The Doctor and his companion Greg are trapped in a labyrinth of underground tunnels. They discover a deadly foe which lurks in the darkest recesses. Can the Doctor defeat an unseen enemy that will strike at the very heart of his resolve?

Originally released in 1985 as part of the first season of audio plays from Audio Visuals (a non-profit-making fan organisation).

CLOUD OF FEAR

The script of Cloud of Fear (originally Catacombs of Fear) was sent in direct response to an advert placed in the Doctor Who Appreciation Society's newsletter by AV's producer Bill Baggs in order to elicit help and support from fellow fans. The advert was not a massive success, but Alan Lear's inimitable style of writing was.

In this and his later scripts ( Minuet in Hell, Enclave Irrelative and Planet of Lies) Alan concentrated on the darker side of Doctor Who, exposing the character in a vulnerable light. This proved extremely popular with listeners, making stories scripted by Alan among the most popular of the series.

The strong characters and dialogue, coupled with his tendency to give the Doctor some very rich, emotionally demanding monologues certainly made Alan W Lear's scripts some of the most challenging and rewarding to work with.
Nicholas Briggs, March '92

PRODUCTION NOTES

Cloud of Fear marked the debut of Jim Mortimore's technical and musical talents in Audio Visuals. After hearing, liking and reviewing (for the audio-zine 'Sonic-Waves') a couple of AV stories, Jim tracked down Bill Bagg's phone number and called him up out of the blue!

It wasn't long before Jim's expertise in multi-track recording, synthesizer programming and keyboard playing had given Audio Visuals a much needed boost. He introduced the team to a whole new level of technology, stretching imaginations beyond crackly effects records and primitive music and into the world of multi-effects processors and sampled, orchestral sounds.

Cloud of Fear not only showcases Jim's musical talent (with the aid of a Yamaha DX9, the faithful Roland SH-101 and a Moog Rogue) but features an array of dripping, gurgling and crashing sound effects, some of which owe their creation to Jim's 'legendary' bathroom!

CREDITS

Cast

The DoctorNicholas Briggs
Greg HolmesRichard Marson
GudrunMarilyn Layton
RhiannonCarol Miadowizc
BatesJohn Howard
Commander PritchardDavid Sax

Production

ScriptAlan W Lear
MusicJim Mortimore
Series ThemeBrian Marshall
EditorJim Mortimore
DirectorJohn Vance
Cover ArtSean Ditchfield
DesignBRIX
ProducerWilliam Baggs

Audio Visuals is a non-profit-making fan organisation

synchronize