This year’s winning Short Trip of the Paul Spragg Memorial Opportunity is The Lichyrwick Abomination by Joe Vevers.
Despite being the only Short Trip release of 2021, it truly is fantastic for all Whovians alike.
Here’s the synopsis:
Every night, a creature stalks the streets of Lichyrwick. Everyone in town knows that catching sight of it is a death sentence, and no one knows this better than Malcolm. Yet, he won’t be able to hide away much longer. The Doctor’s in town, and it’s time Malcolm finally faced the Lichyrwick Abomination.
Even if it kills him.
Writer and judge, Robert Shearman says:
“One of the things for a writer that makes playing in the Doctor Who sandbox so fun is the range of the stories you can tell – any storyteller can stamp their own mark upon it and make it as personal as they want it to be.
“This is such an exciting debut for Joe – this tale of dread written with such wit and such command of atmosphere. Doing what Doctor Who can do best, extraordinary horror colliding with everyday heroism. It’s been such a hard year for all of us, and it was genuinely moving to see the bravery and optimism as so many writers submitted their tales to us. Joe Vevers seemed to me to capture the moment breathtakingly well, that with courage we will soon come out of the darkness.”
Emily Cook says:
“What really stood out for me with Joe’s entry was just how atmospheric it was. His description of the story’s location – the old Scottish fishing town of Lichyrwick – was a setting I could instantly hear. In my head it sounded evocative and eerie, and very Doctor Who.
“Joe’s written well for the Ninth Doctor. When the Doctor arrives, he’s simply looking for chips to cheer up his friend but, as is always the case with the Doctor, he stumbles across trouble, when he meets a young boy. Joe has created a great character in Malcolm. I love it when we meet the Doctor through the eyes of a child and Joe explores their encounter wonderfully. There were lots of good entries this year. But this is a lovely, traditional Doctor Who story, well conceived and well executed – a winning combination! I hope fans enjoy hearing it brought to life.”
And producer Alfie Shaw adds:
“It was a delight working with Joe on The Lichyrwick Abomination, which is a very different style of story from previous winners of the Paul Spragg Opportunity. It leans more into the horror elements of Doctor Who, with the eponymous town of Lichyrwick under nightly siege from a terrifying creature. Joe Vevers has flawlessly managed to balance the horror and the emotional heart of the story in the character of Malcolm, as well as superbly capturing the Ninth Doctor’s voice.”
Narrated by Jacob Dudman, and directed by Nicholas Briggs, The Lichyrwick Abomination is now available to download for free from Big Finish.
In addition, you can purchase two other Ninth Doctor Short Trips for £2.99 each. Battle Scars by Selim Ulug (who wrote the 2017 winning entry Landbound), and Her Own Bootstraps by Amy Veeres (also narrated by Jacob Dudman).
Congratulations to Joe and all who entered!
