A
new audio drama by Scott Handcock
Released January 2007
Featuring Quentin Collins, Angelique, Willie
Loomis and Maggie Evans
Friends or Foes? The Carollers and their master
Listen out for... The letter on the doorstep
Recorded: May 2006
“All those who hear our song shall be one...”
"I remember loving the idea of doing a Christmas horror story." enthuses writer Scott Handcock, "simply because Christmas has so much more potential for scares than any other time of year. I think it's because Christmas is one of those holidays where people get to feel unconditionally safe and secure, so it's actually quite easy to present your audience with something quite unsettling just by challenging that security... hence the opening sequence in a child's bedroom!"
As the first Yuletide ever experienced with the Collins family, The Christmas Presence promises to show the residents of Collinwood as never experienced before. "It was always creator Dan Curtis' idea to do a Dark Shadows version of A Christmas Carol," explains story editor Darren Gross, "featuring Barnabas as Scrooge, in a storyline focusing on all his regrets and the ghosts of his past. It's a very ambitious story, and I don't think we wanted to tackle that one yet. I think we would need to get more episodes behind us first. That said, hopefully we've struck the right tone of menace and charm with The Christmas Presence!"
"I wasn't aware of any of that when I wrote it," Scott admits, "which is probably just as well, to be honest. I'd have tried to include too many of those elements, consciously or otherwise! I've attempted to write a story that will work well on audio, and hopefully the mysterious phantom Carollers plaguing Collinsport will sound especially creepy. That's the intention, anyway!" Producer Stuart Manning agrees: "Sound designer Joseph Fox and I wanted these Carollers to sound like nothing you've ever heard before, and I hope we've achieved that. They're hopefully eerie and abstract, but still recognizably human... Nobody's quite sure what they're doing, however, which is actually quite frightening in itself."
So do visions of sugar plums await Quentin and company? The Christmas Presence feels festive, but with a definite Dark Shadows twist, and the actors each manage to find something new and interesting to deliver in their performances. "There's a nice scene where Angelique and Willie are able to communicate in a way that they never have and probably never will again," Stuart reveals. "And so, for the first time, these two people who've never had a proper conversation before in their lives can actually begin to understand each other a little... and all because it's Christmas!"
So is The Christmas Presence purely a character piece then? "To be honest, I think it's more to do with the fact that this play's particular menace allowed me to get inside the character's heads a little more," muses Scott, "and since all our characters have so many personal demons anyway, it's been fun to write a story that draws upon them as much as this one does. Especially in the case of Barnabas..."
Ah yes, Barnabas Collins... Whilst his reappearance in the audio series was kept a closely-guarded secret up until the range's launch at the Dark Shadows Festival earlier this year, the cat is now finally out of the bag. And, thanks to an intriguing plot twist, he's now played by newcomer Andrew Collins.
"It's a continuation of the character," confirms Andrew with a smile, "but it's a new model. And so there's a nice little bit of conflict there in terms of how much of him is still him, and how much he's able to remain himself in this new persona... all of which emerges quite nicely in The Christmas Presence."
What, then, is Andrew's take on the character? "All of Barnabas' experiences and sins have kind of become a part of him now," he muses, 'and I think he almost needs those conflicts to continue. He needs these dysfunctional relationships in his life, and he needs something to battle against and keep him afloat so that he can retain his sense of who he is and his own presence."
"Because I've recorded audio plays with Big Finish in the past," Andrew continues, "I knew that these would be recorded very rapidly and, in some ways, I think that's helped me. I haven't had time to doubt myself yet, and I think I've absorbed enough of the original Barnabas in my research to be able to channel that without being too scared and questioning my performance."
And what have the original cast members been like to work with? 'The other cast members have been wonderful!' Andrew grins. "I hadn't met any of them previously but they were very, very welcoming to me. So again, I was stepping into this knowing that these people had known each other - and their characters - for a long time, but they were very kind and generous with their time and insight when I had any questions... so it's been a very lovely experience!'
'It's been wonderful writing for a character like Barnabas," Scott smiles, "but it was an absolute nightmare trying to keep it under wraps. In fact, we were so paranoid about people figuring it all out that we actually did different trailers for The Book of Temptation: one with Barnabas, one without. It was insane! You can imagine how relieved we were when the plays were finally released and it was all out in the open!" Not an experience you'd want to repeat then? "It just had to be done that way," shrugs Stuart. "Recasting Barnabas was a big thing to attempt, and it had the best chance of working if we kept it a surprise. I thought it would be far more controversial than it actually was - thanks to Andrew's performance and the stories themselves, I think it's really worked."
So, any other surprises waiting to be unveiled? Big Finish have already hinted that a secret cast cameo was recorded at the 2006 Dark Shadows Festival... "So much secrecy!" Scott teases. "Christmas is such an ideal opportunity for families to reflect upon the past, so it would have been a shame not to slip a special treat or two into that script for fans... but that's all I can say on that one for now. Sorry!"
Indeed, with so many twists, turns and surprises in store for listeners, The Christmas Presence promises to be a belated festive treat. Just remember, not everything is always what it seems... especially in Collinwood.
To read about the fourth CD, The Rage Beneath, click here.
With thanks
to Andrew Collins, Darren Gross, Scott Handcock, Stuart Manning and all at Big Finish Productions
The
Christmas Presence is out now. To read more about the range of CDs,
and to order online, click
here.
Back
