Big Finish
The Fifth Doctor and his companions are spread out across history, doing whatever they can to stop a great evil, in the audio story Ghost Walk.
With a title like “Ghost Walk“, it’s easy to assume that this will be a straightforward ghost story. Something small in scale that aims for a spooky feel and a few, small locations.
Instead, Ghost Walk is a rather ambitious story involving a lot of time travel, multiple time zones, and more than a few twists and turns. This is undoubtedly a story that will require multiple listens, for many people.
One thing that helps the flow of the story at least is the serial structure. Like most Classic Doctor Who releases by Big Finish, Ghost Walk takes the form of a four-part serial.
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The serial format is used really well here, as the story feels almost like an anthology. Different episodes focus on different times and locations, before the fourth and final episode ties them all together nicely. It’s an interesting and refreshing take on the structure.
However, along with multiple time zones and storylines, there’s also strong emotional content in the story, too. Particularly with Nyssa, who experiences just how cruel and vicious love can really be.
Light and dark
It’s not surprising that Ghost Walk is so dark, as James Goss has written it. Many of the stories he’s written, not just for Doctor Who, but for other series such as Torchwood and The War Master, are not just filled with emotion and character exploration. They also have more than a touch of darkness, too. More than that, they’re consistently brilliant stories to listen to.
Ghost Walk is no exception. You find the Fifth Doctor and his friends go through horrific ordeals in this story. Whether by an ancient evil or the worst of humanity, every one of the TARDIS team faces death, in a darker and more emotional way than we’re used to.
But it’s not all doom and gloom in Ghost Walk. There’s also a great use of humor in there, too. Particularly on the ghost walk itself and with Leanne, who hosts it. The dialogue she shares with an actual ghost is always hilarious to listen to. (Especially when we only hear her side of the conversation.)
Fenella Woolgar (who played Agatha Christie in The Unicorn and the Wasp) brilliantly portrays Leanne. She provides a lot of light relief to a very dark story.
Next: Kingdom of Lies review (Fifth Doctor audio)
Overall, Ghost Walk is absolutely a must listen. It’s dark, atmospheric, clever and funny. As previously mentioned, it will require multiple listens for fans to get the full story. But considering just how great and absorbing a story Ghost Walk is, it’s more than worth multiple listens.