"The Mara is in all of us, deep in our minds. In our darkest thoughts, that’s where it started. Some people call it a demon, but that’s too simple. It’s about temptation."
Tegan's nightmares have returned. Seeking to banish the snake-like Mara from his companion's psyche, the Doctor sets course for Manussa, the creature's point of origin. But the TARDIS arrives instead in the heyday of the Manussan Empire, where infotainment impresario Rick ausGarten is preparing to turn dreams into reality.
The sun is setting on the Manussan Empire… and it's all the Doctor's fault.This audio follows on from exactly where The Whispering Forest left off. While I avoided mentioning the Mara in my brief mention of the cliffhanger at the end of that audio it seems pointless to do so here as the snake in the title & in the cover art are a bit of a give away. Plus it's mentioned in the synopsis.
First thing to mention is that I approached this one with a bit of trepidation as I haven't seen either Kinda or Snakedance - I wondered if I would have a clue what was going on. And I have to admit initially my fears did appear to be confirmed. I needn't have worried though because they manage to bring the listener up to speed by having the other characters explain everything to Turlough - quite clever really as it reminds people who have seen those stories what happened in them & provides all the relevant info for those who haven't,
and it's done in such a way that it doesn't treat either group like idiots - all just part of the story.
I don't want to give too much away, but it must be said Peter Davison is on truly excellent form in this audio - he needed to be with what is asked of him & he doesn't disappoint. The story is well put together & moves along at a nice pace. You even get a some dream sequences, at least one of which is slightly surreal! The support cast are, on the whole, very good & the ambient sound really adds to the story, esp the snake itself. I'll even forgive Tegan for being a Ms Grumpy Face again in this story - she definitely has good reason this time around.
My only real gripe (and it's a small one) would be the character of Yoanna Rayluss who is a bit of jobsworth & doesn't seem to understand that sometimes things cannot be done by the book. Again this is deliberate but it doesn't stop her being any less annoying, to me at least - I guess there has to be one in every audio (or even story!)
I'm a bit gutted that this marked the end of the audios on Radio 4 Extra for now - I'd got quite used to listening to them every day. I will now be seeking out more. Oh & making an effort to watch Kinda & Snakedance sometime in the near future
