Manufacturer: Big Finish Productions
Written By: Simon Barnard & Paul Morris
RRP: £8.99 (CD) / £7.99 (Download)
Release Date: June 2013
Reviewed by: Matthew Davis for Doctor Who Online
Review Posted: 13th July 2013
At the Doctor's request, Sergeant Benton is investigating ghosts and missing people in Kettering, while undercover as a local councillor
And that's how he comes to meet Margery Phipps.
An alien incursion in the town hall leads them on a journey to a terrible future – where Margery discovers how she changed a world, and the life of a whole civilisation hangs in the balance…
* * *
As The Companion Chronicles begins the journey towards its final season, this current one concludes with the debut of John Levene returning to reprise his role as UNIT member Sergeant Benton. Quite why it has taken so long to get a Benton story for the Chronicles is baffling as he is one of the most memorable characters from the UNIT years of the show.
Making their debut for Big Finish too are writers Simon Barnard and Paul Morris who are better known for supernatural comedy adventure series The Scarifyers. Based on their credentials it is no surprise that Council of War has some very funny moments with some very clever in-jokes.
The structure of the story is told seamlessly well between both Benton’s perspective and the character of Margery Phipps played exceptionally well by Sinead Keenan. Keenan’s performance is one of the best things about Council of War and her portrayal of Margery is utterly charming.
What about John Levene? Even though he sounds nothing like he did all those years ago, Levene still puts in a very good performance. Full of energy and character, he makes a nice addition to the range and I do hope that before The Companion Chronicles comes to an end we will get to see more of him.
The story feels a little like a Third Doctor adventure to begin with but this very much becomes Benton’s show.
Barnard and Morris cast him as a James Bond like character, but one very unsure of himself out of uniform. It gives Benton an interesting vulnerability as he thinks the undercover work is more suited to Mike Yates rather than himself. He is just a soldier and the story does give Benton a chance to be just that towards its conclusion.
Margery Phipps is an interesting character, cast as a women’s rights campaigner stuck like a fish out of water in a council of seasoned male politicians. She is an idealist and both she and Benton make an odd but well fitted pairing.
The story has a rather barmy premise, but it is great fun and the cast has a jolly good time playing up to all of the madness going about. Its conclusion does suggest that we might see more of these characters in a further adventure and with the final season of The Companion Chronicles just a month away, let us hope that this is the case.
Council of War is an entertaining if not perfect Companion Chronicle but a great debut at Big Finish for John Levene and a new writing team.
