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The
Sandman
(Simon A. Forward) |
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 "The Sandman", which has been written by Simon A.
Forward, is the third consecutive Doctor Who audio from new writers to the Big
Finish range. It is also the first audio script by Simon A. Forward and arrives
just eight months after the publication of his debut Fourth Doctor and Leela
BBC Past Doctor novel "Drift",
that was published in February 2002.
The original
release planned for October 2002, "Nekromanteia" by Austen Atkinson, has had to
be delayed until February 2003. It was then announced by Big Finish Productions
that a story titled "The Swashbucklers", written by Cavan Scott and Mark
Wright, was to be the replacement for "Nekromanteia".
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| Polly |
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However, this story was then changed to
"The
Church and the Crown" and finally, for production reasons, has swapped
places with "The Sandman" that was originally due to be released in
November.
Written by Simon A Forward and directed by Gary Russell "The
Sandman" was recorded on the 4th and 5th March 2002 and alongside regulars
Colin Baker and Maggie Stables features actress Anneke Wills who played
companion Polly during the First and Second Doctors eras in the 1960's. Also
co-starring are: Ian Hogg, who played Josiah in the 1989's "Ghostlight", and
Stephanie Colburn, who played Zog in "The Ultimate Adventure" stage play. Also
starring are: Robin Bowerman, Mark Donovan and Mark Wharton.
The Clutch is
a vast interstellar convoy of rag-tag starships in constant motion. This
remarkable conglomeration attracts traders, miners, and Star Gypsies and is
home to the Galyari. A race of lizard-like beings who are a hybrid of a
chameleon, an allosaurus, a humanoid and something a bit avian. With their
strong collective memories it appears that not only does The Doctor knows the
Galyari of old but they remember The Doctor very well…
Travelling in
a countless number of ships jostling for position the Galyari are on an endless
migration between the stars, slowly moving throughout the galaxy for many
generations, trying to avoid the legendary Sandman who leaves death and
destruction in his wake.
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| Sixth Doctor |
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For the Galyari, forbidden by an ancient curse
from settling on a world ever again, the Clutch is home. But the curse travels
with them and they have an ingrained fear of terrible vengeance from none other
than The Sandman! According to their legends is a figure who preys on the young
and old alike and steals people away in the night. He lurks in the shadows and
it is death to look upon him.
After observing
that his return there is long overdue the Sixth
Doctor,
along with Evelyn, find themselves aboard this flotilla
of starships and it soon becomes evident that there is
more to The Doctor's presence there than there first appears.
It is also clear that The Doctor and the Galyari share
a dark history, and Evelyn is shocked to discover that,
on the Clutch, it is her friend who is the monster. For
not only are the Galyari haunted by this mythical being
called The Sandman but according to the tales, he also
goes by the name of The Doctor!
When
The Doctor takes Evelyn to the centre of Galyari operations,
she is mortified to find him behaving just as the fearful
aliens expect. Where did the Clutch originate from and
why are they on the constant move in the vastness of space?
What is the significance of the Galyari's trading relations
that involve the human race and meets with The Doctor's
disapproval?
Why is the
Time Lord such a bad memory to the Galyari? What role has he played in their
distant past and why can no Galyari look directly at The Doctor? Can the
macabre stories about the Sandman be really true? But more importantly why is
there a more sinister side of the Sixth Doctor, why does his change in attitude
come swiftly and unexpectedly and what is the truth about Mordecan, a Star
Gypsy who seems to be able to conceal suspicions about his role in the recent
events that are occurring?
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| Maggie Stables |
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While in the Clutch our travellers meet
Orchestrator Shol who is entrusted with the safe running of the Clutch and
Nintaru - a rather frightened creature from another alien race that The Doctor
has become involved with.
They also meet Director Nrosha who, among the
Galyari within the Clutch, feels this enmity towards The Doctor more sharply.
Embittered by her personal experience and knowledge of The Doctor, Nrosha
definitely has a grudge against him. It soon becomes clear to Evelyn that she
perceives him very much as a monster who comes to terrify her people and this
has affected her personally which could explain why she allows all her venom
and rage to come out. But these feelings could be justified, when it is
revealed that she is motivated by hate for The Sandman who took her children
from her.
As Evelyn learns more about The Doctor's past treatment of
the Galyari she becomes more and more dumbfounded and finds it even harder to
believe that The Doctor, who she has grown to trust as a good person, could be
anything other. To find out that he previously could do such terrible things to
a whole alien race makes her take a much closer look at The Doctor and his
actions. Recent revelations certainly make her have a more reflective side to
life and her relationship with The Doctor may never be the same again.
