bfcl009_theinvisibleman_1417Adapted by Jonathan Barnes

Big Finish Audio, out now

H.G. Wells’ classic tale of a meddling scientist.

Wells’ story has been retold so many times that certain elements from those adaptations have accreted to what we “know” about the tale, so – as with many of Big Finish’s Classic plays – it’s something of a shock to listen to a version that is so close to the original. Jonathan Barnes has taken Wells’ prose and created an audio play that captures the spirit and tone of the original, while not slavishly following every word. (Not, I hasten to add, that I realised that until after listening to the play and going back to re-read the novel before writing this.)

Barnes has added a framing device featuring two of the key characters, Doctor Kemp and Thomas Marvel, one or other of whom is caught up in most of the events of the story, allowing them to rehearse the arrival of the Stranger in Iping, his subsequent unmasking and then his revelation of his tale to Kemp. Scenes are expanded and characters slightly tweaked, but never to the detriment of the original.

That’s helped by strong central performances. It’s not the last time we’ll hear Sir John Hurt in a Big Finish production (the final War Doctor set hasn’t yet been released), but this is a fitting memorial to him – you believe in his arrogant yet suffering Griffin, and, more importantly, that he and Blake Ritson’s Kemp were contemporaries. Ritson is as darkly suave as ever while Peter Noble’s Thomas Marvel is Kemp’s opposite in so many ways – even if both end up fearing what Griffin will do. Annette Badland, Dan Starkey and the rest of the company provide plenty of colour, and Matthew Cochrane’s sound and Jamie Robertson’s music both help invoke the necessary late 19th century air, all brought together confidently by director Ken Bentley.

Verdict: One of the best versions of The Invisible Man in many years, and a great start to Big Finish’s Wells series. 9/10

Paul Simpson