For the
last five decades that 'Doctor Who' has been entertaining us, it has
provided us with a host of memorable companions. Arguably one of the
most popular of these has to be highlander Jamie McCrimmon, portrayed
brilliantly by Frazer Hines. Jamie was a very loyal companion, and
the relationship his character shared with Second Doctor, Patrick
Troughton, is still one of the greatest partnerships in 'Doctor Who'
history.
Of
course, Jamie's final moments with the Doctor, echoed 40 years later
when a similar fate befell Donna Noble, saw the many memories of his
adventures in the TARDIS get erased without remorse. Although Hines
would return several times to 'Doctor Who' in future years, these
appearances would always be set within the time-frame of his travels
with the Second Doctor (erm, more or less...see SEASON 6B). We were
never given a chance to discover what happened next to Jamie, or if
he ever rediscovered his lost past. Until now....
'The
Piper's Lament' is Jamie's story. Although legal issues forbid the
audio to mention Jamie by name, author David J Howe cleverly works
this into the actual story, adding to the mystery, and the final,
emotional climax of the piece. It is, essentially, a one-man play in
audiobook format, told from the viewpoint of the nameless Piper, in a
cosy highland pub. Hines is no doubt an expert at the audio format
through his work with the Target readings and Big Finish, and his
performance here balances nicely between explanation and emotion.
It's obvious to the ear that Hines is relishing the material that he
has been provided with, and he rises to the occasion admirably. Due
to the set-up of the drama, he is very conversational in his
approach, and thanks to the careful direction of Sam Stone, you have
a genuine impression of sitting with him in a corner of a pub,
listening to him telling you his story.
The
script itself is gorgeous, too. Essentially designed to give the
character of Jamie a proper moment of rediscovery, it manages to be
far, far more than just a string of fan-pleasing references. As fun
as a full 60-minutes of references to Ice Warriors, Cybermen, and
giant crabs would be, Howe instead focusses on Jamie's pre-and post-
TARDIS life. Without giving too much away, it's these parts of the
story that genuinely break your heart, without needing to rely on
anything we might have seen on television. Combining a beautiful
script with an understated reading from Hines, we are made to care
about the characters Howe himself has created, and there are a few
death scenes that are genuinely striking and shocking. They linger in
the memory long after, just like the gentle, melancholy score of
haunting bagpipes lamenting throughout. These moments are peppered
very nicely with touches of warmth and humour, that do nothing to
disturb the atmosphere created by Stone's direction.
Of
course, this being a play about a nameless piper remembering his
past, there are plenty of
extremely fan-pleasing sequences that will have lovers of the
Troughton era squealing with delight. They are used sparingly, adding
to their impact, and they help reinforce the fact that the piper is
our Jamie McCrimmon, still battling on after all these years...
'The Piper's Lament' reaches a touching, heartfelt conclusion, that
ties up the story of Jamie, and at the same time points us to the
future. It is, absolutely, a love-letter to the character of Jamie
McCrimmon, and perhaps to Frazer Hines himself, but a carefully
constructed letter that manages not to gush. It's a celebration of
Jamie, not just of his TARDIS adventures, but of his character, and
of his own personal history.
Listen to 'The Piper's Lament' by a crackling fire, with a bowl of
hot soup and glass of whisky. Now that winter is here, what more
could you possibly want? Put your feet up, close your eyes, and catch
up with an old, old friend....
