Retrospective: Paul Magrs by John Seavey 31/12/03
When I first started re-reading the Doctor Who books of Paul Magrs (The Scarlet Empress, The Blue Angel, Verdigris, Mad Dogs and Englishmen), I swore to myself that I wasn't going to dwell on Iris Wildthyme. She's a character I find tremendously irritating, and she's in all his books, but I told myself that she wasn't the only thing about Magrs' novels, and it wouldn't be fair to him to spend my entire time ranting about one recurring character. But as I got into the books, it seemed to me that the key to understanding Paul Magrs was to understand Iris Wildthyme -- that in many ways, it seemed that Iris was symbolic of the author's very real love/hate relationship with Doctor Who... and that my frustration with the character stems from my own profound fondness for that same traveler in time and space.
There's an awful lot of the mimic to a young writer; I think that everyone can remember casting themselves in the Doctor's role in their own personal stories when young (always assuming, of course, that one didn't become a fan of the series as an adult) or of making up our own monsters that seemed even better than the ones on the telly... even though, to our adult eyes, they're just thinly-veiled rip-offs of the real things. Magrs seems to be deliberately re-creating his own children's re-writing of Doctor Who in an adult form; Iris is like the Doctor, only better! She's had all the Doctor's adventures, only better! She's fought all these villains that are even worse than the Doctor's foes, like the Glass Men of Valcea, which are villains who roll along on wheels and are powered by static electricity and shoot death rays and aren't at all like the Daleks... and so on. The pastiches extend past Doctor Who; 'The Tomorrow People', 'Star Trek', 'Star Wars', and 'Lord of the Rings' all get the same slightly disdainful re-creation (or, in the case of the latter two, the creators get re-creations.) It sometimes comes off as enjoyable, sometimes as quite annoying.
The reason it annoys, I think, is because sometimes Magrs seems to want to be seen to be disdainful. There's a certain smug superiority that oozes off the paper in spots, as though the author is saying, "Look, this stuff is all crap, really. Worth taking away a few bits of inspiration from as post-modern, post-ironic, post-surrealist statements for art's sake, but God, you can't be one of those saddos that sincerely likes the stuff, can you?" In Verdigris, Mike Yates turns into a literal cardboard character before our very eyes. In The Blue Angel, the Obverse Canine mocks Fitz's desire to try to make a coherent narrative out of the events of the novel, claiming that all narrative structure is equally valid and that it's pathetic to try to impose form on it. As a fan, I feel angry... and I feel even angrier that my very anger is part of what Magrs is mocking.
But when he's not mocking (or when it doesn't feel like he's mocking; part of the problem with post-modernist surrealism is that you can never tell when the author is making fun of us or making fun of himself making fun of us), Magrs can be a very enjoyable read. He's a clever person, with a wicked sense of the absurd, and when he gives in to his own inner geek and unabashedly celebrates the strange and unusual world of Doctor Who, he's quite fun. (Plus, he gets off one of the best Eighth Doctor lines ever, from the Doctor to Freer in Mad Dogs and Englishmen: "You've got lackey written all over you, Freer.") His prose is a wild, dense, multi-layered confection of jokes, tangled language, and classical allusions, which appeals quite a bit when the mood is right. His plotting is all over the map, though, a hazard of surrealist works; The Scarlet Empress is a bizarre shaggy-dog story, Verdigris and Mad Dogs both have surprisingly tight, if insane, plots, and The Blue Angel falls apart so spectacularly that it actually does not have an ending, a possible first in Doctor Who history.
Ultimately, I'm sure that whatever I may say, Paul Magrs will return to write Doctor Who... and whatever I may say, he'll bring back Iris bloody Wildthyme again. Like the Doctor, I think that while I might dread her every appearance and spend all my time wishing her gone, I will grudgingly admit that she does make life more interesting. (But don't think I'm getting soft, all right?)
