The Kotturuh are judging a planet – whose inhabitants include the Master…

This is the first time that we hear what a Kotturuh (the Bringers of Death) sounds like, courtesy of Jon Culshaw’s narration of Simon Guerrier’s intriguing short story that brings Anthony Ainley’s incarnation of the Master to Big Finish. As with the accompanying release featuring Roger Delgado, there’s a slight shiver up the spine hearing those sibilant inveigling tones brought to life over twenty years since Ainley last played the role (for the Doctor Who game).

Guerrier’s story is as much a character study of this incarnation as it is of the Kotturuh – in some ways we learn more about the species here than we do from Steve Cole’s novel, although the two complement each other well. The Master we encounter in Lesser Evils has been trapped on the planet by his own people for some considerable time and has had the chance to study the flora and fauna, and he’s never one to pass up an opportunity…

Richard Fox’s sound design is given considerable guidance in the early parts by the script (sounds turning to minor keys, for example) and it’s an essential part of the atmosphere that he and director Lisa Bowerman create around Culshaw’s narration.

Verdict: A battle of wits and an insight into the foe. 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to read our review of the accompanying Short Trip, Master Thief

And click here to order the pair from Big Finish