Mayfair Monster, The coverThe turn of the last millennium, and Dorian gets a new playmate…

The latest adventure for Dorian is – for reasons which will be obvious to those who’ve followed the series – set prior to the events of the final story of the recent run, and sees Dorian still coming to terms with some of his late twentieth-century encounters. He’s open to games of hedonistic pleasure, and it seems as if he’s found a suitable partner in Hannah Spearritt’s Natalie Isaacs – but she has her own agenda, and it’s not one that Dorian necessarily is going to enjoy.

Like The Prime of Deacon Brodie, this is an extended story, but this time divided into two parts (originally released a week apart), which means it never feels as if it’s dragging. The two parts are very different: the first emphasises Dorian’s selfish ways, particularly in the way that he treats Colin Baker’s Tom Sadler; the second deals with the Mayfair Monster, created at the start of the twenty-first century, and while you may hope that Dorian learns something from that encounter, the suspicion at the end is that he’s not going to.

The Mayfair Monster also resembles The Prime… in another important aspect, which shows how well Alexander Vlahos has both created the character in our minds – and knows how to write him (he shares credit on this tale). The scenes between the Monster and Tom Sadler are well-written, directed and performed by veteran actors Bernard Holley and Baker, while Spearritt gets a chance to demonstrate other sides to her acting range that those who only know her from Primeval may not yet have experienced.

Verdict: With some very creepy moments – notably in the final act as Dorian learns the truth about Natalie – this is an effective addition to the range. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order The Mayfair Monster from Big Finish

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