A magician... by Joe Ford 13/1/04
Rob Matthews likes his work, Mike Morris hates it, just what is it that can produce such diverse opinions? Magrs writes in his own unique style, you could put your hand on your heart and say there is no other Doctor Who writer like him whereas David McIntee and Chris Bulis were tenapenny. He writes with a firm sense of humour, matching only Dave Stone for popular comedy books.
The Scarlet Empress: Like a bolt from the blue, this book raises the quality of the early 8th Doctor books adeptly. While it was a brilliantly fun book it really did show up the mindless hackjobs that were being produced around the same time. Paul wrote an afterword where he states Doctor Who should return to the simpler, fun adventuring it was on the telly and moving away from the angst heavy drama the New Adventures were famous for. This pretty much mirrored my own feelings and as if to show how it should be done he writes a delightful fantasy of his own.
This is by far the most text heavy of all of Magrs' books; his prose is textured and charming. He seems intent on creating a memorable, creative planet and I haven't read one that was this much fun since The Also People. The opening few chapters do a superb job of introducing the dazzling, unpredictable nature of Hyspero and despite the absurdities of the planet he makes sure it is never out of reach of plausibility.
His three protagonists, the Doctor, Iris and Sam are all well characterised, especially important in a time when the regulars were quite unpopular. The introduction of Iris is unexpected but very welcome, it is about time we had some fun with the Time Lords and this boozy broad provides welcome relief from all the political dullards we are used too.
Paul is clearly a writer with a vivid imagination and is allowed to let leash on the Doctor Who universe with (what will become) his trademark bravery. He is not unwilling to try out concepts that will frustrate and embarrass conservative readers and situations that would be impossible to recreate on Earth.
It's a colourful, fresh book just when it was needed. Its reputation as being one of the early EDA classics is fully justified.
Verdict: A (Thick with fun, this book is foot loose and fanciful!)
The Blue Angel (co written with Jeremy Hoad): Perhaps it is because of the partnership but this is easily the least accessible book Magrs has written. That said it is also the densest of his works, it's clever and literate and sublimely experimental. Like Dave Stone's works it seems to stretch off at amusing tangents and have a number of deserving messages.
Frankly Iris deserved a second adventure with the 8th Doctor, they are at such opposite ends of the spectrum, him charming, elegant, intelligent, her boisterous, emotional and manipulative. They make a hell of a team and go through some real troubles in this story; the Doctor's vicious treatment of her when she refuses to take him back to the Obverse is shocking but she proves once and for all that he can't always succeed.
Fitz and Compassion are both given superb treatment in a period of the Steve Cole editorship where the companions genuinely rocked. In a hysterical moment Fitz wonders if he could travel with Iris!
Magrs' trademark wackiness and imagination are apparent in abundance and a lot of the concepts are enjoyably off the wall. I did get lost quite a lot but to be honest there were so many amusing incidents and snippets of hysterical dialogue I was more than happy with the overall package. Being too experimental isn't the worst of crimes and it is nice to have something a bit different.
...and the twenty questions at the end are genius! I read it again just so I could answer them!
Verdict: A minus (Riding on the wave of the shock events of Interference Magrs and Hoad out-class Miles in every way!)
Verdigris: Probably the most argued about of all of Paul's books, this is a loving dig at the Pertwee era and a bright contrast to the moralistic straight-faced stuff that was produced in that era. It's not his funniest book but there are some excellent laugh out loud moments scattered about mostly concerning Iris's unwavering affection for the Doctor. Her third appearance confirms her status as a stayer and lays foundations for many other appearances with other Doctors.
Digs at the Pertwee era are one of the book's greatest assets, Jo tucking away Mike Yates into her handbag as if he was two dimensional, Verdigris posing as somebody else posing as the Master, hysterical digs at the Tomorrow People, the Brig pulling a gun on his UNIT chums... at points Paul seems to be going out of his way to prove how po faced those early seventies Who were. But when you go beneath the plot there is a real affection for Pertwee, his yearning to leave earth and his excitement at travelling on Iris's bus, Jo is dippy but also proves to be capable when the situation requires and a firm belief that everybody in the UNIT team had their job because they were good at it. Trouble flowers when they are torn away from those roles.
