Stones of Venice Review

Where better for some respite from intergalactic confrontation? Where indeed, except the TARDIS materializes in the beautiful city sometime during the 22nd Century, on the eve of its destruction. Centuries of steadily rising water levels will finally doom Venice to the depths of the lagoon on which it stands. Revellers and cultists have gathered on the eve of this last hurrah to party until they drown, and witness the realisation of a 100-year old curse placed by the spurned Duchess Estella, wife of Duke Orsino.

This third Paul McGann BF adventure is a terrifically atmospheric yarn, piling on the sense of imminent catastrophe with style and wit. The Doctor's breezy curiosity as ever leads him straight to the heart of the matter, while Charley Pollard finds herself a useful aid to the amphibian underclass who man the city's gondaliers. It's clear that epic earthbound stories suit McGann to a tee, with Stones Of Venice sharing the beautifully realised feel of his debut Storm Warning (although technically this was the first recorded McGann adventure for BF).

Yet, something is amiss in both the script and the production, and a highly promising story is plagued by bizarre dialogue and detrimentally overwhelming background audio effects. The echo on the voices for many early scenes is also distracting. Parts One and Three are not as tight and effective as they could be, with rather too many extended monologues - principally from Elaine Ives Cameron as the elderly harridan Mrs Lavish. Her overly measured delivery just doesn't work, much as Peter Jurasik's similarly off-key performance blighted Winter For The Adept. To hear her wittering away, in barely audible fashion, amidst a chaotic, bustling ballroom is a particular low-point. If there's supposed to be an allegory with the impending death by drowning of the city's human inhabitants, it's not a very effective one.

Thankfully the final quarter arrives at a genuinely epic conclusion, adding a neat twist in the process which in hindsight should probably have been easy to spot. Its clumsy "you're my best friend in the world, Charley" epilogue notwithstanding, Stones Of Venice just about keeps its head above water by being an essentially decent idea, even if the execution has been bungled somewhat.

SCORE