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Excelis
Rising
(David A. McIntee) |
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 Titled "Excelis
Rising" this single-CD story has The Doctor, who is on
his own again, back on the planet Artaris and involved
in the events occurring in the city of Excelis. This story
continues on from the first story, "Excelis
Dawns", in this mini series.
This
second Excelis play, featuring Colin Baker as the Sixth
Doctor, is written by David A McIntee and is directed
by Edward Salt with music by David Darlington. It was
recorded on 14 November 2001. Also starring alongside
Colin Baker are: Anthony Stewart Head, Charles Kay, James
Lailey, Nicky Goldie, Patricia Leventon, Rupert Laight
and Toby Walton.
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| Sixth Doctor |
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Many centuries after his last visit to the planet
Artaris The Doctor returns, this time in his sixth incarnation, and exactly at
the point when the Holy Relic, that caused so much trouble during his previous
visit, is again the centre of attention.
Within the
city of Excelis, which has flourished and has spread her unstoppable Empire
throughout the globe, steam driven dirigibles fill the air and the educated
society living there has recently discovered the science of spiritualism. Which
may prove useful in tracking down a murderer who stalks the Imperial Museum in
an attempt to find and use the long-lost Holy Relic…
This
Holy Relic, which affected Warlord
Grayvorn so
profoundly and which is deemed far too dangerous
for the citizens of Excelis to know about,
now rests concealed within the vaults of
this museum. But someone wants it and is
desperately enough to kill for it.
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The Doctor of
course arrives in the TARDIS
just at the point when two thieves, who in attempting
to steal the Relic, get caught by the sophisticated security
system. At first The Doctor is able to bluff his way to
explaining his presence within the sealed off museum.
But it is not long before the investigators, who are initially
suspicious of The Doctor, arrest him for being involved
in the attempt to steal the Relic.
As
death follows this mysterious Relic through the halls
of the museum The Doctor finds himself helping the Curator,
who he finally convinces of his innocence, and the local
authorities with this mystery. But in doing so he finds
himself crossing paths with a familiar face from Excelis'
history - but how can someone live for a thousand years?
And more importantly why is this familiar face so desperate
to gain access to the Holy Relic?
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Notes:
- Featuring the Sixth
Doctor.
- Serial Number: EX/02
- Number of Episodes: 1
- Cover Length: 70 minutes
- Episode Lengths: 1 = 67'30"
- This story takes place between "The
Trial of a Time Lord" and "Time
and the Rani".
- Cover Illustration: Lee Binding
- Recorded: 14 November 2001
- Recording Location: The Moat Studios and
Christchurch Studios
- Released: April 2002
- ISBN: 1-903654-64-5
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On the
Back Cover:
A thousand years after his first visit to the
planet Artaris, The Doctor returns. The city of Excelis has grown, spreading a
vast Empire throughout the globe. Science and engineering have provided a new
Age of Reason.
But the more things change, the more they stay the same, and
once again death follows the mysterious Relic through the halls of the Imperial
Museum.
When The Doctor finds himself helping the Curator and the
local authorities with this mystery, he finds himself crossing paths with a
familiar face from Excelis' history - but no-one lives for a thousand years, do
they?
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On the Inside
Cover:
When asked to pitch for one of the Excelis slots, I jumped at
the chance for one simple reason - I had heard that Anthony Stewart Head, of
Buffy the Vampire Slayer fame, was being sought for the recurring guest villain
role, and the chance to write for "Giles" was too good to pass up.
Knowing that
the story had to be set a millennium after its predecessor, in an industrial
society, I wanted to try a sort of MR James does Steampunk kind of story, set
in a pseudo Victorian London. Like, I imagine, many genre fans, I grew up on
the 1970s Pan Books of Ghost Stories, and wanted to evoke that air here. Those
familiar with such books may note that Reeve Maupassant is named after writer
Guy de Maupassant, and Danby is named after Mary Danby, a frequent
ghost-anthology editor.
If I've one regret about this story it's that,
being a single CD release, there's no cliffhanger, and to me cliffhangers are a
vital piece of Doctor Who. So, halfway through, there is a cliffhanger point
where you can pause and sing "diddly dum" to yourself - you'll know it when you
hear the big scream!
I know
that I'm thrilled at the prospect of hearing actors actually perform a play wot
I wrote - especially these actors - and I hope you'll enjoy it too.
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David A McIntee,
January
2002 |
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Full Cast
List:
| Part One |
| The Doctor |
Colin Baker |
| Reeve Maupassant |
Anthony Stewart
Head |
| The Curator |
Charles Kay |
| Soloman |
Rupert Laight |
| Theif |
Toby Walton |
| Inquisitor Danby |
Nicky Goldie |
| Minister Pryce |
James Lailey |
| The Mother Superior |
Patricia Leventon |
The
Production Team:
| Writer |
David A McIntee |
| Director |
Edward Salt |
| Sound/Music |
David Darlington |
| Theme Music |
Mark Ayres |
| Producers |
Gary Russell and
Jason
Haigh-Ellery |
| Executive Producer for the BBC
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Jaqueline Rayner |
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