BBC Audio continues its welcome range of ‘Doctor Who’ titles with a brand new short story from the pen of Gary Russell. The ever-dependable writer is the former editor of ‘Doctor Who Magazine’ as well as author of fan-favourite novels featuring past Doctors. Russell’s latest offering, ‘The Demons Within’, pits David Tennant’s Tenth Doctor and Freema Agyeman’s Martha against a deadly enemy in Victorian Scotland.
The story opens in a churchyard at night. Old Rob is on his way home from the pub when he encounters terrifying ghosts from his past. There is nobody around to help him. The local town is quiet. The remaining inhabitants are scared. Strange goings-on have occurred since scientists moved into a creepy old house to conduct research into electricity. It’s as if their experiments have somehow unleashed powers they don’t understand and can’t control…
When the Doctor arrives he goes on a charm offensive to win over frightened scientists Ian McCullen and Jamie Forbes. But they are hiding something from him. The Doctor must gain their confidence to discover what happened to Jamie’s missing wife Morag, and determine what alien menace the scientists have accidentally disturbed under the building’s foundations.
‘The Demons Within’ is a highly enjoyable traditional ‘Doctor Who’ story. Its creepy, tone-setting prologue in a graveyard is immediately reminiscent of the Jon Pertwee story ‘The Daemons’. Whereas scientists unwittingly tapping into dangerous powers in an old country house recalls the Tom Baker classic ‘Image of the Fendahl’. Steeped though it is in the show’s traditions, ‘The Demons Within’ has enough originality to offer listeners. The winsome screen pairing of the Tenth Doctor and Martha is strongly captured on the page by the author, especially when we hear Martha’s thought processes. Her innate trust in the Doctor shines through. This is an author who knows the show inside out, and who crucially understands what makes for a compelling ‘Doctor Who’ story. ‘The Demons Within’ is in turns fun and quirky as well as creepy and unsettling.
‘The Demons Within’ is narrated by David Banks, who is best-known in the ‘Doctor Who’ world for having played the Cyber Leader throughout the 1980s, encountering multiple Doctors on screen. His rich and distinctive tones are also highly adaptable, and Banks finds individual voices for every character. We hear Scottish accents for the scientists as well as an excellent interpretation of David Tennant’s loveable Mockney. His métier in playing adversaries provides the fearsome demon with heft and resonance, creating an exciting climax to the story. Banks’ expert narration combines with audio effects such as pounding rain and creaking iron doors to give the listener an immersive audio experience.
‘The Demons Within’ is a thoroughly enjoyable hour and a quarter, and is best enjoyed in a single sitting if you have the time. At night, sitting in candlelight will offer the full effect. The limited settings and few characters ensure that there’s enough focus on developing the story and the personalities. It’s no bad thing that this is a very traditional ‘Doctor Who’ story, but it does mean that there are few surprises in the plot. As a ‘greatest hits’ piece though, it has much to recommend it.
‘Doctor Who – The Demons Within’ is available from 2nd May on CD and digital. See also our interview with the narrator of ‘The Demons Within’, David Banks.
Author: Gary Russell Narrator: David Banks Duration: 76 minutes Published by: Penguin Random House Audio for BBC Audio Publication date: 2nd May 2024 Buy ‘Doctor Who: The Demons Within’
