Imagine feeling a hand on your shoulder from behind, whether it’s a firm grip or a single tap. You would feel (in)tense with a chilling sensation as you maintain a cold shoulder, quite literally.
Following on from Snare, the Ninth Doctor (Christopher Eccleston) and Rose Tyler (Billie Piper) visit The Last Days of the Powell Estate in the year 2036, and team up with urban explorer Ellis Coates (Harki Bhambra) to investigate the legend of Mr Fingers (voiced by Dan Starkey). This legend is an invisible monster that lurks among the abandoned tower blocks, and leaves his victims dead with a touch on the shoulder.
The only thing Rose can do is call her mother, Jackie Tyler (Camille Coduri), who is at her bereavement support group with fellow neighbour, Bethany “Brainy Betty” Wise (Mandi Symonds). The Doctor fears that phoning from the future for such purposes could rupture her personal timeline, with Mr Fingers also existing simultaneously in 2006, but Rose is willing to take the risk and make sure her mum and their home remain intact.
Hallowe’en has come early for Big Finish listeners in this haunting tale by Timothy X Atack. His script is full of spookiness and suspense which sends shivers down your spine in the best way possible, just like Steven Moffat’s The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances. Even the atmospheric yet eerie sound design by Iain Meadows leaves you with a strong sense of claustrophobia, as if you’re experiencing virtual reality. And despite there being a number of callbacks to Father’s Day, there are no Reapers involved.
After voicing Doyle in Red Darkness and The Green Gift (both from the 9DA boxsets Shades of Fear and Pioneers), and also portraying Mike onscreen in the Series 9 opener, The Magician’s Apprentice, Bhambra brilliantly conveys Ellis’ determination to investigate the urban myth with a flying drone. With Symonds also being a Big Finish regular, Brainy Betty makes a welcoming addition to the Powell Estate residence, using her knowledge and gut instinct when accompanying Jackie.
If Rose visiting her abandoned home in the dystopian future isn’t frightening enough, it also highlights the traumatic experience of meeting her father and the consequential effects, as she uses her “superphone” to desperately phone her mum in the past. This is what I find extremely relatable about her character, with Billie Piper giving a strong performance, since I also lost my dad during my early childhood.
Christopher Eccleston continues to excel at his portrayal of the Ninth Doctor, in his second audio with Billie. He may have done 13 TV episodes in total, but maintaining his frivolous and pragmatic personality has helped elevate the plot and character arcs; even with channelling the highly emotional, vulnerable side to his incarnation.
Overall, The Last Days of the Powell Estate is a fantastic horror story, despite the genre being out of my comfort zone. The strongest entry yet in 9DA Series 4! By sheer coincidence, it was 20 years ago this month when I first watched Rose and The End of the World, which were being repeated on UKTV Gold. That helped me catch up with what I missed out on, after starting with Aliens of London in August. But my mum found that The Unquiet Dead was “not suitable”, due to it being rated 12, so I had to wait a few years until I was old enough.
And coming this December: the Doctor and Rose are back on the Powell Estate once more in Dare You, by Lisa McMullin. Do check out this nostalgic “Next Time” style trailer!
The Last Days of the Powell Estate is available now from Big Finish.