As
the truth unfolds there is such a sense of sadness for the Galyari having to
live in so much fear in this foreboding environment and how can The Doctor
justify allowing such a terrible and cruel thing to happen or could The Doctor's plans have been misunderstood?
But then maybe
there is somebody else who is taking advantage of the legacy The Doctor has
created...
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Notes:
- Featuring the Sixth
Doctor, Evelyn
Smythe.
- Serial Number: 7C/F
- Number of Episodes: 4
- Cover Length: 120 minutes
- Episode Lengths: 1 = 28'02", 2 = 30'11", 3 =
26'00", 4 = 31'59"
- Total Story Length: 116'12"
- This story is takes place between "The
Trial of a Time Lord" and "Time
and the Rani" and after
"Project:
Twilight".
- Early Titles: "Excelis Rises"
and "The Sandman Cometh".
- Cover Illustration: Lee Binding
- Recorded: 4th and 5th March 2002
- Recording Location: The Moat Studios
- Released: October 2002
- ISBN: 1-903654-76-9
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On the Back Cover:
The Clutch is
a fleet in constant motion, ships jostling for position,
in an endless migration between the stars. For the Galyari,
forbidden by an ancient curse from settling on a world
ever again, the Clutch is home. But the curse travels
with them...
The
Sandman, a figure of myth and folk-lore, preys on the
young and old alike. He lurks in the shadows and it is
death to look upon him.
All
too soon after the TARDIS arrives, it is evident that
The Doctor and the Galyari share a dark history, and Evelyn
is shocked to discover that, on the Clutch, it is her
friend who is the monster.
The Sandman,
according to the tales, also goes by the name of The Doctor...
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On the Inside Cover:
DOCTOR WHO MONSTERS
HAVE a hard time of it, don't they? What with bad press,
being denounced as 'evil' and 'ruthless', and then when
they come up with a cunning masterplan, this Doctor fellow
turns up and defeats them. Such harsh and unfair treatment
must surely leave its mark.
Well, perhaps not on some
of the more evil and ruthless species.
Out what about the monsters
that aren't 'monsters': the alien races? Draconians, Silurians.
Scales and sympathy are not mutually exclusive.
Humans are surely not the
only ones to be preyed upon by monsters. And alien races
might do any number of things that wouldn't meet with
The Doctor's approval.
The key difference,
of course, is that the alien races might well possess
a conscience. A conscience on which The Doctor might have
a marked effect. That, essentially is where the seeds
of this story were sown.
And there are at least
two sides to every story.
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Simon A Forward,
March 2002 |
Simon A Forward submitted the idea for what eventually
became The Sandman around the time his first
Doctor Who novel, Drift was published
by BBC Books, He quickly agreed to adapt his initial Earth-like
ideas to a fleet of spaceships swarming through the galaxy,
complete with alien races, star gypsies and sinister secrets.
He lives in Cornwall, but let’s not hold that against
him. |
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Production Notes:
The
Sandman began life very differently - as a potential second
story in the Excelis trilogy. In that, the Sixth Doctor
arrived on Artaris, during a period similar to Earth's
Victorian age, where the people were in terror of a vampiric
beast that fed on the not-yet-dead, known as The Sandman.
Also known as The Doctor. Although not fitting the Excelis
concept, the central idea was deemed strong enough to
support a regular release of its own, but anxious to move
away from a planet Earth-based adventure, it was suggested
to Simon Forward that he set it on a vast fleet of starships
with their own history and many generations of people.
This gave us the chance create a new race of aliens who
didn't look human. Hence the Galyari... |
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Full Cast List:
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Evelyn Smythe |
Maggie Stables |
| Director Nrosha |
Anneke Wills |
| Orchestrator Shol |
Mark Donovan |
| Commander Brel |
Mark Wharton |
| Mordecan |
Robin Bowerman |
| Nintaru |
Stephanie Colburn |
| General Voshkar |
Ian Hogg |
The Production Team:
| Writer |
Simon A. Forward |
| Director |
Gary Russell |
| Sound/Music |
Russell Stone |
| Theme Music |
Mark Ayres |
| Producers |
Gary Russell and
Jason Haigh-Ellery |
| Executive Producer for the BBC |
Jaqueline Rayner |
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