Starring Maureen O'Brian & Keith Drinkel
Written by Marc Platt
Directed by Mark J. Thompson
Vicki has a tale to tell.
But where does it start and when does it end?
Ancient Carthage, 1164 BC.
Lady Cressida has a secret. She keeps it deep in the cisterns below the Temple of Astarte with only one flame for warmth. And it must never get out.
Regency London, 1814 AD.
The first Doctor, Steven and Vicki go to the fair and meet the fiery dragon, the novelist Miss Austen and the deadliest weather you ever did see.
But which comes first?
The Future or the Past?
The Phoenix or the Egg?
The Fire or the Frost?
Or will Time freeze over forever?
The very first Companion Chronicle is a bit of an unusual beast. With it being the first Companion Chronicle, there was obviously going to be some differences to how the Companion Chronicles are released nowadays, but, in a way, it's similar to those later instalments, with real reflections upon a character's life post there travels with the Doctor. And, while it may be primitive by comparison to the stories that it followed, it still an enjoyable, if rather derivative, story.
Platt very much recaptures the tone of those Hartnell stories very well. There's a lot in this story that could be seen as representative of that era, particularly in pace. While it may only be two episodes long, it's still got the feel of how the story would have been told back in 1965. The story also bumps along fairly well, so, unlike the six part Hartnell stories, it cuts all the padding out to just get on and tell the story. That's not to say that it's an action packed thriller, as it's certainly slower than Doctor Who is nowadays, but it doesn't waste any time, condensing what would have been four episodes into two. The plot itself, however, is slight, concerning the destruction of Earth by a creature who has the power to absorb the heat from it's surroundings. That's sadly not really an original villain to create, because there are many Who villains, and even villains in different programmes and cult properties that have a 'power' over ice. And sadly, while there is a viewpoint about the unborn creature and whether it should have been allowed to be born or not, it's underused. However, for the most part, it's been seen or heard before, with little to differentiate it. There's also a lot of locations throughout the story, but it's very easy to work out where everyone is, despite the disposablilty of some of the locations. For example, I was hoping that the Frost Fairs, and in particular that fact that this is set in 1814, the final Frost Fair, would have been used more in the story. Despite that, the stories structure is rather clever, with some wonderful cyclical ideas. Which does come first - the Phoenix or the Egg? Now, while this is a good idea, there is one issue with this idea: the Cinder talks about destroying other worlds, yet it's implied that the Cinder becomes the Egg, to later become the Cinder to become the Egg to become the Cinder etc, etc.. It's a little odd to say the least.
One element that really shines in this story is Vicki. Now, obviously this is a Companion Chronicle, so I would expect the story to feature Vicki in a sizeable role, but here we get to see her life after the Doctor, and how she feels about that decision to stay in Troy. And, rather than the Fairytale 'happily ever after' story that is sometimes common, Vicki finds herself almost wishing she'd left in the TARDIS at the end of there Trojan adventure. It's interesting that some have criticised this, because, while Vicki is undoubtably upset about her decision, it doesn't feel like she's fallen into brooding self-loathing, rather a kind of wistful regret. She's making the best of a situation, but she still wishes she could change things. Young Vicki in this may feel and sound the same, but I don't really see how this story is so important to her, aside from the Cinder spark. Just a little comment, but I doesn't feel that it's so important to her. Maureen O'Brian is brilliant as Vicki, both young and old, actually sounding like how she was in 1965. Her Hartnell and Purves impressions are a little off the mark, her Hartnell particularly so, however she manages to capture there essence well enough. The remaining characters she does quite well with, in particular Jane Austin and the young chimney sweep Jim. Having said that, most of the characters in this one, particularly Miss Austin, felt utterly redundant at times. Keith Drinkel makes a wonderful contrast with O'Brian, really managing g to sound threatening, and with a hint of some real malice. The Cinder may only have a small part, but Drinkel makes it much more important than it proberbly deserves. The music and sound design, however, also fell a little flat. It all felt a little too intermittent, with not enough grounding in the actual story. There was no real problem with it, just that it almost didn't sit right and wasn't as present as it should have been. It felt much more like a normal audiobook, rather than what the Companion Chronicles should feel like, which is enhanced readings. Mind you, it's early days for the Companion Chronicles, so I let that go. The direction is pretty strong too.
Frostfire has it's weaknesses. Prehaps it aims too low, or prehaps Marc Platt's script needed another revision to really work, but Frostfire falls a little flat. It just feels like all the spark and energy that it should have had has been snuffed out, leaving a chilly afterthought. Mind you, it certainly isn't a complete write off, but don't go in expecting the wonders of some of the later Companion Chronicles.
Rating - 6/10
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