'Mona Lisa's Revenge' (Part 1) by Phil Ford

While enjoying an art lesson with Luke and Rani, Clyde is surprised when Mr Chandra enters the classroom with an important announcement: Clyde has won first prize in a competition to find the country’s most promising young artist! The headmaster shares Clyde’s excitement, because the prize is a visit for Clyde and his classmates to see the ‘Mona Lisa’, the famous painting by Leonardo da Vinci, which is on loan from the Louvre in Paris to London’s International Gallery. Luke rushes home to tell Sarah the good news, only to fall into an argument with his mother over the state of his room. Meanwhile, at the International Gallery, the curator, Mr Harding, and his assistant, Miss Trupp, are proudly overseeing the installation of the ‘Mona Lisa’ in their gallery; they fail to see the painting start to glow, as Lisa del Giocondo somehow starts to move… The next day, Haresh accompanies Class 11T on their visit to the International Gallery; on arrival they are met by Mr Harding, who take them to where Clyde’s prize-winning work is on display. Elsewhere, Miss Trupp checks on the ‘Mona Lisa’ – only to be grabbed by the woman in the painting! Clyde is extremely pleased that his painting of three gun-toting babes is there for all to see, and he takes the cheers of his friends with a broad grin; Luke and Rani are less happy, having noted that their friend has copied the design of Sontaran blasters for his work. Mr Harding takes Clyde and his classmates to see the ‘Mona Lisa’, but when the curator pulls back the red curtains that cover the painting he is surprised to see a painting of a terrified Miss Trupp looking down at them. Mr Harding immediately calls security – the ‘Mona Lisa’ has been stolen! Unaware that Lisa is watching them, Clyde, Luke and Rani decide to investigate for themselves, and after giving Haresh an excuse that they all need to go to the loo, they set off to look for clues. Back at Bannerman Road, Sarah and Mr Smith learn of the painting’s theft from a television news report; hearing that the painting was to have been seen by the prize-winning Clyde, Sarah realises that Luke will be there too, and she decides to go and help. Mr Smith analyses a crime scene photo of the ‘Mona Trupp’ and declares it to be the real painting, as the brushstrokes match those on record for the ‘Mona Lisa’; finding traces of molecular displacement, Mr Smith informs Sarah that Miss Trupp is still alive, trapped inside the five-hundred year-old painting... Searching the gallery, Clyde, Luke and Rani discover that one of the Sontaran guns in Clyde’s painting has also disappeared; however, when they inform Mr Harding of the theft they are interrupted by the arrival of Lisa, now carrying the blaster, which she points straight at them. Arriving at the gallery, Sarah meets Haresh and learns that the police have sealed the building; but that doesn’t stop Sarah, and with the aid of her sonic lipstick she quickly sneaks inside. Mr Harding, Clyde, Luke and Rani refuse to believe that the woman levelling a gun at them is the real ‘Mona Lisa’ come to life, particularly as she now has a Northern accent and a modern turn of phrase; but Lisa isn’t bothered, and she promptly uses the kids as target practice, forcing them to run for their lives. Reaching the safety of one of the galleries, Clyde, Luke and Rani are astonished to discover that the policemen and security guards have all been imprisoned within the paintings on the walls… Mr Harding is overwhelmed at meeting Lisa, who recalls his many visits to see her in the Louvre. Having secured the obsequious Harding’s help, Lisa sets off to find her brother, who is also trapped somewhere in the gallery – the only problem is she doesn’t know what he looks like; both were painted with the same oils, which Leonardo borrowed from his ‘weirdo’ neighbour… Finding the main doors locked, Clyde, Luke and Rani look outside and see Sarah’s car – help is on its way! Having detected two alien energy signatures, Sarah then finds the painting of Miss Trupp, and vows to rescue her; but then Lisa and Mr Harding arrive, and Sarah is taken prisoner at gunpoint. At that moment a terrible growling noise echoes throughout the Gallery: Lisa’s brother is awake. Laughing with delight and awash with ripples of red light, Lisa reaches out for Sarah… Hearing his mother’s scream, Luke rushes to the rescue, but when he, Clyde and Rani reach the main room, they are shocked to find that Sarah has been trapped in a painting – and then they come face-to-face with Lisa…

Elisabeth Sladen (Sarah Jane Smith), Thomas Knight (Luke), Daniel Anthony (Clyde Langer), Anjli Mohindra (Rani Chandra), Alexander Armstrong (Mr Smith [Voice]), John Leeson (Voice of K-9), Mina Anwar (Gita Chandra), Ace Bhatti (Haresh Chandra), Suranne Jones (Mona Lisa), Jeff Rawle (Mr Harding), Liza Sadovy (Miss Trupp), Lizo Mzimba (Lizo), Paul Kasey (The Highwayman)

Directed by Joss Agnew
Produced by Nikki Wilson
Executive Producers Russell T Davies, Julie Gardner and Piers Wenger
A BBC Wales production

TX (BBC 1 & BBC HD):
12th November 2009 @ 4.35 pm

Notes:
*Featuring Sarah Jane Smith, Luke, Clyde, Rani and Mr Smith

*Mr Harding’s reference to the theft of the Cup of Athelstan refers to the events in the ‘Doctor Who’ story, ‘Planet of the Dead’.

*Presumably Lisa has the words ‘THIS IS A FAKE’ written on her bum in felt pen, courtesy of the Doctor in the ‘Doctor Who’ story, ‘City of Death’...