It's not all good, the story does get a little too surreal in places, threatening to leave the reader behind whilst it continues to convolute the plot (although incredibly it is all tied up quite satisfactorily). And Tom the poofter is one of the most pathetic companions I have ever seen with nothing but sex and his sexuality on the brain (dull stereotyping).
But it is an engaging piece, it will make you frown with confusion, laugh with delight and gasp at the lengths Magrs goes to to write a fun book. I give it a thumbs up for its ingenuity and its naughty probings into the flaws of an era I love.
Verdict: A minus (Affectionately written to disturb)
Mad Dogs and Englishmen: Oh this is just hilarious! His funniest book by a long shot and so totally, utterly CAMP it defies description. Just the cover alone split fandom in two! It is probably the best received of Magrs' books too, a much needed dose of silliness after the tense drama of The Adventuress of Henrietta Street. The gags come quick and unsubtle, from the utter insanity of Anji, Fitz and the Doctor being stripped and put in a kennel with squeaky toys, to the repulsed reactions of EVERYONE when they realise Freer has been shagging a poodle and (somewhat brilliantly) the Fitz's shock revelation as he is confronted with Irises double decker bus!
This is in no way a deep story and I doubt a story about talking pink poodles ever could be but it hits all the right spots, taking the reader on a trip through time (over four time zones are visited) and outer space (the space station and the Dog world). You meet a number of brilliantly bizarre characters from the camp and sophisticated assassin Mida Slike, Flossie the fat chef who just wants an adventure!, Noel Coward and his time travelling pinking shears... you get the message, it's Who at its nuttiest best.
Brilliantly Magrs takes the opportunity for Iris and the amnesiac 8th Doctor to meet and in the heart-warming climax he realises he is no longer alone in the universe! The Doctor seems to spend the whole story rushing about enjoying himself and taking none of it seriously. Companions Fitz and Anji are captured perfectly, both deeply embarrassed by the hilariously perverted events they are thrust into.
A trip into the chasms of insanity known as Paul Magrs' mind.
Verdict: A (Fun and fluffy and much needed)
And with Big Finish...
The Stones of Venice: It is the first of Paul McGann plays that I truly adored. A seductive, magical adventure that crams in so much fun you will be desperate for a drink afterwards! Rampaging gondoliers, a love affair that will destroy Venice, Charley as a Princess for the night, art treasures, secret cults... I was enchanted by the wistful, fairytale atmosphere Magrs managed to whisk up. It makes me wonder why so many other Doctor Who audios are so straight laced and ponderous when Paul can write such an expressive piece, I guess he is just a better writer!
India Fisher and Paul McGann are on top form throughout. Charley is written as an aristocratic good-time girl and India plays up every one of her lines so we are as enchanted by the experience as Charley obviously is. And McGann in his first (acted) play leaps upon the chance to be a little quirkier and sensitive, this is million years away from the forced characterisation he was required to play into in the TV Movie. Magrs re-introduces the fun and excitement to the character and gives him lots of traditional, Doctor-ish things to do.
Venice is one of the more passionate locales Big Finish have visited and it is brought to life with a real sense of fantasy, the waves lapping at the streets, the church bells, the crowds of revellers, if you shut your eyes you can take yourself to this beautiful city. Add to the mix Russell Stone and his emotional score and you have one of the most re-listenable stories in the company's library.
Verdict: A plus (A step away from reality, this is wonderful therapy from the horrors of the real world)
Excelis Dawns: In which you actually get to hear Iris in the scrumptious form of Katy Manning, yes that's ex-companion Jo! In this story Iris provides a laugh minute as she flirts outrageously with Peter Davison's effete fifth Doctor, goes shopping with the Warlord Grayvorn and generally causes a planet to go through generations of turmoil because of one of her handbags. Manning is clearly having a whale of a time with Magrs' witty script and embraces the less than dignified character in the fullest of ways.
