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Singularity
(James Swallow) |
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 The
release for November 2005 was due to be a Fifth
Dovtor story by Nev Fountain called "The
Kingmaker". But this release has been postponed
to April 2006. Tacking its place is another Fifth Doctor
story called "Singularity" which has been written
by James Swallow and directed by Gary Russell. It was
recorded: 9th and 10th August 2005.
After a four year gap actor Mark Strickson returns
reprise his role as Turlough. Mark’s previous audio
adventures were October 1999’s "Phantasmagoria"
and May 2001’s "Loups-Garoux".
Joining Peter Davison and Mark Strickson are: Max Bollinger,
Dominika Boon, Maitland Chandler, Michael Cuckson, Marq
English, Billy Miller, Oleg Mirochnikov, Eve Polycarpou
and Natasha Radiski.
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Singularity
(Tenth Planet Cover) |
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Like
November 2004’s "Caerdroia"
this release has a second cover available exclusively
through retailer 10th Planet.
The
TARDIS
takes The Doctor and Turlough to Russia in the near future
and at the end of the future of humanity, way at the end
of time. As they explore the streets and city alleys of
Moscow they observe many stylish buildings and come across
one particular skyscraper that is 600 years ahead of its
time and so is very much out of place for the time period
they are in.
In
one particular glass fronted skyscraper they find the
Somnus Foundation - an organization that requires a far
deeper exploration than an initial look. It turns out
that the Somnus Foundation knows the fate of mankind and
promises that humanity will evolve into a godlike form
of infinite power whose destiny will span the stars.
But
The Doctor knows another fate for humanity; where the
human race is destined to fight and to struggle for their
very existence, to survive disaster and war and carve
an empire from an unforgiving universe. He has seen it
with his own eyes and so knows how the future will unfold.
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| Peter
Davison |
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When The Doctor investigates the Somnus Foundation further
he uncovers an experiment to use the human population
to create a group consciousness that will produce a psychic
entity – a Singularity – to create a paradoxical
future.
But which future beckons? Beneath the towering Somnus
headquarters, on the streets of Moscow, a dark power is
building and a conspiracy of eternal proportions nears
fulfilment on the planet Ember under the sense of emptiness
and ending. It is up to The Doctor to stop the religious/philosophical
fervour that is being instigated by the Somnus Foundation
and to prevent the use of the whole population from being
used.
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Turlough |
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But
how can such an advanced incursion become part of Russian
society and how come they already know of the Time Lords and why are they so bitter towards them? And what implications
will a slight injury to The Doctor be? The TARDIS has
been detected and so The Doctor is in danger of losing
his time machine forever and for it to be misused to create
even more havoc to the timelines.
With Turlough seemingly oblivious as to what the implications
would be if Earth’s history would change even The
Doctor can not suspect that future humans are the villains
and that their grudge is because they were apparently
"left behind" when the Time Lords left the universe
and that he is now on the receiving end of a retribution
for future acts of the Time Lords that he is not even
aware of.
It
would seem there are those even The Doctor is powerless
to thwart and to stop their attempts to force human evolution
and who would rather create a paradoxical future all because
their blinkered hate towards the Time Lords is so great.
Time
is fracturing and The Doctor and Turlough it seems are
pivotal in the chaos. Can The Doctor and Turlough prevent
history from changing and so prevent the galaxy burning
in its wake...
"You're invading your own planet" The
Doctor announces – but how can you fight against
your future selves and hope to win and to try and end
what has already happened?
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Notes:
- Featuring the Fifth
Doctor and Turlough.
- Serial Number: 6PC
- Number of Episodes: 4
- Cover Length: 130 minutes
- Episode Lengths: 1 = 28'18", 2 = 32'18",
3 = 31'17", 4 = 35'46"
- Total Story Length: 127'39"
- This story takes place after "Planet
of Fire" and follows on from "Loups-Garoux".
- Cover Illustration: Lee Binding
- Recorded: 9th and 10th August 2005
- Recording Location: The Moat Studios
- Released: November 2005
- ISBN: 1-84435-173-4
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On the Back Cover:
Russia, the near
future. The Somnus Foundation
knows the fate of mankind; they promise a tomorrow where
humanity will evolve into a godlike form of infinite
power.
It will lead
us there, to a destiny that spans the stars.
This is how
the future will unfold.
The Doctor knows
the fate of mankind; the human race is destined to fight
and struggle for their very existence, to survive disaster
and war and carve an empire from an unforgiving universe.
He has seen it with his own eyes.
This is how
the future will unfold.
Beneath the
towering headquarters of the Somnus, in the streets
of Moscow a dark power is building, and a conspiracy
that stretches across eternity is nearing completion.
