“Nightshade” is a Doctor Who audio play from Big Finish Productions. It was one of the efforts to adapt some of the original novels a couple of years ago. Kyle C. Szikora adapted it to audio format from the novel written by Mark Gatiss. The novel was initially one of the New Adventures range from Virgin Publishing. Sylvester McCoy and Sophie Aldred star in this one and are joined by a guest cast that include Samuel Barnett, John Castle, and Katherine Jakeways. Classic series cast members Louise Jameson and Carole Ann Ford also lend their vocal talents.
John Castle plays the retired star of the old science fiction series known as “Professor Nightshade”. The old actor is in a retirement home in an English village, and his memories are taking on more solid form. The Doctor, in his seventh incarnation, is considering retirement himself, however the chaos bearing down on the village compels him to put that thought on hold.
Once again, the performances and chemistry are what helps this out. It has been quite a while since I read the novel, but I really sensed how much was left out from the original source material. I liked it well enough for the most part, but I do think the effort to shorten it was done a little too enthusiastically. It still seems some elements from the novel could have been worked in more.
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