FOR nearly 30 years, the Thames Valley has been home to the sound of Daleks exterminating, spacecraft blasting off, and Sherlock Holmes’ braincells whirring furiously … but there’s nothing to see, just hear.
There is a corner of Twyford that is the nerve centre for a host of creative activities, from audio dramas to stage shows, books to radio plays. All have one label on them: Big Finish.
The company creates more than 300 hours’ worth of drama each year, mostly based around Doctor Who, but also much-loved shows such as Blake’s 7, Thunderbirds and Robin Hood. Add in original dramas such as ATA Girl, Shilling and Sixpence, and some Sherlock Holmes, as well as films, TV shows, children’s plays and adaptations including Guess How Much I Love You, and you have an incredible volume of work.
Jason Haigh-Ellery, is the Big Finish owner and executive producer of the range. A sci-fi fan since he was knee high to a K9, he is living his dream.
“I was a massive, massive Doctor Who fan, a Survivors fan, a fan of Gerry Anderson’s shows – all these genre shows, and all the additional stuff that we’ve ended up creating, it is wonderful,” he says. “The child version of me would never believe we’ve ended up producing this, but I think he would have been very excited by what we’ve done.”
And what a lot they have done.
Big Finish has its origins back in the days when everything was sold on cassette tapes and CDs, not a digital download in sight – that’s all changed, of course.
Among their early efforts was a series based on a character from some original Doctor Who novels. This acted as a calling card with the BBC, and in 1999, Big Finish launched its Doctor Who range with a special story starring three Doctors: Peter Davison, Colin Baker and Sylvester McCoy.
Over the years, they have produced stories featuring many of the original actors, welcoming back Paul McGann, Christopher Eccleston and Tom Baker into their title roles.
Oh, and one David Tennant.
The actor who plays both the Tenth Doctor Who and the Doctor who will appear in this year’s TV show, cut his teeth playing a number of roles for Big Finish.
“We employed David when he wasn’t well known at all,” Jason says. “He was a really good actor.
“He hadn’t broken through in the public consciousness – that didn’t happen until after Casanova. And then of course he had a massive impact as the Doctor.”
This was a 2005 BBC adaptation by one Russell T Davies, who then went on to cast him as the tenth Doctor Who.
Jason cast him in 16 different Big Finish roles, and they kept in touch.
“I was always hoping he’d come back and work with us,” he says. “And five years after leaving the TV show, he said why not?
“So David did a lot during the lockdowns because he built a little studio in his loft. It wasn’t just for us, he was doing audio stuff for others, and filming Staged, with his wife Georgia.
“We never stopped work during lockdowns. When everyone else was like, ‘Oh, I’ve got no work’, we had to find a way to record from home so that the company to continue to thrive.
“But he’s been a brilliant supporter of Big Finish, as all the other Doctors have been.”
That includes Tom Baker, who is still recording audio plays for the company even though he’s 89 … but what’s age to a Time Lord?
Other big names for Big Finish include Sheridan Smith, who joined in 2005, and “the late, great” David Warner.
“He was such a wonderful character and a very sweet man,” Jason recalls. “He loved Big Finish because it was all about the work.
“That’s one of the big advantages of audio drama: it’s not about the lighting, or the camera, an actor missing their mark, or their make-up smudging. There’s no pressure.
“It’s just doing the acting, so actors love coming to work with us – and we also provide very good food.
“An army marches on its stomach, and Big Finish is well-known for its lunches.”
Jason has always been keen that Big Finish creates work for the creative industry and also gives unknown and young talent their first jobs, such as Hayley Attwell (soon to be seen starring opposite Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning), Jacob Dudman (star of Netflix’s The Stranger), and Alexander Vlahos who is starring in Outlander.
There are also roles for up-and-coming producers, directors, artists, and animators, and there’s even a new contest recently launched to find writers for a comedy playhouse series.
“I’m very proud to say that during the first year of the pandemic, we gave out 2,800 jobs, which was important for an industry that had effectively come to a halt,” he says.
“It’s been great seeing new talent come through behind the camera, in front of it, behind the mic and in front of it.
“It’s been great to see people grow.”
Audio dramas for much-loved TV shows aside, Big Finish is hugely successful elsewhere too, winning the Best Live Action Television Award at the 39th Annual Chicago International Children’s Film Festival for More Than This, an Australian teen drama produced by Big Finish.
“We’ve very pleased with that,” Jason says.
Around the corner is a production of Bonnie and Clyde, which will open at The Garrick Theatre on Saturday, March 4.
“We’re now in a position where we’re moving ahead with lots of different projects and that’s great.
“Berkshire has always been a bit of a creative hub, and we employ local people.”
The company might be called Big Finish, but it’s clear this is a company that has a long future ahead of it.
For more, or to explore the Big Finish range, log on to: https://www.bigfinish.com/
