The Romance of Crime is a story that many fans have been
waiting for since Tom Baker joined Big Finish in 2012. It sees former husband
and wife Tom Baker and Lalla Ward reunite for the first time since 1981. I have
always been surprised that Lalla Ward wanted to work with Baker because it was
clear that they didn’t always get on before they got married. I suppose the
passage of time can change people’s opinion. The Romance of Crime is based on
the 1995 Virgin Novel of the same name written by new series writer Gareth
Roberts. Like previous novel adaptions that Big Finish have done I haven’t read
this book so I come to this release cold. The story is set on an asteroid
prison in the Uva Beta Uva planetary system on the rock of judgement.
Miranda Raison is about to become a companion for the sixth
Doctor but here she plays Zais and Zais has a rather interesting way of killing
people. This is by squeezing people’s head until they burst. It’s a horrid idea
that is made even more horrific by the sound effects used to realise this. It doesn’t
happen once but several times. Miranda Raison does a very good job in this
story and the character is one of the strongest ones in recent Big Finish
plays.
The cover sort of ruins this and those that had read this
book would already know this but the Ogrons make a return. The Ogrons are
perhaps most associated with the Daleks but its nice to think that they work
for other people/alien races. Zais isn’t the sort to do any of the donkey work
so its seems like a logical thing to do to have the Ogrons. If memory serves me
correctly, they didn’t do much talking in Day of the Daleks but in this story.
I don’t know if I like the idea that they are more chatty than normal because
there was something rather simplistic with them not talking but grunting their
way through a story.
Despite the good start that the story had I think that it
seemed to get a bit bogged down with stuff in the latter stages but to best
hones this story was more an exercise about what a Fourth Doctor and Romana 2
story would be like and I have to say that it was a moderate success. I that
the performances were all good from the central characters. Tom Baker was his
usual self and by that I mean brilliant. His interaction with Lalla Ward was
fun to listen to and it seemed like they genuinely got on which is good to
know. Lalla Ward hasn’t always been the strongest performer in these stories
but she steps up her game in this story and manages to hold her own with Tom. I
even found John Leeson to be entertaining to listen to. That’s a bit cruel, I
meant to say that I even found K9 entertaining to listen to.
As far as novel adaptions go. This is one of the more
enjoyable. This felt more like a Fourth Doctor Adventures story as opposed to a
novel adaption. John Dorney did a good job of making this work and I would say
that I might try and find the book on ebay or something. I am looking forward
to listening to the next Gareth Roberts adaption.
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