The Peterloo Massacre

"This city is about to go to war against its own people."

Writer: Paul Magrs

Format: Audio

Released: March 2016

Series: Monthly Adventures 210

Featuring: Fifth Doctor, Nyssa, Tegan

Synopsis

"They say there'll be thousands pouring into Manchester tomorrow. From all over the county, north and south. It'll be a piece of history. People will remember this!"

Lost in the smog of the Industrial Revolution, the TARDIS crashes four miles south of Manchester, in the grounds of Hurley Hall – a grand mansion belonging to a local factory owner, a proudly self-made man. But while Hurley dreams of growing richer still on the wealth of secret knowledge locked up in the Doctor's time and space machine, his servants hope only for a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. His young maid Cathy, for instance, whom Nyssa learns is looking forward to joining the working people's march to St Peter's Field, in the heart of the city. There'll be speeches and banners and music. It'll be like one big jamboree...

Or so she thinks. For the city's establishment have called in their own private militia, to control the crowd. One of the darkest days in Manchester's history is about to unfold – and the Doctor, Nyssa and Tegan are right in the thick of it.

Verdict

The Peterloo Massacre was an excellent story to conclude this trilogy of Fifth Doctor stories from the Monthly Adventures! This has been a really strong following on from where Arc of Infinity left off with Tegan's return to the TARDIS following the events of Time-Flight. This might just have been the best though! I do love a pure historical and this is quite the historical event to throw the TARDIS trio into. I knew about this massacre and the importance this had to the genesis of working rights, but I adored being thrown into the world of 1819. As a fan of Liverpool FC, Manchester is not my most favourite of cities but I understand its importance to the north-west of England and that was presented really well. The fact that a reporter from London arrived in the city was met with big news and they were rather glad with the recognition. I enjoyed the simplicity of the TARDIS needing a day or two for self-repair to keep the trio put in the nineteenth century and that presented a strong challenge for Tegan. She wanted to change history to prevent the massacre that was coming and I really liked the urgency shown by the Doctor when he realised the TARDIS instruments had got the year wrong. It wasn't 1816 like they read and that meant the Doctor knew what was coming. Cathy was a wonderful character and I really liked the relationship she built with Nyssa. They blossomed into a really nice pairing and the care the Trakenite had for baby Peter was admirable. I mean, it was pretty obvious from the get go though that we were going full on The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances in him actually being the son of Cathy rather than her brother. And that just made the trampling in the charge all the more heartbreaking. It was bad enough that Cathy was knocked down and injured, but for Peter to die was just horrifying. The thought was frightening. The reaction of Cathy when she came around was equally so. Mr Hurley was a very unlikeable character and I thought he played the natural villain really well. He was so consumed by making a profit and the moment he wasn't even bothered that a child worker got caught in his equipment highlighted that from the off. He was only concerned with output. Tegan pointing out how he was benefitting from slave working was great stuff and I love how her boisterous nature comes across in the past when ideals were very different indeed. William Hurley as his son was a much nicer character though and I liked how he was going to take things into his own hands when it came to his father. Settling the account indeed! The insinuation and Nyssa working out that William was actually Peter's father was just adding to the family drama and Mrs Hurley couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was a pretty pathetic character which was absolutely the intention. I thought the story dealt with familial emotion really well whilst also tackling the importance of history and the development of working rights. I was just so impressed with everything that happened and the Doctor even being tempted to put a stop to things where Hurley was concerned in learning that he orchestrated things. The Doctor and Nyssa getting caught up as the witnesses to the Riot Act being read was devastating as well. The Doctor also trying to get Thomas Tyler to report the truth and not pander to the upper class was fantastic as despite being called posh earlier in the adventure, he was a man of the working people. Overall, powerful stuff and a great listen! It's almost funny they just leave amidst family drama after the baby bombshell. 

Rating: 9/10