I very much enjoyed this story, and am giving it a 4.5/5. I like how it began silly and making fun of itself, with darker themes such a suicide and grief being handled tactfully. The use of the unreliable narrator (aka Evelyn and the Doctor making things up for dramatic effect (and funsies)) was delightful, and I liked the way the theme music was used as part of the joke, with the music separating the parts repeated at certain changes of narrators. Another absolutely lovely story from Rayner (and, after reading a certain story of hers that I really disliked, this very much restores my faith!)

Oh my, did Rayner just have good ol' Sixie call the Daleks robots?? Someone's getting exterminated!

Depois de uma sequência de histórias regulares é chegado o tão aguardado momento de “Doctor Who And The Pirates” vocês não imaginam o quão ansioso estava para consumir isso, e o melhor é que correspondeu a todas as minhas expectativas. Esse é um dos áudios mais versáteis e divertidos que já me deparei nas minhas inúmeras experiencias com a BIG FINISH que possui um jeito diferenciado de contar sua história - Conhecemos uma aluna de Evelyn chamada Sally que infelizmente acabou causando um acidente de carro perdendo seu amado parceiro, a garota se encontra de luto em estado depressivo, seus sentimentos de culpa faz a escrever uma carta de despedida para sua professora. Depois de receber a carta o 6° Doctor e Evelyn viajam no tempo alguns minutos depois que Sally a escreveu na tentava de alterar sua escolha, contando-lhe uma boa história de piratas. A sacada narrativa inteligentíssima de Jacqueline Rayner torna a experiência mais leve e divertida daquelas que não notamos os minutos passarem, as interrupções de Sally durante a história contada pela Evelyn e o Doctor são hilárias, ela reconhece várias imprecisões históricas como um pirata de duas pernas de pau, marujos que se expressam com frases e reações superficiais e forçadas como "Shiver me Timbers" traduzido ao pé da letra fica “raios e coriscos” abrasileirando seria algo parecido com “macacos me mordam”, também reclamando que todos os piratas soavam iguais. Uma outra ótima sacada foi escolher propositalmente relatar uma história pirata genérica cheia de clichês com direito a luta de espadas, mapa do tesouro, saqueamento de navios e etc – Tudo isso se torna genial quando sacamos toda sua intenção cômica por trás de seu enredo, além de zombar do gênero ele conta com várias transições de tons que vai deis do drama a emoção, comédia, ação até mesmo se tornar um musical em sua terceira parte. O resultado disso tudo é uma mensagem bem emocionante e bonita de querer mostrar as pessoas de problemas de saúde psicológicos que devemos viver uma história de cada vez convencendo seu ouvinte que vale apena seguir em frente e sempre existirá uma luz de esperança, traumas serão curados com o tempo e a importância em ter pessoas dispostas para te auxiliar esse processo. Em resumo, Doctor Who And The Pirates vai muito além de uma tosca história sobre piratas genéricos, na verdade é quase que uma terapia divertida e radiante com momentos de reflexões e mensagens que só provam que Doctor Who é um programa diferenciado.
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This is without a doubt a "must listen" part 2 has the best cliffhanger I've heard out of any of these early stories. The fact they made all of part 3 a musical - something which is not reflected anywhere else in the story is truly ballsy. The chemistry between Evelyn and The 6th Doctor continues to impress and is totally unlike any other companion/ Doctor dynamic. Evelyn as the unreliable narrator is particularly amusing.

Having said all this its got a very thin plot and is deliberately cliched in many ways, so while I say its a "must listen" I wouldn't go as far as to say its one of my favourites. Its a classic though.

Thworping through time and space, one adventure at a time! 

"Doctor Who and the Pirates: A Swashbuckling Singalong with Surprising Depth"

“Pirates make everything better,” Evelyn declares, and Doctor Who and the Pirates proves her right in spades. Jacqueline Rayner delivers a hilarious and inventive romp that not only embraces classic pirate tropes but elevates them with sharp humour, musical brilliance, and an emotionally resonant undercurrent.

The story is cleverly framed by Evelyn narrating the adventure to one of her students. This device, reminiscent of The Princess Bride, allows for a playful deconstruction of the narrative as the student questions Evelyn's embellishments and forces her to revise on the fly. It’s a wonderfully meta touch that adds layers of charm and hilarity to the experience.

A Script That Shines

Rayner’s knack for blending historical settings with a comedic twist, first showcased in The Marian Conspiracy, is on full display here. The script overflows with witty dialogue, clever wordplay, and larger-than-life characters. Every joke lands, and the swashbuckling adventure brims with rum barrels, treasure maps, and all the piratical tropes you could hope for.

The pirates themselves are delightful caricatures, led by the uproariously funny Red Jasper, played with scene-stealing gusto by Bill Oddie. Nicholas Pegg also shines as a hilariously inept sea captain, adding to the rollicking chaos.

Musical Brilliance

What sets Doctor Who and the Pirates apart is its audacious leap into full-blown musical territory. Part 3 transitions into a genuine musical extravaganza, complete with original songs that rival the best in Doctor Who’s history. Colin Baker’s rendition of “I Am the Very Model of a Gallifreyan Buccaneer” is a standout—both impressively performed and laugh-out-loud funny.

The songs are diverse and expertly crafted, with Helen Goldwyn delivering especially strong vocals. “I'm a Better Sailor Far Than You” is a particular highlight, blending humour and melody seamlessly. The musical elements elevate the story to a level of pure joy and creativity rarely seen in the franchise.

