Thursday, November 26, 2020

Episode 34 - Jago & Litefoot Writer PAUL MORRIS on Writing For Big Finish, Cancel Culture and Other Galactic Funk


In this episode we are joined by Big Finish author and fellow Who Podcaster, Paul Morris. 

Paul has written for many Big Finish ranges including Doctor Who, Jago & Litefoot, The Adventures of Bernice Summerfield, The Scarifyers, Tales From New Earth, The Avengers & The Paternoster Gang to name a few. 

Before we get to his writing, we discuss the controversial contents of The Talons of Weng-Chiang and the broader topic of cancel culture. 

During our chat, we played the trailers for the following audio adventures (please click of the titles to check out more detail about them):

The Diary of River Song Volume 6 (which includes Paul's Talons of Weng-Chiang prequel, The Talents of Greel)

Doctor Who - The Companion Chronicles: Council of War 

Doctor Who: Tales From New Earth (which includes Paul's story, The Skies of New Earth)

Jago & Litefoot Series 13 (which includes Paul's story, The Stuff of Nightmares)

Jago & Litefoot Forever

The Avengers: The Comic Strip Adaptations Volume 02: Steed & Mrs Peel (which includes The Antagoniser by by Paul Morris and SImon Barnard)

The Paternoster Gang: Heritage Volume 4 (which includes Paul's episode entitled Merry Christmas, Mr Jago)

Doctor Who: Aquitaine #BringBackHargreaves 



Recommendations

Paul recommends Guided By Voices (Music)

Philip recommends The War Master: Hearts of Darkness

Dwayne recommends Kaleidoscope Ears with Guest Programmer Nicholas Pegg - Author Of "The Complete David Bowie" - David Bowie Obscurities (Radio Special)

Paul Morris on Twitter 

Paul currently appears on the Doctor Who: Missing Episodes and Something Who podcasts. 


Philip Edney on Twitter

Dwayne Bunney on Twitter

Theme music by Husky by the Geek.

Email: sirensofaudio@gmail.com

Website: sirensofaudio.com

Twitter: @AudioSirens

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/sirensofaudio/

Clips and music are copyright BBC and Big Finish. No infringement is intended.

Thursday, November 19, 2020

Episode 33 - Scary Stories and Super Creepies (Night Thoughts & The Red Lady)

 
We discuss two of Big Finish's scariest stories according to our opinion and the popular vote.

They are:


Night Thoughts &

The Red Lady


Philip recommends Something Who (podcast)

Dwayne recommends The Album Years (podcast)



Philip Edney on Twitter

Dwayne Bunney on Twitter


Theme music by Husky by the Geek.

Email: sirensofaudio@gmail.com

Website: sirensofaudio.com

Twitter: @AudioSirens

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/sirensofaudio/


Clips and music are copyright BBC and Big Finish. No infringement is intended.

Friday, November 13, 2020

Episode 32 - JANE SLAVIN on Tom Baker, Writing, Saying Yes to Everything and Making Accidental Friends


Tom Baker and Jane Slavin 
recording for Big Finish

Our guest this time is the multi-talented Jane Slavin, actor, writer, and oft wardrobe-dweller. 

Jane has starred in tv shows such as Coronation Street and The Bill, and has worked in audio with Doctors Jon Pertwee, the Bakers Tom and Colin, Peter Davision and David Tennant. 

On top of her acting Jane has written some incredible plays for Big Finish, particularly in their Big Finish Originals range and Survivors. 

We discuss it all. 

Thanks so much Jane! 



Dwayne recommends Fair Warning by Van Halen (album) Here is a link to the opening track, Mean Street.

Philip recommends Callan Series 1 & 2 (Big Finish) and Survivors Series 8 (Big Finish).


Philip Edney on Twitter

Dwayne Bunney on Twitter

Theme music by Husky by the Geek.

