Winter for the Adept [AUDIO/2000.7.?]

★★★☆☆

  The best thing about Winter for the Adept is the very tangible feeling that the people over at Big Finish was dying for an excuse to do a proper ghost story. I suppose The Land of the Dead was an attempt, but since it turned out to be a pretty poor attempt given how boring and uninspired its production was, I don't really turn towards that for my poltergeist fix in audio Dr. Who. Point is, Gary Russell is evidently very pleased by Andrew Cartmel's script -- which certainly offers better spooks than Land of the Dead -- and decides to deliver one hell of an outing as director. In fact, the whole crew seems more confident and driven than ever to bring this alive, and I think that's rather sweet. As Who ghost stories go, Winter for the Adept delivers all the expected hallmarks of such an adventure: mysterious freak cyclones, pianos playing on their own, crashing furniture, all sorts of mysterious occurrences... you name it. It's got a satisfying explanation/exploration of the poltergeist myth, though not as imaginative and detailed as I would've preferred it, and Peter Davison and Sarah Sutton sound positively overjoyed at the opportunity to bring such an atmospheric story to life. When listening to this audio drama, I recommend laying down your worries and simply soaking in the wonderful atmosphere -- one which isn't overtly spooky but instead offers a more subtle kind of 'something's wrong in this otherwise calm and peaceful place, and I can't place my finger on it' ambience. Trust me, with all its slight tendency for technobabble and rather naff aliens (Spillagers, indeed), this is still a very enjoyable slice of Dr. Who.