Creatures of Beauty (audio story)

Creatures of Beauty was the forty-fourth monthly Doctor Who audio story produced by Big Finish Productions. It featured the Fifth Doctor, as played by Peter Davison, and Nyssa, as played by Sarah Sutton. This story was written, directed, post produced and scored by Nicholas Briggs.

Publisher's summary

A planetary ecological disaster... An incurable, disfiguring, genetic disease... Aliens, in breach of galactic law...

Nyssa, under arrest... The TARDIS, inoperable... The Doctor, facing interrogation...

Another situation of dire peril is unfolding for the Doctor and his companion. However, what if it is not clear who is right and who is wrong? Who is ugly and who is beautiful?

Where does the story begin, and where does it end?

Sometimes, it is all a matter of perspective.

Plot

to be added

Cast

The Doctor - Peter Davison
Nyssa - Sarah Sutton
Gilbrook - David Daker
Brodlilk - David Mallinson
Lady Forleon - Jemma Churchill
Quain - Nigel Hastings
Seedleson - Michael Smiley
Murone - Philip Wolff
Veline - Emma Manton
The Koteem / Morgue Attendant / Police Officer / Security Guard / Forleon Control / Captain Delarphim / Pilot - Nicholas Briggs
Driver - Ian Farrington

References

Planets

The planet Veln is surrounded by Diestrium pollution.

Species

The Koteem are an arthropod race from just past Andromeda.

TARDIS

The TARDIS emits a warp distortion field.

Notes

The narrative is presented out of sequence. It is used here as dramatic device to tell the story as all the characters within it, including the Doctor and Nyssa, experience events in chronological order.
Writer/Director Nicholas Briggs wrote the play in thematic order. The theme of the play being moral ambiguity and the difficulties that occur when the whole picture isn't clear. He recorded it in chronological order so that all the actors experienced the story as their characters would have.
The development of the character of Lady Forleon is outlined in the CD's liner notes. In an earlier draft of the script, the character was originally to be a female cosmetic surgeon called 'Sabrique'. This was later changed to become a male industrialist who despite appearing to be a philanthropist was in fact colluding with the criminal underworld. This was then developed into the character of Lady Foreleon as seen in the finished play.
The CD's liner notes also mention an unused subplot concerning Nyssa's attempts to escape custody through befriending a quirky female solicitor, a character complete absent from the finished play.
Big Finish: The Inside Story, reveals that Clive Swift was originally offered and accepted the role of Gilbrook, but had to pull out at the last minute due to an illness in the family. Swift had originally appeared as Jobel in TV: Revelation of the Daleks and would later appear as Mr Copper in TV: Voyage of the Damned.
David Daker (Gilbrook) previously played Irongron in TV: The Time Warrior and Captain Rigg in TV: Nightmare of Eden.
This audio drama was recorded on 22 and 24 March 2003 at The Moat Studios.
A comic preview of this story was printed in DWM 331 illustrated by Lee Sullivan.

Continuity

Nyssa mentions visiting Alaska in 1964 and 1994. (AUDIO: The Land of the Dead)

External links

Official Creatures of Beauty page at bigfinish.com
Creatures of Beauty at the Doctor Who Reference Guide
DisContinuity for Creatures of Beauty at Tetrapyriarbus - The DisContinuity Guide

Big Finish Main Range

Fifth Doctor

	Adric, Nyssa, Tegan	The Star Men • The Contingency Club • Zaltys • Kingdom of Lies • Ghost Walk • Serpent in the Silver Mask

	Nyssa	The Land of the Dead • Winter for the Adept • The Mutant Phase • Primeval • Spare Parts • Creatures of Beauty • The Game • Circular Time (Spring • Summer • Autumn • Winter) • Renaissance of the Daleks • Return to the Web Planet • Castle of Fear • The Eternal Summer • Plague of the Daleks • The Demons of Red Lodge and Other Stories • (The Demons of Red Lodge • The Entropy Composition • Doing Time • Special Features) • 1001 Nights (1001 Nights, My Brother's Keeper, The Interplanetarian, Smuggling Tales) • 1963: Fanfare for the Common Men • Alien Heart • Dalek Soul

	Nyssa, Brewster	The Haunting of Thomas Brewster • The Boy That Time Forgot • Time Reef • A Perfect World

	Nyssa, Hannah	Moonflesh • Tomb Ship • Masquerade

	Nyssa, Tegan	The Waters of Amsterdam • Aquitaine • The Peterloo Massacre

	Nyssa, Tegan, Marc	Tartarus • Interstitial • Feast of Fear • Warzone • Conversion • Madquake

	Nyssa, Tegan, Turlough	Cobwebs • The Whispering Forest • The Cradle of the Snake • Heroes of Sontar • Kiss of Death • Rat Trap • The Emerald Tiger • The Jupiter Conjunction • The Butcher of Brisbane • Eldrad Must Die! • The Lady of Mercia • Prisoners of Fate • Mistfall • Equilibrium • The Entropy Plague

	Tegan, Turlough, Kamelion	Devil in the Mist • Black Thursday • Power Game • The Kamelion Empire

	Tegan, Leela	Time in Office

	Turlough	Phantasmagoria • Loups-Garoux • Singularity • The Memory Bank and Other Stories (The Memory Bank • The Last Fairy Tale • Repeat Offender • The Becoming) • The Blazing Hour • The End of the Beginning

	Peri	Red Dawn • Exotron • Urban Myths • Mission of the Viyrans

	Peri, Erimem	The Eye of the Scorpion • The Church and the Crown • Nekromanteia • The Axis of Insanity • The Roof of the World • Three's a Crowd • The Council of Nicaea • The Kingmaker • Son of the Dragon • The Mind's Eye • The Bride of Peladon

	Amy	The Judgement of Isskar • The Destroyer of Delights • The Chaos Pool

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Omega • The Gathering • The Four Doctors • The Burning Prince • The Secret History • And You Will Obey Me • The Helliax Rift • Time Apart (Ghost Station • The Bridge Master • What Lurks Down Under • The Dancing Plague) • Thin Time • Shadow of the Daleks 1 (Aimed at the Body • Lightspeed • The Bookshop at the End of the World • Interlude) • Shadow of the Daleks 2 (Echo Chamber • Towards Zero • Castle Hydra • Effect and Cause)

Sixth Doctor

	Peri	Whispers of Terror • ...ish • Cryptobiosis • The Reaping • Year of the Pig • Recorded Time and Other Stories (Recorded Time • A Most Excellent Match • Question Marks • Paradoxicide) • 1963: The Space Race • Breaking Bubbles and Other Stories (Breaking Bubbles • Of Chaos Time The • An Eye For Murder • The Curious Incident of the Doctor in the Night-Time) • The Widow's Assassin • Masters of Earth • The Rani Elite • Memories of a Tyrant • Emissary of the Daleks • Harry Houdini's War • Plight of the Pimpernel

	Evelyn	The Marian Conspiracy • The Spectre of Lanyon Moor • The Apocalypse Element • Bloodtide • Project: Twilight • The Sandman • Jubilee • Doctor Who and the Pirates • Project: Lazarus • Arrangements for War • Medicinal Purposes • Pier Pressure • The Nowhere Place • 100 (100 BC • My Own Private Wolfgang • Bedtime Story • The 100 Days of the Doctor) • Assassin in the Limelight

	Evelyn, Brewster	The Crimes of Thomas Brewster • The Feast of Axos • Industrial Evolution

	Frobisher	The Holy Terror • The Maltese Penguin

	Charley	The Condemned • The Doomwood Curse • Brotherhood of the Daleks • Return of the Krotons • The Raincloud Man • Patient Zero • Paper Cuts • Blue Forgotten Planet

	"Jamie"	City of Spires • The Wreck of the Titan • Legend of the Cybermen

	Flip	The Curse of Davros • The Fourth Wall • Wirrn Isle • Antidote to Oblivion • The Brood of Erys • Scavenger • Vortex Ice • Cortex Fire

	Constance	Criss-Cross • Planet of the Rani • Shield of the Jötunn • Order of the Daleks • Absolute Power • Colony of Fear • The End of the Beginning

	Constance, Flip	Quicksilver • The Behemoth • The Middle • Static • Cry of the Vultriss • Scorched Earth • The Lovecraft Invasion

	Mel	The One Doctor • The Juggernauts • Catch-1782 • Thicker Than Water • The Wishing Beast • The Vanity Box • The Wrong Doctors • Spaceport Fear • The Seeds of War

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Davros • The Wormery • Her Final Flight • I.D. • Urgent Calls • The Four Doctors • The Acheron Pulse • Trial of the Valeyard • Last of the Cybermen • Vampire of the Mind • The Lure of the Nomad • Iron Bright • Hour of the Cybermen • The Hunting Ground

Seventh Doctor

	Mel	The Fires of Vulcan • Bang-Bang-a-Boom! • Flip-Flop • Unregenerate! • Red • We Are The Daleks • The Warehouse • Terror of the Sontarans

	Ace	The Fearmonger • The Genocide Machine • Dust Breeding • Colditz • The Rapture • 1963: The Assassination Games • You Are the Doctor and Other Stories (You Are the Doctor • Come Die With Me • The Grand Betelgeuse Hotel • Dead to the World) • The Grey Man of the Mountain

	Ace, Hex	The Harvest • Dreamtime • LIVE 34 • Night Thoughts • The Settling • No Man's Land • Nocturne • The Dark Husband • Forty-Five (False Gods • Order of Simplicity • Casualties of War • The Word Lord) • The Magic Mousetrap • Enemy of the Daleks • The Angel of Scutari • Project: Destiny • A Death in the Family • Lurkers at Sunlight's Edge • Protect and Survive • Revenge of the Swarm • Mask of Tragedy • Shadow Planet • World Apart • Muse of Fire • The Flying Dutchman • Displaced

	Ace, Benny	The Shadow of the Scourge • The Dark Flame

	Sally	House of Blue Fire

	Ace, Hex, Lysandra, Sally	Black and White • Gods and Monsters

	Ace, Hex, Sally	Afterlife • Signs and Wonders

	Ace, Mel	A Life of Crime • Fiesta of the Damned • Maker of Demons • The High Price of Parking • The Blood Furnace • The Silurian Candidate • Red Planets • The Dispossessed • The Quantum Possibility Engine

	Mags	The Monsters of Gokroth • The Moons of Vulpana • An Alien Werewolf in London

	Klein	A Thousand Tiny Wings • Klein's Story • Survival of the Fittest • The Architects of History • Warlock's Cross

	Klein, Will	Persuasion • Starlight Robbery • Daleks Among Us

	Jo	The Defectors

	Solo travels	The Sirens of Time • Project: Lazarus • Master • Return of the Daleks • Valhalla • Frozen Time • Death Collectors • Spider's Shadow • Kingdom of Silver • Keepsake • The Four Doctors • Robophobia • The Doomsday Quatrain • The Shadow Heart • The Two Masters • Dark Universe • The Psychic Circus • Subterfuge • The End of the Beginning

Eighth Doctor

	Mary Shelley	Mary's Story • The Silver Turk • The Witch from the Well • Army of Death

	Charley	Storm Warning • Sword of Orion • The Stones of Venice • Minuet in Hell • Invaders from Mars • The Chimes of Midnight • Seasons of Fear • Embrace the Darkness • The Time of the Daleks • Neverland • Zagreus • Scherzo • The Girl Who Never Was• The End of the Beginning

	Charley, C'rizz	The Creed of the Kromon • The Natural History of Fear • The Twilight Kingdom • Faith Stealer • The Last • Caerdroia • The Next Life • Terror Firma • Scaredy Cat • Other Lives • Time Works • Something Inside • Memory Lane • Absolution

	Solo & other travels	The Company of Friends (Benny's Story • Fitz's Story • Izzy's Story) • An Earthly Child • The Four Doctors

All stories from Big Finish Productions' main monthly range from 1999 to 2021 are included in this navigation box, including the "subscriber exclusive" stories which were part of the subscription service for this range.

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