‘FAITH STEALER’

Please feel free to comment on my review.

Visiting the Multihaven with the Eighth Doctor, Charley and C’rizz

What is the Church of the Foundation that C’rizz seems to be a member of?

‘Faith Stealer’ is the fifth ‘Doctor Who’ story in ‘The Divergent Universe’ season of Big Finish audios, featuring Paul McGann’s Doctor, India Fisher’s Charley and Conrad Westmaas’ C’rizz. It is a four-part adventure by Graham Duff. Apparently, it’s his only contribution to ‘Doctor Who’ fiction as a writer. 🙂

Graham Duff is best well-known for writing and starring in the sci-fi comedy radio series ‘Nebulous’, which also featured Mark Gatiss, Nicholas Briggs, Paul Putner, Rosie Cavaliero and the late Graham Crowden. He also played a waiter in the TV episode ‘Deep Breath’ and Mr. Baggit in the ‘Unbound’ story ‘Exile’.

I’ve come across Graham Duff before when he participated in the DVD audio commentary for ‘The Time Monster’ along with other contributors like Phil Ford, Joseph Lidster and James Moran. I’m surprised he didn’t pen more ‘Doctor Who’ stories for Big Finish after ‘Faith Stealer’ since he’s good.

In ‘Faith Stealer’ itself, the Doctor, Charley and C’rizz continue to journey through the Interzone on whatever planet they’re on. C’rizz soon has a nightmarish vision. It’s of him killing his beloved L’da, played by Jane Hills, who was in ‘The Creed of the Kromon’. C’rizz hasn’t got over the guilt of that. 🙁

Very soon, the Kro’ka, played by Stephen Perring, offers the perfect solution to the Doctor, Charley and C’rizz. He allows them to enter a place called the Multihaven where there’s a vast array of religions and faiths housed in one harmonious community. A perfect sanctuary where to convalesce!

The Doctor and Charley are surprised to learn that C’rizz belongs to a faith and religion called the Church of the Foundation as they get to know him. Sadly, the idyllic community is torn apart once Laan Carder, the charismatic leader of one religion seems to be gathering his disciples at a pretty alarming rate here.

The Doctor and Charley catch glimpses of the TARDIS during their visit to the Multihaven and C’rizz ends up on the receiving end of some unorthodox religious practices. The TARDIS trio’s beliefs, hope and faith are soon tested to the limit as they have to thwart Laan Carder’s efforts in the Multihaven.

I like how Graham Duff presents the notion of a society where all faiths and beliefs are welcome and there isn’t any discrimination among people. It’s something I’d like to see happen, considering there’s a plenty of heartache and hardship between peoples and cultures because of many religions.

I also like how Graham addresses C’rizz as a character and how he tries to overcome the death of his beloved L’da, whom he killed out of mercy in ‘The Creed of the Kromon’. It continues to haunt him. I don’t know if C’rizz becomes better by the end of this story, but it’s intriguing how it gets addressed.

For a while, the Doctor and Charley have been getting false hopes about recovering the TARDIS when it suddenly appears and disappears in the streets of the Multihaven. Like with ‘The Twilight Kingdom’, I hoped that the Doctor and Charley would get the TARDIS back and have adventures in it.

That might be a problem in ‘The Divergent Universe’ season overall. The E-Space stories with the Fourth Doctor, Romana, Adric and K-9 had little problem with the TARDIS traversing in that pocket universe. Why should that be the case with the Eighth Doctor, Charley and C’rizz being TARDIS-less?

I’m not sure what’s become of the TARDIS and why it was taken from the Doctor and Charley when they arrived in the Divergent Universe since ‘Scherzo’. Perhaps it’s the Kro’ka who’s responsible for stealing the TARDIS. He is a pretty shifty character who guides the TARDIS trio along on their journey.

I enjoyed Paul McGann’s performance as the Doctor in this audio adventure. It’s interesting how he reacts to the society of the Multihaven and how it challenges his belief system in terms of faith and such. I’m so surprised the Doctor didn’t bluff his way in saying that he was of the ‘church of Gallifrey’.

Paul’s Doctor works out what’s going on with the 23rd Church of Lucidity and how someone like Laan Carder is able to convert the people of Multihaven to his religion at an alarming rate. He shares some good scenes with Charley and he shows concern for his friend C’rizz when he’s under pressure.

India Fisher as Charley is equally good in this adventure. I’m not sure where Charley stands in terms of faith and religion. I imagine she would have been brought up in the Church of England, considering that’s where she would have come from in Edwardian England. But it doesn’t get addressed clearly.