However aside from the giggles with Iris this is just a rehash of The Scarlet Empress, the road trip, the bus problems, the zombies and everything. There isn't an original idea in this story that he doesn't explore better in his novel. Its almost as if Magrs was so desperate to get his fantasy road trip story heard he didn't care that he was stealing from his own work.
The fact remains that in whatever media it is still a lot of fun and despite the long gaps between locations (filled mostly with the bus crew not getting on in the most hilarious of ways) the story is entertaining and imaginative. Two words that sum up Magrs pretty well in my book.
Only the inconclusive ending and lack of fate for most of the characters (all to be followed up in later instalments in the Excelis series) let this production down. It was at this point that David Darlington's guitar score was fresh rather than repetitive and Gary Russell's direction was invigorating rather than flat.
Verdict: B plus (In all sense an adventure)
The Wormery: One of my favourite releases in the past two years as far as Big Finish is concerned this collaboration between Paul Magrs and Stephen Cole reveals all the strengths of both writers. On Paul's side it is whimsical, full of clever ideas and involves Iris, on Steve's side it is a tightly plotted tale, genuinely funny in places and is packed full of engaging secondary characters. It is bracingly directed by Gary Russell, the man clearly knows how to deal with his main actors and there are some fantastic performances from Colin Baker and Katy Manning.
The story is cleverly designed to confuse you, lots and lots of deceptive clues scattered about in the first two episodes but it is all wrapped up beautifully in the last two, the last episode being a particular delight with lots of stunning twists about to please the listener.
The very idea of a nightclub at the Nexus point between a thousand worlds where all can come and relax and none are victimized is lovely. But that is only one of a highly imaginative story that involves telepathic worms, evil shadows, killing songs and homosexual criminal scientists!
The script is a constant delight with Iris getting all the best lines and it gorgeously deals with the Doctor/Iris/Bianca love triangle which subverts expectations and turns out to be poignant and funny rather than trite and unconvincing.
Verdict: A plus (Magrs once again appears around a special occasion, this time the much lauded Zagreus, and manages to show it up in spectacular fashion!).
It is only while reviewing these books and CDs that I realise just how underrated Paul Magrs and his contributions to Doctor Who are. Maybe it is because his books are lighter than the event books he seems to hover around (The Blue Angel is after Interference, Mad Dogs of Englishmen is after The Adventuress of Henrietta Street) but it has suddenly occurred to me that he hasn't written a bad book (or script for Big Finish) and I always have a good time with his stuff. When it comes to the books pure and simple entertainment is a much-overlooked feature but that is exactly what you get with Magrs' books, he seems content to remind you what a joyful and magical place the universe is and how glad we should be that the Doctor is still wandering around it! And I can't think of a message better than that.
One of his biggest strengths of his books is how well he manages to consolidate the regulars of his books. As already mentioned Magrs' works usually happens to appear after an event novel and deals with the aftermath of said crises with great aplomb, setting the regulars up for further adventures. The Scarlet Empress allowed us to get inside the head of Sam Jones without wanting to tear out her intestines at the same time for perhaps the first time. It allowed us to see that there was more to her character than an Ace clone veggie liberalist! Pleasingly it left me looking forward to her next adventure and I didn't say that very often! The Blue Angel comes after the dramatic events in Interference, Sam gone and new companion Compassion along for the ride. It deals with the trio's dysfunctional relationships very well and does a good job of reminding us that things are going to be a little more turbulent (and fun) than usual. And the spaced out Mad Dogs and Englishmen deals with the fallout of the Doctor losing his heart in the previous story, it is so good to see Fitz and Anji having fun again after the text heavy and nightmarish Adventuress. During the course of the book we see just how close the three friends are now and how much fun it is when they are together.
