Zoe explains how she came to be involved with Hamlet’s first TV broadcast…

This is one of those scripts that will either have you laughing aloud at the meta nature of Paul Morris’ storytelling (and anyone with knowledge of Doctor Who fandom in the UK and the hunt for missing episodes in the 1980s onwards will find multiple levels here), or get you annoyed at its over cleverness. Wendy Padbury and Rufus Hound pitch their performances spot on – any leaning into the inherent humour would make it definitely not work – and it’s a story that you just accept that it might not tally completely with established continuity.

It’s built off one of the most common suggestions for the Meddling Monk – the premature arrival of television – and Morris carefully constructs the new reality, before tearing it down. There’s plenty of opportunity for both performers to go outside their standard roles – there’s a lot of “value added material” as adjuncts that feel initially like padding, until you realise their purpose.

Hound’s Monk is always a delight and the verbal sparring between him and Padbury works well. Don’t take this one too seriously (on a par with Nev Fountain’s The Kingmaker) and it’s a fun hour.

Verdict: An ode to past glories. 8/10

Paul Simpson

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