Doctor Who – The Monthly Adventures

#005. The Fearmonger ~ 10/10

◆ An Introduction

I’ve recently returned from ComicCon Scotland NE, which was held on the outskirts of the Granite City (Aberdeen). I got to meet Sophie Aldred for the first time, and what a genuinely amazing human being she is. It was at that point I realised how much I’ve neglected the Seventh Doctor’s audio adventures, so it’s time to change that.

A right-wing political nutter is rabbiting on about how bad political correctness is, and she’s rapidly gaining attention… is this Doctor Who, or a caricature of the vile simpletons currently in power at Downing Street?

◆ Publisher’s Summary

One would-be assassin is in a mental ward. Another's on the run. Their intended victim is stirring up the mobs. Terrorists are planning a strike of their own. A talk-radio host is loving every minute of it. A Whitehall insider whispers about a mysterious UN operative, with a hidden agenda. Everyone's got someone they want to be afraid of. It'll only take a little push for the situation to erupt – and something is doing the pushing. But you can trust the Doctor to put things right. Can't you?

◆ The Seventh Doctor

Despite being one of the earliest plays he did for BigFinish, ‘The Fearmonger’ sees Sylvester McCoy on top form.

When asked what kind of moron he is by Thompson, the Doctor claims that he’s the kind that knows what to look for. He thinks that “Captain Righteous” is a very silly name; just like whacko and “Euro-nazi”. He tries his damnedest to psychoanalyse Mick Thompson, live on air… but the bigoted radio host decides to blast an advert for his new book instead! The Doctor thinks that Harper is a human-sized problem, and that humanity doesn’t need him to take care of her. He delivers this really great speech too – things do change, not completely and never all at once, but things do change. He tells Walter that human is a relative term, and that his relatives are rather odd. The Doctor has tackled many revolutions out in space, against fascists, capitalists, insects and mad computers! He’s always hated hospitals, because there are too many doctors who think they know everything. According to Ace, the Doctor is the right kind of scary.

◆ Ace

‘The Fearmonger’ features a tremendous performance from Sophie Aldred.

Ace can make sure her word is good because she’s got the Doctor’s word, and she believes in him. After hearing some of Harper’s vile policies at the rally, she wonders why they are actually trying to save her. She tries to talk Karadjic down, but it goes badly wrong… and she ends up being shot in the shoulder!

◆ Inconsistent No.7

I remember reading somewhere that Jonathan Blum actually had a huge amount of issues writing this adventure, so much so that it got delayed and Stephen Cole had to create a filler script in less than a week (at least we know why ‘The Land of the Dead’ was so utterly dreadful).

A lot of people will probably agree with me when I say that the Seventh Doctor has had one of the most inconsistent runs with BigFinish, due to the fact he often gets lumbered with some genuinely dreadful writing, but ‘The Fearmonger’ honestly shows him at his best.

◆ The Right Wing

I’ve written that many reviews now that I worry I’m going to sound like a stuck record, but political stories can so often be dry and bland affairs. It’s nothing short of astonishing then that this twenty-three year old audio play is still politically relevant today.

The New Britannia Party is basically this franchise taking a jab at the British National Party… who are quite honestly some of the most idiotic and vile human beings in the country. I’m sure you’ve all met the kind of people who would vote for the BNP; those who believe that this country should have been on the side of the Axis in WW2, the sort of people who go into a pub on a Sunday and claim they will only drink “proper British beer in a proper British pub”. The kind of people who would probably, no definitely, kick the living daylights out of someone like me (neurodivergent, gay and a femboy). Suffice to say, the BNP and their supporters are some of the most horrific people you could ever encounter, and their disgusting views belong in the dustbin of history.

You might then think that Sherilyn Harper (played brilliantly by the late Jacqueline Pearce) is based upon said party’s leader at the time. Looking at this story from a more modern perspective though… she’s pretty much Katy Hopkins. For those of you who are completely unaware of said person, count yourselves very lucky! Google defines her as a “media personality”, but that would require her to have any sort of personality to begin with. No, Hopkins is a walking sound box who spouts right-wing garbage and often contradicts herself, thus making herself look an even bigger prat (look at the interview she did with Phil and Holly about naming your offspring after places).

Throughout ‘The Fearmonger’, Harper is just this vile career politician who is clearly out for herself – a mix of Katie Hopkins, Nick Griffiths, and Vivienne Rook from ‘Years and Years’. She’s a really effective villain because of how thoroughly unlikeable she is!

◆ Fear Itself

I’d like to move onto the titular entity in this adventure, which is a really good concept. There were rumours of an ancient alien civilisation who created several psychic entities, each one personifying an emotion such as fear, compassion, pride and anger, to incite group emotions and thus unite their people. When said civilisation collapsed, the entities all set off across the cosmos… with the Fearmonger making itself known in the volatile political climate of an early 00s United Kingdom.

With a politician like Harper stirring up the hive with all of her claims of “stolen jobs” and other right-wing rhetoric, her followers are becoming scared. Meanwhile, those who oppose her are plotting to have her assassinated! And the threat of crazed gunmen on the loose is bound to make everyone a lot more jumpy and a lot more frightened. Not only is the titular psychic entity a great idea in itself, but it’s found a perfect storm to sit in; the period right before an election… where all the political whackos come out to play!

◆ Sound Design

Alistair Lock does a tremendous job at making a contemporary audio landscape (well, contemporary for the year 2000). Political rallies and an entity roaming around the capital. This is really well done.

Crowds of New Britannia supporters cheer for Sherilyn Harper, as she makes her address at the rally. Gunfire, as Stephen attempts to assassinate her. The fizzing of the Fearmonger entity, as it closes in on Stephen. The jingle for Mick Thompson’s radio show is incredibly cheesy. A bustling London cafe, with chatting punters and clicking cutlery. Paul’s phone hacking machine bleeps away like a dial-up modem on steroids. A ticking-time bomb beneath the rally, counting down to a very large explosion! Unknown forces armed with laser weaponry fire into the crowd. The Doctor tinkers with Paul’s tools and workbench, attempting to create a forcefield. Cawing seagulls and flowing water can be heard from the Isle of Dogs. Rioting erupts all across the capital, with angry mobs shouting at the world, chucking rocks at cars and property.

◆ Music

The score for ‘The Fearmonger’ is also being handled by Alistair Lock, and it’s a very tense and minimalistic piece. It works marvellously with the nail-biting atmosphere of a lot of the scenes (like when Walter is attempting to blow the New Britannia rally to kingdom come)! In some ways, the music here actually reminds me of an instrumental track David Bowie made called All Saints.

◆ Conclusion

“But we know what the problems are, and we know who they are!”

I mentioned earlier on in this review that the Seventh Doctor’s audio adventures are very hit or miss, but this is a prime example of hitting a perfect bullseye!

McCoy and Aldred both deliver top tier performances that feel like they could have been recorded during their time together on TV (they both sound so energised and ready to spring into action).

As for the story – a career politician intent on scaring the population into believing her right-wing rhetoric, and an entity with the power to amplify those feelings to the nth degree. It takes a talented writer to create a really interesting political adventure. It takes a phenomenal writer to create a political adventure that will still be relevant two decades later. It’s a real shame Jonathan Blum never wrote any more full cast adventures for BigFinish, because ‘The Fearmonger’ was excellent.