Auld Lang Syne

Are you singing with ghosts, or am I?

Bette

Synopsis

Every December, Mandy Litherland gathers the family at Foulds House. Not everyone appreciates her efforts. At least the caretaker seems friendly – if a little weird.

Mandy hopes she will see him again next year – but perhaps she already has.

Review

Back to Earth concludes with a really strong final story written by Tim Foley. At the time of writing, Foley has recently written both Snare, which reunited Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, and Vampire Weekend, which saw Jodie Whittaker and Mandip Gill start a run of stories with Big Finish. It’s clear to see that he is seen as a safe pair of hands when it comes to writing strong Doctor Who stories. In my view, Foley can be seen as being up there with writers like Matt Fitton, John Dorney and Lisa McMullin.

Auld Lang Syne sees us check in with a family as they celebrate the New Year over four different years from 1989 to 1993 in a massive house at the invitation of a mysterious caretaker. Despite the science fiction and horror influences, the core of this story is the Mandy Litherland’s family, with the script featuring moments that hint at a lengthy family history. The events of this story link to Mandy’s mother and family deeply, and arguably the emotional impact is greater than the risk to the universe. This story really feels as though it could be part of the first Russell T. Davies run of the show, due to the domestic nature of the story line. This is a story focused on family, aging and loss, and how time travel allows those left behind to communicate with them. It also ties into the Time War, with the time travel being possible due to a damaged TARDIS that has come from the Time War and merged with Foulds House. The story is reminiscent of The Girl in the Fireplace, so this could be seen to be a hybrid of a Moffat idea with a Davies script. There are strong moments of horror and mystery here, with eyeless figures stalking the halls and the intrigue as to why Aunt Sue’s new boyfriend only comes to the New Year Eve’s party.

Auld Lang Syne has a small but perfectly formed guest cast, who all provide strong performances. At the head of this is Wendy Craig, who plays the cantakerous and fiesty Great Aunt Bette, who raised Mandy. She continually gives her a hard time about her lack of a job and her failure to travel. There is a sense of real heart and affection from Bette towards Mandy, despite her frosty exterior, which is helped by the performance of both Craig and Leah Brotherhead, who make that relationship feel really lived in. Bette dies before the story’s end, but due to the leaking time distortions, she and Mandy are able to have one final conversation, which is one of the most emotional scenes of the story. Hayley Tamaddon plays the tragic Aunt Sue, who when we first meet her has recently been left by her partner, and has recently got together with an old flame. Again, Tamaddon makes those awkward family dynamics work – Bette hates the fact that Sue always has a blanket for her, which is rather amusing. Foley’s script is fantastic at leaving moments like this unexplained, leaving the audience to come to assumptions about their strained relationships. Greig Johnson has a potentially thankless role as the seeming fool, Frank, but Johnson makes him likeable enough to stop him being irritating. The resolution of the mystery surrounding him is that he is a projection of the dying TARDIS, which is a really effective twist, and ultimately Sue chooses to stay at the house with him until the end, as he is unable to leave.

This is…

Outrageous? Horrifying?

Fantastic.

Ah, a woman after my own hearts.

Mandy Litherland and the Ninth Doctor

Mandy Litherland almost seems set up to be a companion. She has no fixed job and a desire to travel, even if her means seem to have other ideas. Leah Brotherhead’s characterisation makes her perfectly relatable and identifiable, so it’s a shame she didn’t get a bit more of a run of stories, even as a temporary companion. I understand why Big Finish and Eccleston might not want to do another companion other than Rose for this Doctor, but it seems at odds with some of the characters who are just having one adventure with him. It’s probably a coincidence, but this box set has included two characters in Mandy and Saffron from Station to Station who may have been good companions. Mandy ultimately decides to stay behind so that she can keep in touch with Sue, with the justified concern that the Doctor might not be able to get her back home.

It’s clear that Christopher Eccleston is having a great time being back playing the Doctor for Big Finish, and his performance shows that. He has great chemistry with Mandy, and he and Brotherhead really spark off each other. There’s even a hint of romantic attraction from Mandy to the Doctor, kissing him at the end of the story. The Doctor has to disperse artron energy to stop the time distortions running out of control, visiting once a year on New Year’s Eve, although he ultimately misses New Year’s Eve in 1992. Eccleston is great as the enigmatic caretaker and, despite not featuring all too often before the conclusion of the story, does have great chemistry with the whole cast.

Verdict: Auld Lang Syne is one of the strongest Ninth Doctor audio releases, thanks to a great script and great cast. 10/10

Cast: Christopher Eccleston (The Doctor), Leah Brotherhead (Mandy Litherland), Wendy Craig (Great Aunt Bette), Greig Johnson (Frank) & Hayley Tamaddon (Auntie Sue).

Writer: Tim Foley

Director: Helen Goldwyn

Producer: David Richardson

Music: Howard Carter

Sound: Iain Meadows

Release Date: 4 May 2022

Cast Notes

• Leah Brotherhead also played Elizabeth Rodden and Martha Curtis in the Sixth Doctor audio story Purification.
• Wendy Craig has also appeared opposite the Eighth Doctor in Fugitive in Time, and in the Third Doctor story The Gulf.
• Greig Johnson has also appeared in the Fifth Doctor story Friendly Fire, the Sixth Doctor audio Purification and the Eighth Doctor audio Meanwhile, Elsewhere.

Best Quote

I’m always coming and going, or going and coming, even when I fully arrive. Some people reckon I’m not all there.

The Ninth Doctor

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