📝9/10

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! 

This time: a classic novel, reborn in audio!

MY SCATTERED AND TOTALLY IRRELEVANT NOTES:

The Big Finish audio adaptation of Mark Gatiss' classic novel Nightshade delivers a streamlined but faithful retelling of the 1992 Virgin New Adventures story. While it captures the essence of the original, some changes made to accommodate the audio format result in a slightly different experience, particularly in terms of atmosphere and scope.

Many of the novel's scenes have been cut, rearranged, or adjusted to fit the constraints of audio storytelling. Though the main plot and themes remain intact, Gatiss' vivid sixties-era descriptions and Christmas motifs don’t fully translate to the audio medium, which diminishes some of the story's original charm. Despite this, the adaptation preserves key elements like the various monster encounters, the budding romance between Ace and Robin, and the intriguing memory sequences.

However, some aspects of the novel have been omitted or simplified. The scenes set in the monastery and the trip back to the 1600s are excluded, and the church subplot has been pared down, with Abbot Winstanley absent entirely. While this results in a more focused narrative, it also reduces the story’s broader scope, concentrating instead on a smaller group of characters and two main locations.

The adaptation effectively maintains the tension and horror that define Nightshade, aided by atmospheric direction and moments like the eerie scenes from the Nightshade serials interspersed throughout the story. Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred reprise their roles as the Doctor and Ace with a dynamic reminiscent of what could have been Doctor Who’s lost Season 27. McCoy’s brooding, weary Doctor pairs beautifully with Aldred’s Ace, who shines in the climactic moments as she takes command against the Sentience.

The supporting cast is pared down, but the performances are solid. John Castle is exceptional as Trevithick, and Samuel Barnett brings depth to Robin, whose romance with Ace remains a highlight. Some characters, such as Billy Coote and Vijay, are absent, which simplifies certain subplots, including Hawthorne’s racism. While this streamlining has mixed results, it ensures that the main characters get more time to develop.

The story’s pacing is well-executed, with Part 1 establishing key plot points and Part 2 ramping up the action and tension. Major set pieces from the novel translate effectively to audio, though the climax doesn’t quite deliver the same emotional impact as the original. The reworked ending for Ace’s exit is notable, reflecting the audio drama's separation from Virgin’s continuity.

Overall, the Nightshade adaptation is a strong and engaging audio drama that remains true to the heart of Gatiss' novel while offering a fresh take for a different medium. While some of the novel's atmosphere and scope are inevitably lost, the story’s core themes and character-driven drama still shine, making it a worthy addition to Big Finish’s Doctor Who catalogue.

I haven't read the book but this adaptation is amazing, I love the creature idea and the fact that they changed the ending to make the Doctor sound a bit less like an obnoxious idiot. In the book apparently the Doctor decides that Ace should stay travelling instead of staying with her boyfriend but in this adaptation she gets the choice and it's left ambiguous to her choice.