The three 4-hour long Captain Scarlet – The Spectrum Files stories were originally released as TV tie-in novels in the late 1960s, but have now been adapted and recorded as enhanced Captain Scarlet audiobooks and are being performed by Liz Morgan (Destiny Angel, Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons) and Wayne Forester (Captain Scarlet, Gerry Anderson’s New Captain Scarlet).
Liz played Destiny and Rhapsody in the original Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons TV series, as well as Harmony in later episodes. She takes on the characters of Melody Angel (originally played by Sylvia Anderson) and Symphony Angel (originally played by Janna Hill) as well as the role of narrator for the Spectrum File Captain Scarlet audiobooks.
Wayne began working with Gerry Anderson during the Thunderbirds FAB stage show in the early 1990s. He was later cast in Space Precinct, and then the title role in Gerry Anderson’s New Captain Scarlet – the 2005 CGI remake of the classic series. Wayne takes on all the male characters for the three stories.
The stories have been adapted and directed by Gerry Anderson’s younger son Jamie Anderson – a regular writer and director for Big Finish’s Doctor Who main range as well as Terrahawks. Says Jamie:
“Once we knew that it was S.I.G to produce the Spectrum Files as enhanced audiobooks, I knew that the casting of our readers was going to be vitally important. With so many of the original Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons cast sadly no longer with us we couldn’t rely on reuniting an old team. I was thrilled when Liz Morgan agreed to revive her original Angel voices and join us as narrator for the three books. Having Liz on board was a major piece of the puzzle, and it’s fantastic to have such a key member of the original series cast on board. Liz’s years with the BBC Rep and amazing industry experience make her an ideal choice to narrate these 1960s stories.”
“The next major challenge was to find a male voice artist who had the versatility to produce tens of character voices, but also truly understood the Century 21 and 1960s sensibilities and vocal qualities of the fantastic original cast. The natural choice for this role was Wayne Forester. As a long time collaborator with Gerry Anderson, and as the actor who played the lead role in New Captain Scarlet (2005), Wayne was a great fit for this project and has worked tirelessly to capture the warmth and character of the male voices in these new enhanced audiobooks. In fact, many times during the recording, Liz Morgan commented that she felt quite emotional hearing Wayne’s impressive portrayals of many of the characters. I think it was an exciting but emotional time for all of us.”
“The stories are now with the sound designers, who will be adding a detailed and carefully researched Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons soundscape – with retro sound effects, and incidental music which will evoke the feel of the classic series. I cannot wait to hear the first edits coming through in the next couple of months, and I think fans all over the world are going to be thrilled by the extension and expansion of the Captain Scarlet universe through these classic stories brought to life by such a talented cast, sound design and music team!”
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: The Spectrum Files 1-3 will be released in September and can be pre-ordered for £14.99 on Download or £16.99 on CD each, or in a special bargain bundle collecting them together for £30 or £35 respectively (the bundle price going up by £5 when the stories go in general release at the end of October).
Also coming in September from Big Finish is the Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons 50th Anniversary Boxed Set, a gorgeous 7-disc collectible set featuring restored audio versions of episodes and records:
Have you read the original stories and what are you most looking forward to about these Captain Scarlet audiobooks? Let us know in the comments section!
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