I like how she gets to have scenes with the Doctor when they talk about C’rizz and when they’re trying to figure out why the TARDIS keeps popping in and out of the streets of the Multihaven. Charley unfortunately gets strangled again by C’rizz for a second time since ‘The Twilight Kingdom’. 🙁

C’rizz seems to have a problem and an urge to strangle Charley for some reason. Charley forgives him however. 🙂 Conrad Westmaas is equally good as C’rizz in this audio story. I still find C’rizz to be an intriguing character, despite the division he can cause among the ‘Doctor Who’ fans, which is fair.

C’rizz seems to have dark demons within him, especially when he’s having visions of his beloved L’da and when he’s being attended to people at the Multihaven who try to cure him of his guilt. Sometimes he might be unlikeable, but I think he’s on a journey to find a way to control his demons.

I’m intrigued to find out more about this Church of the Foundation that C’rizz belongs to. Meanwhile in the 23rd Church of Lucidity, Christian Rodska (who was in 1985’s ‘Oliver Twist’) guest stars as Laan Carder, who seems very able to find a way to convert lots of people to his elusive religion of Lucidity.

Tessa Shaw guest stars as the Bordinan, the leader of the Multihaven. She’s the one who encourages all religions to coexist with each other in the Multihaven. She has noble intentions but she can be misguided at times. The Bordinan is helped by Chris Walter-Evans who plays her assistant in the tale.

The story also features Jenny Coverack as the Miraculite, who is like the god for the 23rd Church of Lucidity. There’s Ifan Huw Dafydd as Bishop Parrash, the head of the Church of Kabari in the Multihaven. He gets into trouble when he meets up with Laan Carder in ‘Part One’ of the audio adventure.

There’s Helen Kirkpatrick as Jebdal, who is a devout follower of the Lucidianism faith before she begins to doubt her faith after meeting the Eighth Doctor. There’s Neil Bett as Director Garfolt, who is in charge of the de-faith centre and he uses techniques to help C’rizz against the Doctor’s orders. 😐

John Dorney guest stars in this audio adventure, playing Bakoan who tries to heal C’rizz with a hymn and he also plays a Serendipitist. This was way before John Dorney became a writer, script editor and actor in the worlds of Big Finish in recent years. Incredible to find him here in one of the earlier Big Finish audios!

It’s intriguing how the story builds up to its conclusion with the Doctor and Charley sorting out the Miraculite and Laan Carder whilst C’rizz is somewhere else, struggling to control his new-found Lucidian tendencies. Jebdal also has a very hard time waking up converted Lucidians from their sleep.

It’s a surprise when the Doctor revealed Laan Carder’s true nature in order to weaken the Miraculite and her hold over the people of the Multihaven who had just been converted into Lucidianism. I’m not sure I fully understand what went on in the climax and the story does require multiple listens. 🙂

The story concludes with the Doctor and Charley getting their friend C’rizz back and the Doctor suggesting to Jebdal that she could become the next Bordinan since the previous one was killed in ‘Part Four’. I do wonder if Jebdal did well being the next Bordinan after the Doctor, Charley and C’rizz left.

The CD extras are as follows. There’s a ‘coming soon’ trailer for ‘The Last’ with Paul McGann, India Fisher and Conrad Westmaas.

‘Faith Stealer’ is an enjoyable audio adventure in ‘The Divergent Universe’ season of ‘Doctor Who’ stories with the Eighth Doctor, Charley and C’rizz. I like how the story explores the themes of faith and religion within the Multihaven and how new revelations of C’rizz as a character get introduced here.

What lies in store for the Doctor, Charley and C’rizz next time? I’m not sure at present. I’m curious as to why the Doctor, Charley and C’rizz aren’t able to get the TARDIS back. They have had false hopes so far in ‘The Twilight Kingdom’ and ‘Faith Stealer’, but nothing very sustainable. It can’t go on like this.

Also, what is that Kro’ka up to behind-the-scenes and who is he really working for?

‘Faith Stealer’ rating – 8/10

---

The previous story For the Eighth Doctor was ‘The Twilight Kingdom’ (Audio) For Charley was ‘The Twilight Kingdom’ (Audio) For C’rizz was ‘The Twilight Kingdom’ (Audio)	The next story For the Eighth Doctor is ‘The Last’ (Audio) For Charley is ‘The Last’ (Audio) For C’rizz is ‘The Last’ (Audio)
Return to The Eighth Doctor’s Timeline
Return to Charley’s Timeline
Return to C’rizz’s Timeline
Return to The Doctors’ Timelines Index
Return to The Companions’ Timelines Index
Return to Doctor Who Timelines
Return to Doctor Who
Return to Sci-Fi