The Master is in trouble – and the last thing he needs is the Doctor…

Felicia Barker makes her Big Finish debut with this story for the original Master – or at least the first one that we saw on TV, whose battles with the third Doctor threaded through seasons 8 to 10, and whose influence hangs over every incarnation that has followed. Jon Culshaw brings him back to life with almost scary accuracy, capturing the way in which Roger Delgado seemed to bring relish to certain words, and it’s almost obligatory to mention that there must be a Saturnine Grin™ around somewhere. The scenes between him and Pertwee’s Doctor are delightful, particularly once we understand the conceit of the story.

The sound design neatly incorporates elements that we know about the Master from the 21st century series (and I’d be intrigued to know if those were in the script or from director Scott Handcock or sound designer Joe Meiners*) with a certain triplet making its presence felt and suggesting that there’s more going on than we might think.

Verdict: Although I’m not sure we need the last scene (unless it’s setting something up elsewhere), this is another great showcase for the real Master. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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*Edited to add: Felicia Barker has informed me that this should be credited to producer Alfie Shaw,