| HE JESTS AT SCARS... by Gary Russell |
| Story ? Synopsis: At the end of his Trial, the Doctor loses his lives to the Valeyard, who embarks on a voyage of discovery, picking up a friend, Ellie. Mel is appalled that the Time Lords seem not to care about the Doctor, and are even pleased when the Valeyard helps the Thals beat the Daleks for good. His later action to stop Mel ever meeting the Doctor doesn't concern them, nor his attempt to steal the Pakhar Diadem. Reawakening the Earth Reptiles raises a few eyebrows, but his use of the Doomsday Weapon to destroy Gallifrey prompts them to act, even though it's a bit too late. They give Mel a Time Ring, hoping she can persuade the Doctor within the Valeyard to resurface and mend his ways, or else kill him. The Valeyard tries to go to Logopolis, but zaps one of his earlier selves in error. He then destroys Logopolis, trying to cheat fate. But he keeps seeming to overlap his mistakes to make them worse. Finally, he sets himself as the Mighty One, in a city called Chronopolis, where he keeps the last specimens of the Tharils and other time sensitives. Here, Mel finally tracks him down, but he is in such control she can't stop him. Until finally the projection breaks down - it was created by his TARDIS, which has been almost exhausted. Billions have died, and it's all the TARDIS can do to bring order. The Valeyard and Mel must remain trapped there forever, lest they cause any more damage. The Valeyard admits he thought he could do what the Doctor did, only better, but wasn't good enough. He apologises to Mel. |
| Review:- A strange and straightforward set-up leads to a weird journey through cause and effect in this latest Unbound tale... The Valeyard is one of the most notorious characters ever to appear in Doctor Who, as he suggests that ultimately, the nice-guy Doctor could turn out evil. He has cropped up in the odd book over the years (and some have been very odd, ho ho), but here within the confines of the Unbound series, and with Michael Jayston back in the role, he comes alive once more. Following pretty much from the conclusion to The Ultimate Foe, the Valeyard takes the remaining lives of the Doctor, as well as his place in the universe. The Time Lords are content merely to observe this, but by the time he gets out of hand, it's too late for them, leaving Mel to act alone to try and save the day. Like the earlier Auld Mortality, the story shows us alternated history, but this time in a more active form. The Valeyard awakens the Silurians (in a nod to Bloodtide), he steals the Doomsday Weapon (as seen in Colony In Space), he tries to steal the Pakhar Diadem (from the author's own, Legacy). The stated point is that the Doctor was originally tempted by riches, but chose not to take them. So, the Valeyard corrects this mistake. He then gets involved with Logopolis. And then things start to go haywire... All this gives the story an impetus that elevates it as it goes, and makes for a weird drama, as Mel must somehow try to stop the Valeyard with only her spirit to help her. Plus, the Valeyard's belief that he can repair any decision he makes if he then changes his mind is shown to be hopelessly misguided. The title (which is rubbish) is another to come from a Shakespearean quote, and it refers to those who think they are qualified for a job to which they are in fact woefully unsuitable. The Valeyard thinks he can be a Doctor - but he can't. By the time he realises this, the TARDIS is on the brink of calamity, and the Universe is stuffed. The conclusion depicts Mel trapped in the console room for eternity with the Valeyard - and it is only at the point of defeat that he shows he has some heart, for he apologises to her for getting her into this mess. It is a superb ending. Michael Jayston and Bonnie Langford bring their natural talent to the table, and help this play achieve what it sets out to do. It's worth mentioning Tim Preece as the doomed Time Lord President (aren't they all?), a celebrity effort that is as understated as you could wish for. Overall, despite a bad reputation, underneath, this is a play with a warmth and a depth. |
| Disclaimer: I own a copy. |