Back from That Fancy London

Spent the past two days in a London recording studio for the taping of my new audio drama, DOCTOR WHO: Enemy of the Daleks. Contractual obligations prevent me from spilling the beans about who's in the cast, details of the plot or many other juicy morsels. Sorry about that. But I can tell it was a blast listening to my script come to life, hearing actors interpret the roles and make the most of the drama. It's 'ovely when a plan comes together.

I took the sleeper train down on Sunday night [yes, you can still catch sleeper trains in Britain, a fact that took many by surprise when I told them], before heading over to the studio in West London. Enemy of the Daleks is structured like classic series Doctor Who i.e. four episodes each of 25 minutes duration. Taping all the dialogue for such a story takes two days in the studio, so there was plenty of time for green room gossip, banter and badinage.

I took every opportunity to sit in the control room and listen to the script being recorded. There's nothing like hearing professional actors [many with a stunning array of credits] speaking dialogue you've written. On the nose moments become all too apparent, and each actor bring fresh nuances to their part. An educational experience. The director for this story, Ken, proved marvelously adept at getting the best from his handpicked cast.

In truth I wasn't needed, but went along mostly for my own benefit, as a learning experience. I did make a few useful contributions and/or suggestions, but mostly just sat in awe of everyone doing their jobs. A few weeks before I was typing the second draft, now I was witnessing the next stage of its evolution. The audio drama now goes into post-production, acquiring sound effects and music and a thousand other creative moments to finish it off.

The results will be released next May, available to download from the Big Finish website or order on CD from various retailers. [Indeed, you can pre-order Enemy of the Daleks now if you feel the urge.] In the meantime I've got a splitting headache, a sandpaper throat and deadlines to meet. It's lovely to be home, but two days and three nights away have played havoc with life. Onwards!