A Twist of Emotion

Amid the laughs and catchy tunes, Doctor Who and the Pirates takes a surprising turn in Part 3, revealing a tragic twist involving Sally, Evelyn’s student. This moment arrives as a gut-punch, grounding the story in a poignant reality that contrasts starkly with the comedic chaos. It’s a masterstroke of tonal balance, giving the adventure an emotional weight that lingers long after the final song.

Performances that Sparkle

Colin Baker and Maggie Stables are in top form. Baker effortlessly switches between comedic flamboyance and the gravitas required for the story’s darker moments, while Stables anchors the narrative with her warmth and sharp wit. Her chemistry with Baker is as delightful as ever, and she carries much of the story with grace and charm.

The supporting cast is equally strong. Bill Oddie’s Red Jasper is a riot, and Nicholas Pegg brings impeccable comic timing to his role. The ensemble’s commitment to the musical numbers is especially commendable, adding to the story’s infectious energy.

A Satisfying Finale

The final part ties together the pirate adventure and the framing device in a satisfying and heartfelt conclusion. The treasure hunt provides a rousing end to the swashbuckling antics, while Evelyn’s interactions with Sally give the story a poignant resolution.

The Verdict: A Pirate Classic

Doctor Who and the Pirates is a triumph of inventive storytelling, blending humour, music, and heartfelt drama into an unforgettable adventure. Jacqueline Rayner’s script is razor-sharp, the performances are stellar, and the musical numbers are a delight.

Whether you’re a fan of pirates, musicals, or just great Doctor Who, this story is a treasure worth discovering.

📝90/100

What a beautiful story. My expectations were over the moon and they were still blown out of the water (water like like pirates on the sea guys). Probably also my bias for sea settings and ultra cliché horribly inaccurate portrayals of pirates. While listening I played some games where i just walked around in a pirate-island setting, so I was locked in to be fully immersed in this one ya know what i mean.

But then, and I’ve gotta be fair here, even if I enjoyed the stupid pirates a lot, as other reviewers have pointed out, the plot is terribly simplistic and the pacing all over the place, but like, I think it kinda works for me thematically? It’s a bit just scene after scene, skipping over stuff, it actually feels like a recount of an adventure instead of a standard DW adventure. All the messy desperateness to get to plot points they want, to needless extending of a scene, feels like a very specific stylistic writing choice, especially because we know that Rayner can write meticulously paced stories. I mean we’ve all heard The Marian Conspiracy.

This writing style doesn’t work for a normal story, but for this special case where the adventure isn’t the actual story, it works. It does make you think if the story really needs to be this long, and you know what? Maybe it doesn’t. It could’ve possibly been way tighter as a one hour story, but you know what again? I like it better this way. From purely a script perspective, there is a lot of unnecessary pirate blabbering, but overall, I think it helps with setting the tone, the vibes as they say. Not the vibes of the sea (yarr-arr) but those of Evelyn and Six and Sally. The filler-y nature of the pirate story allows the real story to become a bit of a slow burn. It’s always when nothing is said that the most is said (that works both ways) and I think this story shows this very well. When Evelyn awkwardly tries to avoid Sally’s questions and starts going on a long talk about irrelevant details, it’s saying so much by having her say nothing (meanwhile she’s saying lots of things that don’t really say anything. Both ways i said!). Like yeah it’s weird to have the primary part of your story be a worse story that really just plays a supporting role to your main narrative, but that’s also why I love it so much. It’s so Doctor Who, like nothing else can be.

The idea of this seems unappealing. Not like something that’ll get you lots of sells. It goes so overboard (ha ha get it) in its attempt to have such a realistic feel that it sacrifices its marketable surface. Hollywood executives would say it’s counterintuitive to the whole point of creation. But you know. You and I know what the real point is.

Be weird, be diverse, be allowed to do something else. This story out of universe is the successtory of a story that wasn’t afraid to not conform to conventionalities. A realization for me about what people mean when they talk about early Big Finish being willing to experiment.

I do understand that this isn’t a story for everyone, and I do see how one could even find it off putting, but for me it really works. And then some, because. Well.

And then, euh, my guilty pleasure that I have avoided talking about… I genuinely really enjoy the silly pirate story as well. IT’S MY THING OKAY I LOVE THIS SHIT. I already told you how i was ‘locked in’ and stuff, i was READY for this nonsense and I would have probably loved this regardless of if it was actually good or not. Yeah, I have a type. Just saying if you’re a campy story sailing the seven seas I won’t mind if you gave me your number.

I don’t think I really need to explain what i like about the story about grief and depression and suicide. That’s pretty obviously stellar, and i feel there are people who could more eloquently put its beauty into words than me. So instead I’ll just give my hot take, or maybe not hot take idk, opinion that this is a way more elegant story about suicide than The Chimes of Midnight. Not that that isn’t a 10/10 story, but that’s also for different reasons, and this is a 10/10 plus a little red heart. Essentially Pirates and Chimes have the same core message, but I think Pirates does a way better job at flowing that message throughout the themes of its story, and is less heavy-handed in the delivery.

Damn i went through all that and didn’t even mention the songs. Yeah, part three might just be the single most entertaining episode of Doctor Who in any media. That is recency bias. When you read this I most possibly don’t think that anymore lol. But I have always loved song parodies from a young age, with Dutch comedy duo ‘Van Der Laan en Woe’ being very heavily responsible for this, (why not, i had to add some personal experience about my life to this review) and this falls perfectly into that. What do people say about this sorta thing usually? Oh right. “Great stuff.”

I’ve now started thinking about writing a song parody into this review but I feel like that would be very much overkill and also it’ll be terrible so that’s gotta wait for the next musical episode. Yeah I’ll end it there that’s a good review ending methinks.