Are you sitting comfortably? Then he’ll begin…

The temptation to simply write get this, listen to it now is almost overwhelming, and I wonder if there’s some sort of subliminal coding in the recording of Geoffrey Beevers’ beautifully pitched monologue as the Master that makes reviewers automatically give it the highest of marks…

Actually, this doesn’t need any sort of persuasion to be given 10/10. It’s an entrancing forty or so minutes that gives the lie to the idea that all actors simply come in, say their lines, get the paycheque and go home, not worrying about their character. Beevers has played the Master on and off for nearly 40 years now and knows his particular incarnation inside out. It’s not often that I’ll laugh out loud at something in one of the audios, but there are at least a couple of occasions where I couldn’t help myself – as well as frequent chuckles at the very meta nature of the story.

There are some intriguing perspectives provided on the way that the Master views his plans and the clear suggestion that he’s considerably older than the Doctor, given the amount of time he’s spent on them. There’s also some quite barbed social commentary along the way.

Verdict: More please – a Master-ful script and performance. 10/10

Paul Simpson