Big Finish Reviews+ Night Thoughts by Matt Rabjohns

I am a true fan of the dark and brooding and mysterious. I love stories where the use of time travel is used very well indeed. And one of the most brilliant examples of Doctor Who in bleak and creepy mode is Night Thoughts by Edward Young. From the outset, this is Doctor Who is in its darkest and inventive form!

Some people may draw parallels between this story and Ghost Light from Sylvester McCoy's time on screen in the role of the Doctor. But all this story really shares is the fact that it takes place in a very, very creepy old house. That is the only similarity at all. In all other respects the two stories are very different entities indeed.

Night Thoughts brings to my ears everything I absolutely adore about Doctor Who. It is basically a bleak and harrowing tragedy, for most of the characters involved in the story.  It has some pretty horrific moments actually along the way. This story truly would have been slightly toned down had it of made it to the screen back when the story was originally conceived. I am so thrilled that Edward brought the script back to our attention by adapting it for Big Finish. This is an absolute stroke of genius as this story is one of my all-time favourite Big Finish productions.

For beginners, the story has a superb sound design. The music score too is haunting and brooding, and so the story absolutely drips with palpable menace and fear. Every character has a black and harrowing moment. Every character feels real too, and very necessary to the plot. Secrets of war and the outcome of weapons on the young is brilliant brought forward in this story.

Bernard Kay is an absolute delight to listen to as Major Dickens. He is a thoroughly unpleasant and brilliant villain. Bernard injects so much intense cruelty and malignancy into the role. But one of my favourite tale types is the big comeuppance to criminals. And the Major gets a sensationally gruesome end in this story, which is palpitation inducing.

Lizzie Simmons though is absolutely stunning as Sue. The way she gives voice to her child's stuffed toy Happy the Rabbit is truly one of the scariest voices I've heard since Big Finish started making these terrific audios. She is just absolutely sublime as the troubled and disturbed teenager. She injects the role with a massive amount of sensitivity and pathos too. She is not a villain; she is a deeply troubled and abused and broken child that seems to be so common these days. Mental health issues so matter and I champion anyone who gives a performance of such pathos to that kind of disability. Lizzie deserved an award for this stunning performance indeed.

Ann Curran as the Deacon too is exceptional in her role. She of all the characters, though she has participated in the grim experiment at this story's heart, is at least remorseful for what has happened. Her death scene is truly gutting and horrendous too.

Joanna McCallum is extraordinary as the Bursar who is confined to a wheelchair, thanks to the acts of the Major. She is superbly drawn, and there is a brilliant surprise twist to her character too that I did not see coming. And her interactions with Sylvester are extremely diverting and intense to listen to. What she had done to her as a character too is truly loathsome and abominable so that she is yet another character you do feel for when she finally faces off against her own personal demons.

There is also a huge amount of credibility to the character of Doctor O'Neil, portrayed perfectly by Andrew Parsons. He really gives the role of the searching some welly and oomph and this comes over well, so much so that one is glad that he at least gets to have a happy ending at the end of this otherwise very grim and dark tale.

The trio of Sylvester McCoy, Sophie Aldred and Philip Olivier too are just so the right TARDIS team for a story like this. The way Hex is quietly trying to win over Ace because we know he likes her is fun and heart-warming. You can tell that Philip and Sophie love their roles and get on well together. And Sylvester is just absolutely electric in his performance of the most mysterious and unfathomable of Doctors. In this story he has frankly one of the best quotes I’ve ever heard given to the Doctor.

"The Human Race seems to have perfected everything, except itself..."

Just how true is this line?

Night Thoughts at its heart though is a surprisingly small-scale story, but the way it is presented makes it feel like it is totally epic. The story flows along superbly well, and is never once laboured or forgettable. From the eerie front cover to the depth of the characters, this story, for me at least, succeeds on every level possible. I would recommend this story to everyone as one of the very best horror tinged stories that Big Finish have ever produced. Be prepared to shake and shiver.

This story truly feels like it could have been a part of the final season of Sylvester's screen era. It has all the tone and feel unique to that season. It also shares a phenomenal cast, very, very strong character drawing and sublime creep fest storytelling. What more could one possibly ask for in a Doctor Who story, I ask you....?!