Big Finish Productions The Behemoth

Written by	Marc Platt
Format	Compact Disc
Released	2017

Starring Colin Baker

Synopsis: Bath, 1756 --- and a very dashing gentleman known only as the Doctor is newly arrived in town, accompanied by his lady friends Mrs Clarke and Mrs Ramon. He's created a stir among the gentlefolk of Georgian high society --- and a stir in the heart of merry widow Mrs Theodosia Middlemint, rumour has it. They are not the only strangers from abroad causing tongues to wag, however. The mysterious Lady Clara, come from Amsterdam in the company of the noble Captain Van Der Meer, has the whole of Bath agog. Who is she, really? What is she, really? But there's something terrible beneath the veneer of Georgian gentility.

• A Rhino in Bath by Thomas Tiley

A Rhino in Bath by Thomas Tiley 16/4/26

Landing in 18th century Bath that is anticipating the arrival of Lady Clara, Flip gets abducted by a cad, Constance finds religion, and the Doctor gets friendly with Mrs Middlemint after saving her dog. A proper historical - technically a celebrity historical, but the celebrity is a performing Rhino called Lady Clara touring Europe. (I wonder if Miss Alice Bultitude from an earlier sixth Doctor story Year of the Pig has her flyer in her collection?) I liked Flip feeding the Rhino oranges.

This is a well-written and for the most part pleasant story, well-told by experienced writer Marc Platt. I liked the historical research on show here, the customs of Bath, the slave trade and its opposition movement, even the mysterious Lady Clara (when I first heard about it I thought "Ah, a Clara fragment?" but it turns out to be something completely different). It was also interesting to have a story about a lesser/underlooked area of history that Doctor Who tends to shy away from: namely, slavery. The two slave characters come across well, although some of the TARDIS crew can come across as white-savior types. I think the story handled it well, or at least better than TV Who has done (better some eras at least). I think it covered it well with various discussions from the characters, and the Doctor comes across nicely on that point, even if the happy ending with the slaves going off to freedom is a little unlikely. You'd think someone would go after them. Will they really be safe where they are headed and not just exploited or worse? (The story itself acknowledges the uncertainty of this, plus the Doctors own hopes and fears in his closing remarks)

Lisa Greenwood as Flip continues to be a nice addition to the canon. I especially liked her staying behind to look after Clara. This was the first time I heard Miranda Raison as Constance. It's a fine performance; she sells middle-class World War Two heroine easily enough, but I am unsure of what to make of her. She comes across as a little bland and boring, but maybe it's just this story or maybe I need to listen to her debut to get her properly.

The supporting actors are all fine as well in their vocal roles: caddish and full of false charm Liam McKeena as Titus, nasty and unpleasant Glynn Sweet as Sir Balsam, Georgia Moon as the pleasant and sheltered Mrs Middlemint, Wayne Forester as the campaigning Reverend, Giles News as nice Van Der Meer, and Diveen Henry and Ben Arogundade as the married couple Sarah and Gorembe separated by slavery. I will say, however, that Sir Balsam does come across as a caricature and not a real person compared to some of the other characters. On the one hand, enslaving another human being is pretty evil full stop, so it does suit him, but on the other, a little nuance wouldn't have gone amiss. He comes across as cartoonish in some places: a rich businessman with slaves, going trophy-hunting after a wild animal, behind his brother in law's death and keeping his sister's inheritance. It's a bit full on.

There are some nice moments here: the Doctor rescuing the dog; his blossoming friendship with Mrs Middlemint, which his companions question him about (I agree with what Colin Baker in the interviews say, it makes a nice change for the Doctor to just be friends with someone instead of it being love like the others think it is); saving an escaped Clara from an angry mob; Flip's reaction to Titus kidnapping her and standing up for herself against him; Constance's reaction to the Reverend's passing; Miss Middlemint learning the truth about her brother and standing up to him (with a pistol!); freeing the slaves at Balsam's factory and reuniting Sarah and Gorembe; and saving the day by rescuing Flip and Clara from a sinking ship (the Doctor makes it so the huge Rhino can slip into the TARDIS, a scene I wouldn't have minded seeing back in the 80s). Not really any bad points, other than the aforementioned points about the bad guy's performance, some issues with the ending (earlier Big Finish would have gone for a much more realistic or downbeat type of ending, I believe) and maybe the black/slave characters don't really have much of a say or as much time in what is supposed to be their story.

I would rate it 8.5/10