Email: sirensofaudio@gmail.com

Website: sirensofaudio.com

Twitter: @AudioSirens

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/sirensofaudio/


Clips and music are copyright BBC and Big Finish. No infringement is intended.


Saturday, November 7, 2020

REVIEW | Mary Shelley's Frankenstein - The Modern Prometheus adapted by Jonathan Barnes (Big Finish Classics)

Recently I picked up the actual novel by Mary Shelley and devoured it in a day. This is a novel that screamed for an audio adaptation. 

What I did notice from the book was the ambiguity in relation to the making of the monster. That and other detail I assumed would be in the book, but wasn't, finally explained to me why I had seen so many seemingly conflicting narratives in film and TV versions of the book. 

So how does this audio adaptation stack up?

The Big Finish Classics range made no bones about their desire to adapt stories as close to the original works as possible. This has not always been easy, as their version of H.G. Wells Things To Come demonstrated, though that too is a marvelous adaptation.  

As I was reading the novel, I noticed that I had never in film or TV seen any reference to the travel Victor makes to England, Scotland and Ireland. I was very happy that the audio version includes this section of the novel. 

But how close actually is it? While the novel is a deeply human book, examining the deep tragedy of one man's mistake and his journey into regret and possible redemption, Big Finish have changed the character of Victor Frankenstein into someone quite unlikeable. This however, takes nothing away from the brilliant performance of Arthur Darvill as Victor. 

The relationship between Victor, Elizabeth and Justine has been completely changed for this version and I can't say that I personally like it. While the novel induces a level of sympathy towards Victor in the reader, the audio version casts him as a repulsive and arrogant character whom I kept finding myself wanting to slap. His treatment of both Elizabeth and Justine is deplorable and not in line with the novel at all. 

I don't have an issue with this change in character, but I'm unsure about Big Finish's claim that the story is very close to the novel. It isn't that close. 

Nicholas Briggs' portrayal as the creature is incredibly good. He's up there with Robert de Nero as my favourite version of the creature. However, does the image on the cover of this set really convey the horror expressed by characters within the play? Once again, the novel is ambiguous as to what the creature looks like, but in all honesty, the image on the cover is not as terrifying as I think it could be. 

The scenes between the creature and De Lacey, played brilliantly by Geoffrey Beavers are beautiful. Until, that is, some more characters are given some downright detestable motives that tack in the complete opposite direction to the novel. To say I was shocked by the "cottagers" scenes would be an understatement. 

And speaking of Geoffrey Beavers, his main role as Alphonse Frankenstein is an example of perfect casting. His voice drips like honey into the ears and his final scenes are incredibly beautiful but immensely tragic. 

While the parts of the story set in Scotland and Ireland are there, they don't have the same feel as the novel to me. 

One of the most horrific parts of the story for me is the murder of Clerval in Ireland. Man! That was intense! But, this is a horror story after all.  

So for me, this version doesn't appear to be as faithful to the novel as it claims, but it's still a mighty fine production and a worthy addition to the Frankenstein stable of adaptations. 

Buy Frankenstein directly from the Big Finish website


Dwayne Bunney

Sunday, November 1, 2020

Episode 31 - JOHN DORNEY - Actor, Writer, Script Editor Part 2


Part 2 of our interview with John Dorney  contains tips for budding writers, as well as behind the scenes insights of the process behind the creation of various Big Finish box sets and their story arcs.

Previews from the following boxset played during this episode were:

Doctor Who: Stranded 1

The Robots 3

Doctor Who: Doom Coalition 3


John recommends Rule of Three (podcast)

Dwayne recommends Patrick Troughton - The Biography by Michael Troughton (audiobook)

Philip recommends Every Musical Ever (podcast)



Theme music by Husky by the Geek.

Email: sirensofaudio@gmail.com

Website: sirensofaudio.com

Twitter: @AudioSirens

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/sirensofaudio/


Clips and music are copyright BBC and Big Finish. No infringement is intended.