Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10
Cast: Peter Davison, Geoffrey Beevers, Sheena Bhattessa, Alex Foley, Peta Cornish, Russ Bain, Tessa Coates, Nick Ellsworth.
No matter the incarnation of the Doctor, he is arguably at his sublime best when facing the prospect of battling one of two men in the Universe. Whether it is the maniacal, fascist like Davros or the dangerously charming and incredibly psychotic Master, both men are the epitome of thorns in the side of the man who loves Humanity just a little too much.
It is the Master though, the same coin, just a rougher side and one with cracks in the psyche, that really brings the best out in the Doctor, how could he not, your best friend in childhood, no matter how they turn out in the future, is the one who is able to press your buttons and lead you down roads you thought you would never travel. It is the megalomania behind the Master’s eyes that make you feel entranced, make you believe in the higher power he is offering. If Davros is the fictional replication of the evil that swarmed inside the Nazi Germany, then the Master is surely much worse, he is the embodiment of what we can all become should we allow the ego to drive us to the point of malevolence and foul criminality.
Alan Barnes’ And You Will Obey Me takes the Master for everything that he is worth, all that is dying and corrupt and makes his once more a formidable foe, a sneaky, advantage seeking wicked man and perhaps under the guise of the fantastic Geoffrey Beevers, a part that really shows off just how good he can be.
Without his usual companions to help him out, to keep him from becoming too reckless, The Doctor is forced to seek help from those the Master has deceived but that comes with its own price, its own potential downfall and sometimes the friends we make as children turn out to be just as manipulative and self serving if they believe power and their dreams is being offered to them.
The writing is enjoyable, even without the structure of the default companion base to rely on, it conjures up the potential, maximised in both Peter Davison and Colin Baker’s portrayals of the role; that the Doctor can stand alone at times and just be as thrilling to listen too without the same voices questioning his every move.
And You Will Obey Me is an audio drama that unleashes the potential of both the Master and the Doctor, the shuffling of people around them, the possible positioning for the mental battle ahead creating a vortex of distrust and illusion; it makes the Master once again the most formidable of foes.
Doctor Who: And You Will Obey Me is available to purchase from Worlds Apart on Lime Street, Liverpool.
Ian D. Hall