines as the star name, playing it straight and thus making Gilbrook understandable, however twisted he might later seem. But then, this is true of the rest of the cast, each well-depicted and thus well put across. Without pictures to distract, the nature of the mutations is left to the imagination, and arguably all the more effective for that. Under-rated, then, but deserving of a wider audience. As Gilbrook is sampled saying, over and over... beautiful. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |