The Doctor Who Universe has many monsters. They run from Autons to Zygons. Of course, the Doctor’s most famous foes are the Daleks. But there is only one foe that could be truly be considered his nemesis, the Master.
Like the Doctor, the Master is a Time Lord. And like the Doctor, the Master has had many faces. But unlike the Doctor, the Master is a force of chaos and evil in the universe. Since he first appeared on the television series in 1971, The Master has tried to enslave the universe or destroy it. To date, the Doctor has always defeated the Master. But what happens when the Doctor is not around? What happens when the Master has to go up against himself? It’s Masterful, of course.
WHAT IS IT?
Masterful is an audio drama celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the character by Big Finish Productions. Big Finish began producing original licensed Doctor Who audio plays in 1999 and since then, has explored and expanded just about every part of the Doctor Who Universe, including the Master. Here, in Doctor Who anniversary tradition, they have gathered together eight different incarnations of the Master, and together, they have to save all existence — if they can keep from killing themselves.
All three modern incarnations of the Master, Michelle Gomez, John Simm, and Sir Derek Jacobi are featured. Milo Parker (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) also joins the cast as an older version of the young Master who is still a student at the academy (as seen at the end of Season 3 of Doctor Who). Geoffrey Beevers, the only surviving Master from the series’ classic era, and Eric Roberts, who played the Master in the 1996 Paul McGann telefilm, joins them. Big Finish has also created a few new incarnations of the Master, from unexplored parts of his timeline. Alex McQueen plays a post-classic era pre-Jacobi version and Mark Gatiss (Sherlock) portrays an alternate universe version.
Now that is a lot of Masters! Given how many there are in this story, it could be a bit daunting if you’ve not listened to a Big Finish production. The 3-hour epic, broken down into three 1 hour episodes, can be a bit overwhelming. Sometimes, especially early on while establishing each regeneration’s arc, you can find it a bit confusing. There are surprises along the way and some rewarding performances. Beevers and Roberts turn in masterly performances. Gomez is her usual mad Missy and Simm, making his Big Finish debut, really gets going when working opposite Jacobi.
If you are up to it, you will be rewarded with a great story.
WHERE TO FIND IT
Big Finish has made this story available in multiple formats. The standard 3 CD version, or as a deluxe 8 CD collector’s version. The latter version contains three additional audio stories: Two “short trips” titled I am the Master, written by and starring Geoffrey Beevers, The Switching, set during the Third Doctor’s time with UNIT featuring the original version of the Master (portrayed on television by the Late Roger Delgado), and Terror of the Master, a full-length audiobook, written by Trevor Baxendale set during the days of UNIT, read by impressionist Jon Culshaw. There is also a CD full of behind the scenes extras. Either version can be purchased as CDs or as direct downloads from BigFinish.com.
