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8th March 05

Cover by Cliff Robinson & Chris Blythe

Starring:

Toby Longworth as Judge Dredd
Peter Guinness as Devlin Waugh
Katarina Olsson as Concepcion
Daniel Barzotti as Sextus
Jeremy James as Logan
Ian Brooker as Cesare

Quotable Quote: “Judgement Day. Been there, done that.”

Big Finish, in their penultimate audio adventure for Dredd, pull out another of the 2000AD big guns. Dredd once again crosses swords with our favourite vampire, Devlin Waugh.

So, the big question is, does Waugh work? Yes, sometimes. Guinness is a good enough actor, but I’m not convinced by the voice he’s found for Waugh. He looks like terry Thomas, so I’ve always naturally imagined him sounding like him too. Now, no doubt others will listen and think he’s nailed it. I just get the feeling something is missing.

Then there’s some of the dialogue Waugh comes out with. This is more interesting. There are only a few lines that don’t sound like convincing Waugh, but the dialogue itself sounds overwritten. Thing is, I don’t think that it is, overwritten I mean. I think it’s just the mouthfuls of fruity (if you’ll forgive the word) languages that he comes out with, while reading brilliantly on the page, just sound overblown when spoken out loud.

As for the plot, it revolves around it the usual conspiracy story you get whenever a story is set in the Vatican. The Inquisition, a Great Secret at the centre of the Church, you know the sort of thing I mean. Still, there are interesting ideas scattered in here. The Church’s views on clones, and their place in Grud’s great plan for example, is though provoking, and I would not be surprised if it reflects the Church’s current thinking on the subject.

The ending, while maybe gratifying for the writer, is one of the most un-Dreddlike actions I’ve heard on any of these CDs. By the way, regular Dredd supporting character Judge Logan gets himself a couple of good scenes early on, and one memorable one about halfway through...

Is it any good? Yes, it’s alright. Like all the adventures in the series, there are moments of perfection in there, but they are few and far between.

Cover by Cliff Robinson & Chris Blythe

Starring:

Toby Longworth as Judge Dredd, Blarg, Max Normal, Ikwan, Judge Bogart, Lorre, Schall, Control, Wobert, The Door...etc!

Quotable Quote: “Just a Betelgusian with an inflated opinion of his own importance.”

All good things come to an end.

This final Big Finish audio pulls out the stops. Firstly, it’s scripted by Jonathan Clements, who has authored what are easily the best of the previous adventures, including the three Strontium Dog stories.

Then there’s the cast list. No, I haven’t left anyone out. Toby Longworth is the full extent of the actors, but not the cast. Longworth is just showing off here as he displays an astonishing range of voices, with something near thirty different characters.

A flashy gimmick this may well be, but if the script didn’t match Longworth’s prowess, then it’d all be for nothing. So it’s pleasing to report that the script sparkles with all the fun and wit of Clements’ previous excursions. There is the, on paper anyway, potentially disasterous idea of team Dredd with a Betelgusian official called Blarg, Dredd interviewing a Clanger, and a superb gag breaking the fourth wall when Blarg thinks the case they are investigating is over.

Ah yes, the case. Alien town, stookie, things like that. Don’t concern yourself, just go along with it. I was going to say, ‘go along with it and enjoy the chemistry between the characters’, but does that apply when both are played by the same actor?
This one is a lot of fun. Not only for the listener, but the fun Longworth is having really comes across too.

The series has had its ups and downs, but it’s nice to see it going out on a high.

Also included on this final disc, is a twenty minute making of video. This is just Longworth and the director John Ainsworth in the studio together. It’s interesting to watch the construction of the whole production, with Ainsworth initially reading one character while Longworth records the other side of the conversation, then going back and doing the second bit. Even standing in a small sound booth, Longworth is an interesting actor to watch. His animated performances combined with the multitude of voices he produces are very entertaining.

There is one scene in the adventure, where Dredd passes through a sealed area of Alientown with a helium atmosphere, and I was amazed to see Longworth pitching his Dredd voice higher and doing the scene himself, no effects required.

I don’t mention the covers of these as a rule, but any picture that has Dredd, Max Normal, Peter Lorre and Tharg, as well as a Rob Halford lookalike (I suspect is Mr. Longworth) from Judas Priest holding up a Clanger must be worth a moment of your time!