Gallifrey IV
Gallifrey IV – Starring Lalla Ward, Louise Jameson, John Leeson, Miles Richardson, Sean Carlson, Scot Handcock, Colin Baker, Katy Manning, Geoffrey Beavers, Carole Ann Ford & Written by Scott Handcock, David Wise, Gary Russell, Justin Richards & Gary Hopkins – 5xCD / Download (Big Finish Productions – www.bigfinish.com)
Not being familiar with ‘Gallifrey’ before the fourth series was released, I embarked on what could only be described as a crash-course, spending just over a week with the previous three series in order to familiarise myself with the characters, situations and the story so far, and believe me, it was a week well spent. Science fiction and political drama make for perfect bed-fellows in ‘Gallifrey’ the space opera set on, and in, the ancient home of the Time Lords, a world where motives and agenda fuel each and every waking action, and it doesn’t matter how you climb the greasy pole, or who you have to climb over, as long as you get to the top. When series three ended in grand ‘Italian Job’ style, with Leela, Romana, Narvin, Braxiatel and K9 stranded outside of space and time on the Axis, desperately trying to figure out their next move while the Free Time virus and it’s victims ravaged Gallifrey, where the series could, and would, go from there, was anyone’s guess. It was a pretty pickle that our players found themselves in, a situation, that if I’m honest, I couldn’t see them escaping. Fortunately, I hadn’t reckoned on the literary prowess and ability of Gary Hopkins, who after applying his Houdini touch, set the characters on a new path, and thus begins ‘Gallifrey IV’. Set over four (‘Reborn’, ’Disassembled’, ‘Annihilation’ and ‘Forever’) separate tales that are linked by the wider story arc, ‘IV’ finds our players unable to return home, and as such, they set out to find a new home, and in doing so stumble across a number of alternative Gallifrey’s, one where Time Lords buy and sell their regenerations (or ‘futures’ as they’re referred to by the occupants of the errant timeline) as commodities, one where Gallifrey manipulates the Universe and it’s timelines to suit their own purposes, one in the drowning in a civil war between ‘True-Lords’ and Vampires and one where Rassilons greatest gift and curse is about to be discovered and unleashed. Jumping from one parallel universe / abhorrent timeline to another, adds a whole new dimension to ‘Gallifrey’, and allows the characters to grow and develop outside of their usual environment, adding increasing depth and layers to the stories as the relationships between the central players change with their circumstances, and whilst all change isn’t necessarily good for the characters involved, it is for ‘Gallifrey’. Just when I thought I’d got the hang of ‘Gallifrey’, they go and twist it into something completely different, throwing different versions of established and beloved characters into the mix to stir things up and open even more tantalising possibilities and avenues to explore, bringing old faces in to play the new versions of the characters that we’re familiar with in some cases, and not in others. This time ‘Gallifrey’ is very, very different, but different is good, different takes us down the road less travelled, one which I’ll earn frequent traveller points on, as I take a regular, healthy dose of ‘Gallifrey. Today is a good day. The Time Lords are back… Tim Mass Movement
