'Doctor Who': The Lure Of The Nomad Review

After nearly twenty years and over 200 stories in the monthly range alone, Big Finish has proven they know how to tell a good Doctor Who story. Even so, they are still capable of dropping stories that delight and surprise. The Lure Of The Nomad, the May 2018 release for that range, is a prime example of that with an immensely enjoyable story, perfect for new listeners and welcoming to long-time ones.

A large part of that is down to the script from Matthew J Elliot. The story is in a solid example of typical Doctor Who: the Doctor and his companion answer a distress call from a mysterious hulk of a ship. Except no one claims to have sent a distress call. When dead bodies begin to appear, it's clear that something is very wrong onboard what is meant to be the next big luxury hotel in space. That something could well have consequences for the entire universe as we know it.

Longtime Doctor Who fans will likely recognize elements of several classic stories from the long-running series in that description. The Lure Of The Nomad is very much a cross between a base under siege tale and a murder mystery, playing around with elements of both genres. What's fantastic about Elliot's script is that he's willing to mess with audience expectations a bit, especially with the third episode cliffhanger. Even if you see the twist coming (and if you're a longtime listener, you likely will), it'll still come as a pleasing moment, if not a genuine jaw-dropper. Nor does the story ever flag as Elliot finds the right mix of tension, humor, and sci-fi action to keep the listener engaged across all four episodes. The result is an immensely satisfying listen.

That's not all down to Elliot alone as the script is brought solidly to life. The sound design and music from Steve Foxon show once more why Big Finish has won awards in those fields. The story's scope takes in not just a massive spaceship but planets, jungles, and the TARDIS itself of course and all of which are brought to life superbly with all the subtlety one would expect from a big-budget Hollywood movie. You may listen to this for the story but stay for the music suites as well as they are a highlight of this release.

Another big part of the story's success is down to the cast. Colin Baker is, in many ways, the Doctor best served by the audios as they gave his much-maligned incarnation a new life. Stories like Lure Of The Nomad show they are still finding interesting things for this character even after all this time as the Sixth Doctor runs the entire gauntlet of Baker's range from affable to frustrated and even a hint of darkness. It's a showcase for Baker's talents as an actor and as a Doctor, if nothing else.

The supporting cast is solid as well. George Sear as "new" companion Mathew Sharpe is perhaps the most notable person to mention here. It is to Sear's credit that his performance can make the listener believe almost instantly that he's been traveling with this Doctor for some time despite this being his introduction to listeners. There's more to Sharpe as a character than being another traveling companion which Sear brings to life nicely. Beyond him is a strong cast including Matthew Holness as the hotel financier Eric Drazen who also runs the gauntlet in terms of range, Susie Riddell whose effective as ineffective TV host Esther Brak, and Anna Barry (who appeared in the Third Doctor TV story Day Of The Daleks in 1972) as Professor Juniper Hartigan. It's as solid a cast as you're likely to find in any Big Finish audio.

In fact, The Lure Of The Nomad is as solid a Big Finish story as you're likely to come across. From Matthew J Elliot's script to the production values and cast, this release is everything that makes the company's work what it is all in one place. Whether you're a new listener or an old one if you're looking to dip into recent Big Finish work that this is the story for you.