What do you get if you cross a haunted chessboard at the British Chess Championships, a magical horse at Kettering Agricultural Museum, and milk? A rollicking good yarn from the makers of Vince Cosmos...
And so begins a tale of The Thirteen Hallows, as Harry Crow and Professor Edward Dunning of MI:13 investigate another mysterious case, this time taking them to South Wales where they encounter bad weather, talking eggs and a forgotten knight in the form of Glewlwyd Gafaelfawr (a mouthful even for the soberest of people). Oh yes, and there is a plot to resurrect the greatest King of them all...
I first had the pleasure of listening to The Scarifyers in 2011 with The Magic Circle, and my review of that fantastic tale reflected Bafflegab's very own piece of magic and the excellence of production, casting and music. Then called Cosmic Hobo, the company's ability to blend drama and comedy engaged the listener with such beautiful storytelling that it was an honour to spend time in the company of these very talented people. Since then there has been The Horror of Loch Ness, another success for writers Simon Barnard, Paul Morris and the team.
And, of course, prior to The Magic Circle there had been five other adventures starring Nicholas Courtney and Terry Molloy; sadly, following the passing of Courtney, a change was required with the introduction of David Warner... So how does The Thirteen Hallows compare to the previous seven self-contained installments?
The humour, to begin with, is as fresh and tummy-tickling as ever, with the most amusing misunderstanding about milk I have ever heard! Every step of the way no trick is missed, or stone unturned, in the desire to entertain; as always, legends Terry Molloy and Warner as Professor Dunning and Harry Crow respectively are in fantastic form. Welsh actor Gareth David-Lloyd (Torchwood) also features as Gafaelfawr, the 1400-year-old knight whose task it has been to protect something of importance. Except...
As for the plot itself, how exciting to read about The Thirteen Hallows, or Thirteen Treasures of the Island of Britain, and discover just how rich this tale is in myth and legend. If you read about the "Thirteen Treasures..." you will learn that these were magical items of Welsh tradition believed to have been obtained by Merlin and protected until a time of King Arthur's awakening. In this wonderful tale, however, Bafflegab gives us Nazis who show up in the South West of England as archaeologist Ralegh Radford and his team prepare to unearth something rather splendid (or, as the British press call it, "Britain's Tutankhamen"). But all is well, as Germany is interested in forming an alliance with Britain as tensions rise against Russia.
With a cast that also includes David Benson, Margaret Cabourn-Smith, Ewan Bailey, David Bickerstaff and Nick Scovell (who all play several parts), there is no shortage of talent. In particular, Cabourn-Smith is delicious as Lady Miriam Gore. But all perfectly deliver the ingenious laugh out loud wit that Scarifyers has become known for...
David-Lloyd puts no foot wrong as a knight out of time, coming to terms with the present day he has now found himself in ("It is like some kind of fantasmagorical nightmare" and "Begad, it farts like a water horse...")
Whenever hearing these tales I cannot help but think of the British television series character Danger Mouse and his assistant Ernest Penfold, the latter whom I liken to Professor Dunning - with both Harry Crow (and Inspector Lionheart before him) portraying the role of the world's greatest secret agent. Oh crumbs, did I just compare Terry Molloy's character to a bespectacled hamster? There are plenty of nods to movies, too, including Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (with a Druid connection) and Indiana Jones...
I must pay respect to the work of Edwin Sykes for the music, Martin Johnson for sound design, and Garen Ewing for the wonderful cover art depicting Dunning and Crow emerging from a Ghost Train, sword and rifle at the ready. What a fabulous team Bafflegab has put together! With The Scarifyers and Vince Cosmos fighting the good fight, Planet Earth is well and truly safe from aliens, demons and all manner of foul stenches.
Further reading: Bafflegab - official website
