WRITER: Gareth Roberts DIRECTOR: Charles Palmer
CAST: David Tennant (The Doctor), Freema Agyeman (Martha Jones), Dean Lennox Kelly (William Shakespeare), Christina Cole (Lilith), Jalaal Hartley (Dick), Sam Marks (Kemp), Matt King (Peter), Amanda Lawrence (Doomfinger), Linda Clarke (Bloodtide), David Westhead (Kempe), Andree Bernard (Dolly Bailey), Chris Martin (Lynley), Stephen Marcus (Jailer), Robert Demeger (Preacer) & Angela Pleasance (Queen Elizabeth I)
The Doctor and Martha arrive in Elizabethan England, where they discover William Shakespeare is being controlled by three witches...The most believable Doctor Who episodes are undoubtedly the wonderful period adventures, as the BBC is beyond reproach when it comes to costume drama. Gareth Roberts' The Shakespeare Code is a fun adventure in the same vein as The Unquiet Dead, with The Doctor and Martha arriving in 1599 and meeting the Bard himself at the Globe Theatre. Unfortunately, in shades of Macbeth, three troublesome witches/aliens are controlling Shakespeare for nefarious purposes...
It's only Freema Agyeman's second outing as the new companion and already Billie Piper's absence is forgotten. She's wonderful as Martha; believably excited by events and refreshingly knowledgeable about things like time paradoxes. It's about time a companion showed the same level of intellect as the average viewer. Earlier moments spent developing her burgeoning relationship with The Doctor were very good, particularly when they share a bed and Rose (almost treated as The Doctor's "ex") is mentioned...
Dean Lennox Kelly is fine as a youthful "rock star" William Shakespeare (almost a double of Kenneth Branagh), although the script seemed more interested in literary in-jokes than any real character insight or development. Still, the episode treated Shakespeare with reverence and school teachers will be applauding the fact he's been made cooler by association with Doctor Who!
The supporting cast are good value, but only Christina Cole (Hex) has a role of any note, playing Lilith the head witch. She's agreeably villainous and looked suitably scary spitting dialogue through fangs, or cursing The Doctor from atop a flying broomstick.
The production throughout is magnificent on all counts. The set design and location work is terrific and the CGI-assisted shots of 16th-century London are sublime. There are very few television shows that do such a brilliant job at recreating history and the visuals are a treat for viewers. The only downsides were some rubbery witch make-up and a few unconvincing flying aliens.
There was a strong sense of energy and pace throughout and the storyline developed nicely. The central conceit of mixing Shakespeare with the supernatural was always going to be an exciting proposition and the script did well to juggle the various elements.
The witch trio's master plan was original (with them investing great power in the humble word) and the reasoning behind Shakespeare's importance nicely made. At times the script tended to overused gags that quoted Shakespeare to amusing effect, but that’s a small complaint when the quips were so well made.
Overall, The Shakespeare Code was a very enjoyable and entertaining frolic around Olde England. The actors lapped up Roberts' script and seemed to enjoy running around the impressive locations -– particularly the wonderful Globe Theatre itself. David Tennant is just a marvel of enthusiasm and machine gun delivery, grabbing the script by the scruff of its neck at all times.
It was also interesting to see The Doctor comment on racial issues (given Martha's ethnicity), time-travel dilemmas (using Back To The Future as an example!) and the treatment of the mentally ill, where they're mistreated and seen as entertainment at nearby Bedlam Hospital.
Above all, this is an intelligent adventure story, deftly told and with something for everyone. Most of the jokes and references will fly over children's heads, but they'll enjoy watching The Doctor versus the spooky witches and, who knows, it may even tempt some of them to pick up Hamlet in school...
