The Soulstealers
November, 2001
The plot of “The Soulstealers” is itself the very essence of (what I consider) classic Dr. Who. The non-regular characters exist to move the plot along; they are not drawn particularly deep, but fill their functions well. The dialogue moves things along, and the pace keeps the listeners’ attention away from minor deficiencies in the plot. Jym DeNatale is once again great as the Doctor; I was also impressed with Rachel Sommers' performance, particularly in parts three and four. The “guest” cast was strong, as always, with excellent performances by Sheri Devine and Leslye Wintrob as the two main non-regulars.
Fan audios tend to be lacking a bit in the sound department; in fact, even the pros occasionally lose dialog to overly loud background music, or follow nearly silent whispers with ear-rending effects. But the sound was very well managed by EF in this audio. It’s by far their best effort to date in this area.
But the thing that impressed me most about this story was the message. The question that this story asks, in a couple of different contexts, is when and whether the ends justifies the means. At the time this audio was released, issues like stem cell research and cloning filled the covers of news magazines. And of course, as the United States and its allies react to the attack of September 11th, both in terms of rooting out those responsible for the attack and in what sort of changes need to be made domestically to prevent further such attacks, this question becomes even more relevant. My kids listened to this audio with me (family-friendliness is another quality of Everlasting Film’s audios that I hope never goes away), and the conversation that followed the listening was impressive for its profundity.
Once again, Everlasting Films has produced a story that is well worth a listen. I heartily recommend this audio, and am eagerly looking forward to the next.
Last updated: Wednesday, November 8, 2001