Since the lockdown started, Big Finish has been releasing free downloads each week of audio dramas for a limited time. The free download is available each Monday on Big Finish website’s Weekly Deals page. The stories are accessible for anyone who register on the website and can be listened on the Big Finish app.
This week, the free audio drama is The Diary of River Song – Five Twenty Nine written by John Dorney. The story was released as part of The Diary of River Song – Volume Two. Alex Kingston reprises her role of the time traveling archaeologist River Song. She is joined by Robert Pugh, Ann Bell, Aaron Neil and her own daughter Salome Haertel.
Big Finish has been publishing River Song stories since 2015 showing the Professor encountering various incarnations of The Doctor and sometimes of his arch enemy The Master across time and space.
Alex Kingston said: “Working with Salome was such a treat. I saw her do a play, a production of Troilus and Cressida, in Los Angeles, so I know she can act. I know she’s got those chops. I think she did very well. I was really impressed actually. I was in my booth watching her through the glass and she was like a pro.”
Writer John Dorney said: “I was given the brief of a quiet apocalypse, and to have a specific character for Alex Kingston’s daughter. We had a strong idea of what we wanted that part to be, but I was left to come up with what I wanted. What I found interesting was we tend to see a different side of River when she’s with the Doctor, being more flirtatious, but here she can be slightly more serious, although the flirting side of her does turn up occasionally. In this case, there weren’t many chances for her to be as upbeat as normal, and it’s interesting to see how the character reacts in quite a serious situation.”
The Diary of River Song – Five Twenty Nine‘s synopsis is as follows:
River has made a terrible discovery.
Billions of lives hang in the balance. But if she can save just a few, then it might just help her solve the conundrum of Earth’s destruction.
But how can she win when survival becomes a race against time itself? A race against Five Twenty-Nine?
The complete box sets of The Diary of River Song series 1-3 are available for a limited time for 50% off, at the Weekly Deals page. A bundle of volumes 1-7 of The Diary of River Song is available to purchase for £100 as a single download. These discounts will expire at 23:59 (UK time) on 28 June 2020.
