A
new audio drama by Scott Alan Woodard
Released January 2007
Featuring Quentin Collins, Angelique, Willie
Loomis and Maggie Evans
Friends or Foes? Oswald Gravenor and Ed and Susan Griffin
Listen out for... The old woman on the docks
Recorded: May 2006
It is time to begin the final entrapment! Vengeance draws near!
As this first round of Dark Shadows audio dramas draws to a close, it seems as though we've come full circle. We are once again back down in the town of Collinsport, spending time in the Blue Whale with Ed and Susan Griffin, whilst Maggie Evans and Willie Loomis are finally beginning to embark on a new life apart from Collinwood, and away from the holds of Quentin and Barnabas. However, things are not quite as idyllic as they may at first seem, as an ancient enemy is about to make his presence felt.
With three plays already under Big Finish's belt, it's become clear that the Dark Shadows story is heading in a very definite direction. What, for example, is the true cause of the curse inflicted upon Maggie in The Book of Temptation? And what is the significance of the enigmatic "Vengeance draws near", a phrase associated with the range ever since its official announcement back in June? Rest assured, The Rage Beneath sets out to tie up many of the series' existing loose ends, whilst at the same time creating more than a few threads of its own.
"The fun of these stories is that each and every one of them works as a standalone little ghost story in its own right," declares actor Andrew Collins, who plays Barnabas, "but there's also a lot of lovely character and plot development from The House of Despair to The Rage Beneath , so they form a splendid little story arc across all the run."
Taking all these factors into consideration, was it as daunting a prospect to script the series finale as it might at first seem? "I was always told that there was going to be a ghost ship," explains writer Scott Alan Woodard, "and fortunately I've always been enamored with the idea of ghost ships and ghosts from the sea! Then, once I'd agreed to write it, I was also made aware of some of the relationship issues and tensions that I needed to explore... of which there are a great many!"
Indeed! So, character arcs 101... which was the most difficult character to nail? "Maggie was a bit of a challenge," admits Scott. "She was this sweet character who was put through the wringer in the original series, and so it was kind of fun to take her away from that a bit, and to give her some more sinister aspects right from the word go." He pauses, considering the other releases in the audio series. "In fact, I think there have been hints of something else going on under the surface for a while now, so it's been nice to finally give the character her opportunity to spring back to the dark side a little..."
If Maggie has taken a turn for the worse in this story, however, it's through no fault of her own. For manipulating events from beneath the waves is the mysterious Oswald Gravenor, a character portrayed with such relish by actor Robert Rodan, returning to the Dark Shadows fold after nearly 40 years away. "Playing Adam was my attempt to be very true to the original Frankenstein story," explains Robert, recalling his time on the series back in 1968. "I approached it as though I was a newborn baby, and everything was a new experience... Like the Frankenstein creation, he was not a monster. He was only a monster in the eyes of the people who were afraid of him. There was never anything truly menacing, he just appeared to be."
"There's no reason you can't have actors from the original series come back and give a completely new performance for an entirely new character," asserts Scott. "Oswald is radically different from Adam, so I think it's a great idea!" Robert agrees: "In going through this wonderful, wonderful story, we have a character who is cunning, devious, forlorn... in great pain, and really determined to have his revenge for what has been done to him in the past. He's totally different!"
So which has been the more fun to play, Gravenor or Adam? "I would honestly say that Oswald Gravenor is a great deal more fun," grins Robert. "It's such a departure from who I am as a person, and those kind of stretches are just wonderful for an actor to work with and explore. Maybe it's the fact that it's strictly vocal and not physical as well. I mean, when I was working as an actor, I found that the most creative satisfaction I ever got was strictly working from the neck up, in the vocal area. I just found audio work creatively satisfying... and I still do!" Robert gave up acting professionally in 1972, and has since found happiness operating a successful real estate business in Southern California. How then has he found working with actors whom he hasn't played off in nearly four decades? "Oh, it's been so easy to slip back into!" he grins. "It's the old, old story: Once an actor, always an actor! I've not lost what I had, what I've learnt, what I've practiced... I feel more capable as an actor now than I did back then!"
And, in a curious coincidence, the actor behind Dark Shadows' other man-made creature, fatal femme Eve, also features in the story, with a cameo from actress Marie Wallace. "It's the audio equivalent of a blink-and-you'll-miss-it," grins producer Stuart Manning. "I like Marie immensely, and we had a funny little idea of a way to include her, months after the recording, so it was nice to have her be part of this series. We recorded her bit at the Dark Shadows Festival this summer, on the same day as our secret scene - how I love that phrase, secret scene! It would be lovely to have Marie play a proper role in the future, and I'd be very disappointed if that doesn't happen."
On a sadder note, the CD is dedicated to the memory of respected Dark Shadows historian and website writer Craig Hamrick, who died at the end of 2006. "Craig was a good friend and when the audios were mooted, he was one of the first people I told," recalls Stuart. "Robert Rodan was Craig's suggestion, as he'd interviewed him shortly before we recorded, and it worked a treat. I really wish Craig could have heard Robert in action, as he sounds great."
With old faces returning to haunt the Collins family, The Rage Beneath promises to bring the series to a truly shocking climax. So, could this really be the final end for the residents of Collinsport? "There's a really lovely cliffhanger at the end," teases Andrew, "but one would hope that all of them do return to encounter more strangeness. There's so much potential still - so much history in that house and that town with those characters - that it would be a terrible shame for it all to end." He smiles. "I'm sure it hasn't all finished for all of them."
With thanks to Andrew Collins, Robert Rodan, Scott Alan Woodard, Stuart Manning and all at Big Finish Productions
The
Rage Beneath is available now. To read more about the range of CDs,
and to order online, click
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