The Stuff of Legend

"Only the light can bind the darkness."

Writer: Robert Valentine

Format: Audio

Released: September 2024

Series: Eighth Doctor Adventures Special

Featuring: Eighth Doctor, Charley

Synopsis

Something is afoot in the lonely Cornish village of Merrymaid Bay. Rumours of dead men working in the tin mines have sent a chill through the community, and it's up to the Doctor and Charley to get to the bottom of the mystery.

Can the legends of the Bucca that haunts the mines be true? And just what awesome power do the Doctor's greatest enemies – the Daleks! – threaten to unleash upon the universe?

Verdict

The Stuff of Legend was an excellent special story for the Eighth Doctor Adventures! I must admit I was disappointed not to be in a position to be able to attend the live performance of this adventure in London, but with the finances involved in getting to the capital along with childcare responsibilities, it unfortunately just wasn't going to be possible. But it looked like so much fun! Just seeing that image of Paul McGann in his late Eighth Doctor regalia and India Fisher in the background as Charley with them inside the iconic TARDIS police box was spectacular. They're one of my all time favourite pairings so to see them get to perform in front of an audience was a real treat. I do hope there are more of this kind of thing in the future as I would definitely try again. A different location would be tremendous. I am fascinated after hearing this studio version how the performance would have played out, but the story itself is rather excellent. I mean, a combination of both the Daleks and the Master is always going to appeal to me and I was quite impressed with how separate both parties were made to be. That worked well. This wasn't an alliance and it actually had the Master helping the Doctor slightly towards the end. I thought the Cornwall setting with Merrymaid Bay was brilliant and I absolutely adored the Doctor's reference to The Smugglers and his encounter with Captain Pike. That was really nicely done and a fun little serial to comment back upon. The missing men within the village turning out to be Robomen within mines was a really strong reveal and with The Dalek Invasion of Earth holding a special place in my fandom heart as the first First Doctor story I watched, I'm a sucker for them returning. They sounded really strong as well and their whole role in the story felt very much in line with their first appearance given the mine placement. That worked well. I thought the reveal of the Master at the cliffhanger was a fun moment and his disguise being in the form of the Cornish word for his name was great stuff. What else would it be? Hearing Alex Macqueen again is excellent and his performance here was chilling as you would hope for this villain. The reactions of Charley and Emily when the name meant nothing to them at the start of the second part was a magnificent moment that I appreciated so much. The Master didn't quite know what to make of that! He soon learned of the Doctor's presence and that they were his latest playthings, but he was more surprised to find Daleks present. Charles getting to reveal that to the Doctor later was terrific. I thought the suggestion of the Master being the Doctor's brother was actually rather monumental as the latter didn't dispute it whilst also not actually admitting it. It was like Planet of Fire all over again with the ambiguity and not quite telling us! I'm not sure if I have viewed them that way, but I could certainly see it and I wouldn't be disappointed if that ever did get confirmed. I thought the narration from the older Emily was a nice touch and definitely gave a bit more credence to the title. It felt like a story and I'm sure that would have worked well in the live performance. It certainly seemed an aspect of the story specifically with that in mind which was good. The TARDIS arriving to greet her there at the end after a long way away was a lovely little way to conclude. I liked the threat of the Daleks harnessing the telluric field of the Earth and the power it would yield over the planet was explained well. I appreciated the danger and the horror reaction of the suggestion to potentially remove it as well as control it was fantastic. The Master's TARDIS at the end being disguised as the iron maiden was simply wonderful and a fine means of escape just when it seemed like he had finally perished. That was terrifically done. Overall, a really strong story! Befitting of a live performance with some stellar ingredients! 

Rating: 9/10