For those of us for whom the wait until autumn and the next season of Doctor Who is too long, I have an antidote for the no-Doctor-Who-blues. The Minister of Chance isn’t Doctor Who, but it is inspired by it, and if you love Doctor Who, you’ll love The Minister of Chance. It’s an audioplay, which is basically a television show without the visuals. It one the Parsec award for Best Speculative Fiction Audio Drama (short form) in 2013. Also, two of the big bads are played by former Doctors Sylvester McCoy and Paul McGann. It even has a cameo from Sophie Aldred, who played Doctor Who companion Ace.
The story is a mix of science fiction, fantasy, and political thriller set in a small nation caught between two large nations locked in a cold war. Annexed by one of the countries, scientific inquiry is outlawed in favor of magic, which, in this case, isn’t real. Into this scene comes a mysterious man, the titular Minister of Chance (Julian Wadham, better known asSir Herbert Strutt on Downtown Abbey). The Minister of Chance can open doorways between worlds and is searching for the source of a power that can move the stars; but, he isn’t really the main character.
That would actually be Kitty (Lauren Crace, Sherlock‘s Lucy Harrison). Kitty is strong-willed and her heart is in the right place, but she’s also dangerously naïve and has a hair-trigger temper. Yes, you’re looking at complex female protagonist. Shocking, I know! Not only that, but, Professor Cantha (Jenny Agutter), the wise mentor, renegade scientist, and rebel leader – also a complicated and interesting woman. Jenny You may know Agutter’s voice from when she played Councilwoman Hawley of the World Security Council in The Avengers and Captain America: The Winter Soldier.
The plot is epic in scale, spanning multiple worlds and venturing into the realm of people with the powers of demigods, but it always stays centered on the personal goals of the main characters. The villains, the silver-tongued Ambassador Durian (Paul McGann), the vitriolic politician the Witch Prime (Sylvester McCoy), and the sadistic general Lord Rathen (Paul Darrow) get as much ear time as the heroes, and The Minister himself is really more of an anti-hero. As a warning, you may get a bit of a shock the first time you hear the Seventh Doctor start cursing.
The plot to take over the world and the quest to find the mysterious force moving the stars interweave back and forth, and half the time is spent in tense political negotiation and the other half in traveling the rainbow bridge between worlds. (The rainbow bridge between worlds and the mysterious doors that appear out of nowhere are very, very scientific. As the Minister says, “I know the equation for door.”)
I have a soft spot for villains, especially brilliant and calculating Moriarity types, so, my favorite character is Paul McGann’s Durian. He manages to make the line “I am alone and unarmed and completely at your mercy,” incredibly sinister.
I’m not going to tell you that everything about The Minister of Chance is perfect. There are some problems with the audio mixing that lead to crickets chirping in the background start to overpower the actor’s voices. And there are a couple jokes about Kitty’s tomboy nature I could have done without. But, overall, I would highly recommend The Minister of Chance. It’s my favorite audioplay, even including all of the Doctor Who Big Finish audioplays I listen to on my way to work.
It was recently announced that The Minister of Chance season two is coming later in 2015.
Here’s the best part: the complete five-part-and-a-prologue mini-series is available for free on iTunes.
I got in touch with the wrier/director of the Minister of Chance, Dan Freeman and the producer, Clare Eden, and asked them a few questions about the making of the show, the all-star cast of actors, and their future plans. Check out the next page for the interviews!
Jessica Sirkin is a speculative fiction writer and technology journalist living in Boston with her pet rabbit, Lenore. Her short story, “The House in Winter” was a runner-up for the “Apex Magazine Best Story of the Year 2014” and was made into a podcast. She spends of her time sitting in front of a computer and should probably get out more. Follow her on twitter @jessicasirkin or find her onLinkedIn.
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