It's no wonder it is a relief to see Magrs' name on the cover of a book, so many of them try and put the regulars (and the reader) through emotional hell it is a pleasant change to see somebody who just wants to make us laugh. And that is one thing that shines in all of his works, his lightness of touch and aptitude for comedy. Who could fail to laugh when Anji tries to identify the mysterious substance outside the TARDIS and Fitz, ever the gent, informs her it is dog shit? Or seeing Iris trapped inside a pit about to be sacrificed at dawn! Can you imagine the Doctor calling Iris a "clod-hopping harridan!"? or Anji's disbelief when the collection of toy soldiers suddenly come alive? What about Iris belting out a caberet number that could end of destroying the universe or the Doctor's childish excitement at exploring the labyrinth of secret tunnels in The Stones of Venice?
One thing Paul remembers to do is let his characters have some fun. It is something that was forgotten so often in the TV series, to see the regulars lighten up and enjoy themselves but often gives his characters much to take pleasure in. Charley gets to see the wonders of Venice in its dying days; Flossie gets to glam it up in Las Vegas with Fitz, Sam is able to get close to the lizard man Gila and the Doctor, despite all his protestations to the contrary gets to have his own love affair with the irreplaceable Ms Wildthyme. Paul remembers that it is through these central characters that we experience the story and if they are having a ball then so are we! Thank God he never wrote a Tegan story, it would be so out of character to see her having a laugh!
Ah yes, Ms Iris Wildthyme, trans-temporial adventuress. Because she is such an extraordinarily different character to anything we have seen before it really is a case of love her or hate her. My friend Matt thinks she is one of the worst characters the books have introduced but I am thankful to know he is in the minority. Why shouldn't we have a slightly unbalanced piss head for a Time Lady? Jesus if I was brought up on a planet as tedious as Gallifrey I would want to get out there into the universe and live it up too! The fact is whenever Iris is around chaos ensues and the sort of mayhem she gets involved in is always worth reading about.
What I love about Iris, Paul's biggest contribution to the Who mythos is the character we get to see underneath all the bluster. Once she is done swearing and drinking there is a terribly lonely soul to be found, one who hides it by charging around and having adventures. It is her attraction to the Doctor that delights the most; it's not a pathetic crush like Sam's but genuine feelings, a deep commitment to him that stretches through all his lives because he, like her is another aimless wanderer. She desires an equal, someone who will challenge her and (hysterically) she also finds him drop dead gorgeous. Some people will say that Iris is as deep as a puddle but that's nonsense, like the best of us she has layers and Paul only lets us see underneath the bluster on rare but priceless occasions.
I think she's wonderful. And Big Finish should so give Katy her own mini series!
Paul Magrs is a teacher of English so it is with great pleasure to note just how well written his books are. His sentences are clear and concise, his descriptions easy to visualise (even walking poodles with ray guns) and his books are never cluttered with pointless interludes (Dave Stone take note). He writes crazy plots but his prose is always casual enough to see you through the tricky spots.
And just like David Bishop he knows how to avoid being anticlimactic, providing a perfect ending to each of his books. It is incredible how he seems to draw together all his vastly different plot threads into a coherent story but he never lets the reader down on that score. If The Stones of Venice was predictable because we knew Ms Lavish was Duchess it is great that all the different characters, the Doctor and Charley, the Gondoliers, the Cult, the Chamberlain are all there to witness their final sacrifice. But aside from that there wasn't a single piece where I guessed the ending, lots of crazy twists leading to a satisfying conclusion.
His books are full of detail and always the right side of silly, he knows how to show you a good time and to dish out some lovely material for the regulars. His dialogue is laugh out loud funny and his sublime sprinkle of whimsy a welcome remedy from all the horror we witness in the real world.
Ladies and gentlemen I give you Paul Magrs.