Time is fracturing
and The Doctor and Turlough are at the heart of the
chaos.
History is about
to change -¬ and the galaxy will burn in its wake... |
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On the Inside Cover:
I’VE
ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE IDEA OF time travel: the
spark fir a thousand different stories, for thoughts
of infinite tomorrows and yesterdays, of alternate histories
and branching lines of possibility... It’s enough
to make your head swim, and yet with something as mundane
as an aged police box, The Doctor brought that idea
into our homes, made it real, let our minds play with
it. Often, time was just the river that he navigated,
but there were those moments when the nature of then
and now in Doctor Who stretched like tallow
and suddenly your brain had to run to keep up. I love
it when science fiction does that, when you’re
blind-sided by a notion that’s so big it knocks
you back on your heels. When I think of what inspires
me about Doctor Who, it is moments like that
which come to mind.
Singularity
is about those sorts of ideas - deep stuff, cosmic things
- but it’s also about the other element that makes
Doctor Who special to me. It’s a rare
hero who possesses the humanity The Doctor does, ironic
in a man who isn’t even part of our species. For
every galaxy-spanning concept in Doctor Who,
there are those profoundly human moments, from the simple
farewell to a dear friend to the fate of the entire
universe turning on someone’s moment of personal
heroism. That’s my Doctor Who; and so
is this.
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James Swallow,
August 2005 |
James Swallow
is a novelist and scriptwriter, creator of the Sundowners
series of steampunk westerns and the only British writer
to have worked on a Star Trek television series.
His credits include the Judge Dredd audio dramas
Dreddline, Jihad and Grud is Dead,
and the Space 1889 play The Steppes of Thoth. |
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Production Notes:
Russia was not a locale that Doctor Who ventured
into on television, so when the idea of Singularity
was pitched the setting, as well as the novelty of the
story itself, played a major part in getting it made.
Of
course, this may seem strange - after all, despite being
set in Moscow, the cast still travelled no further than
Big Finish’s usual haunt of Brixton in south London.
However, one of the most appealing things for a director
faced with a setting like this is the casting. It would
be easy to ask any number of talented actors to ‘put
on’ eastern-European accents, but where’s
the fun in that? The opportunity to use some real Russians
(Max, Natasha and Oleg. Dominika’s a bit of a
cheat: she’s Hungarian) was just too good to pass
up. And despite perhaps not being as familiar with the
concept of Doctor Who as the majority of British
actors are, they threw themselves into this strange,
scary world. By the end of the two days, they seemed
more than ready to jump back aboard the TARDIS at the
first invitation.
And you can’t say fairer than that... |
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Who's Who?
The Fifth Doctor
First television appearance: "Castrovalva"
First chronological Big Finish audio appearance: "Land
of the Dead"
He
has been exploring the universe for hundreds of years.
He fights injustice. He defeats evil. He helps people.
Although The Doctor’s TARDIS has recently been full
of travelling companions, he is now exploring with just
one friend. He first met Turlough on Earth in the 1980’s
- like The Doctor, he was an alien visitor to the planet.
At first, Turlough seemed untrustworthy, and The Doctor
was unsure of his motives. But lately their mutual respect
has grown and they have become firm friends.
Vizlor Turlough
First television appearance: "Mawdryn
Undead"
First chronological Big Finish audio appearance: "Phantasmagoria"
Originally
from the planet Trion, junior Ensign Commander Vizior
Turlough, VTEC9/12/44, was masquerading as an English
public schoolboy in 1983 when he met The Doctor. Turlough
was lied to by the mysterious Black
Guardian, and initially
believed The Doctor to be an evil threat - he even made
an attempt on his life, It took time, but Turlough eventually
saw that he could trust The Doctor, and they have since
been travelling together for a while - at first with others,
but now just the two of them. They have recently had adventures
in London in the early eighteenth century and Brazil in
the late twenty-first. |
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Full Cast List:
| The Doctor |
Peter Davison |
| Turlough |
Mark Strickson |
| Pavel Fedorin |
Max Bollinger |
| Natalia Pushkin |
Dominika Boon |
| Seo |
Maitland Chandler |
| Cord |
Michael Cuckson |
| Xen |
Marq English |
| Tev |
Billy Miller |
| Alexi Korolev |
Oleg Mirochnikov |
| Qel |
Eve Polycarpou |
| Lena Korolev |
Natasha Radiski |
The Production Team:
| Writer |
James Swallow |
| Director |
Gary Russell |
| Sound/Music |
Steve Foxon |
| Theme Music |
David Darlington |
| Producers |
Gary Russell and
Jason Haigh-Ellery |
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