Death in Blackpool is very good, and I hope the new series of Eighth Doctor plays keeps up the standard. Alan Barnes has written some of the best Big Finish audios, and he is on form here again: this is a sort-of sequel to The Zygon Who Fell To Earth, which was for my money the best of the second season of Eight / Lucie plays and which ended with the revelation that Lucie's beloved Auntie Pat was actually a Zygon. Death in Blackpool picks up the story years later, with veteran Helen Lederer turning in a storming performance as Auntie Pat, and Sheridan Smith doing Lucie's departure beautifully. For a Christmas-themed play it is surprisingly bleak - not one to play to friends and family to get them in a good mood - but very effective. ( )

The New Eighth Doctor Adventures in some ways very consciously emulate aspects of the new television series produced by BBC Wales, so it is appropriate that Death in Blackpool takes that one step further, by introducing to the eighth Doctor a between-seasons Christmas special. Worldwide Web saw the Doctor and Lucie opting to return to Lucie’s hometown of Blackpool for a Christmas dinner, and Death in Blackpool picks up right from that.

It also brings back the character of Aunty Pat, who appeared in two previous NEDAs (Horror of Glam Rock and The Zygon Who Fell to Earth), though Lynsey Hardwick has been replaced by Helen Lederer. In fact, Death in Blackpool is a surprisingly close sequel to The Zygon Who Fell to Earth, building on several story elements introduced there in interesting ways, all of them centered on what that story did to the character of Aunty Pat. Unfortunately, Lederer is not as accomplished a performer as Hardwick; while the original made Pat an enjoyable, sympathetic recurring character, the new actress seems a little stilted, especially in times of emotional stress.

But despite some awkward points, this story gets kudos for following up on the events of The Zygon Who Fell to Earth in an entertaining and relevant way (though I groaned at "Zynog") that has large repercussions for the Doctor and Lucie-- especially Lucie. It certainly sets us up quite nicely for season four of the NEDAs, which, judging from this release, is off to a decent start. A good listen for the bleak midwinter.

You can read a longer version of this review at Unreality SF.