The Monthly Adventures #006 - "The Marian Conspiracy" by Jacqueline Raynor

Over the course of however many years it’ll take me to complete the Monthly Adventures, we’re going to be talking a lot about its collection of original companions. If I had to level one praise with Big Finish’s take on the Doctor’s friends, it would be how unique they are. Starved of any companion other than a twenty something from a low income family in contemporary London, I gloriously embraced the pharaohs and the engineers from the far flung future that Big Finish offered me, all beginning here, with the esteemed Evelyn Smythe flung into Tudor London for a rare pure historical that, personally, I find to be a little too highly praised.

Following the interruption of one of Sheffield University history professor Evelyn Smythe’s lectures by a mysterious man called the Doctor, the teacher finds herself flung into her own timestream to iron out a wrinkle in time, whilst avoiding a conspiracy to commit regicide.

(CONTAINS SPOILERS)

Obviously, the best and most well known aspect of The Marian Conspiracy is the aforementioned introduction of Evelyn, who is just a delight. Maggie Stables performs her magnificently, instantly making her not only incredibly likeable but a great foil to the brash Sixth Doctor, who has now been recharacterised by Big Finish when they released it wasn’t fun to have a brazen asshole as our lead. As for the story itself, whilst I certainly do have problems with it, it’s great for the fact that it offers an incredibly interesting peek into history. A lot of historicals, especially non-pure ones, tend to simplify events and details to suit the narrative but The Marian Conspiracy instead opts to have a fascinating portrayal of factual history that distinctly grounds itself in reality and uses that to explore incredibly complex themes with incredible nuance. Mainly, the historical figures present are absolutely brilliantly written; it’s very common to see their portrayal in historical stories as either wholly evil or wholly good but, of course, that’s not how it really is. History is complicated and Raynor wants you to know it, never outright villainising the antagonists or glorifying our allies, everybody’s a real person and it’s great. Through this we also get a fantastic exploration of the religious persecution common at the time, getting to see the mentality of both sides of the argument and the utter injustice on display, it’s a truly fascinating listen purely for the conversations between Mary and the Doctor. As for other details of the plot, we have a great third act reveal, which seems to be a commonality in the audios so far, here discovering Mary’s handmaid Sarah to be conspiring in her assassination, a twist I really didn’t see coming the first time around.

However, I still can’t bring myself to love this audio, and I can’t really tell why since I have so many good things to say about it. It’s incredibly fun, that’s for sure, but the story’s just too generic for me, there’s a lot of sitting around and bloated time that I feel work to make the whole thing incredibly empty and lacking in substance. I also have this pet peeve when it comes to scripts that use coincidence and luck to write their way out of problems, though it’s less deus-ex-machinas and more having the only reason the story doesn’t end be some insane chance, like Evelyn just happening to walk into a bar where the resistance against Mary is, then just so happening to talk to them, then just so happening to accidentally get brought into the plot, that the Doctor just so happens to be a part of after attending to Queen Mary, posing as her physician, with absolutely no detail on how he managed to get into the Queen’s living quarters despite whatever security she surely had. They do eventually get found out however, and are locked in the Tower of London, before escaping. They just… escape and we don’t really see how. They knock out one guard, sure, but only 2% of prisoners ever escaped the Tower of London and we have no idea how the man in the technicolour dream coat and the 60 year old history professor managed it. It’s not bad but the script just doesn’t grab me and I find myself overall unimpressed with the narrative.

An unflinching look back at a dark period of history written with some brilliant tact, some great characters and a fantastic, reasonable stand point surrounding the atrocities depicted. It’s a lot too generic in places, and so I don’t think it’s as perfect as some people make it out to be, but Evelyn’s wonderful, Six is entering his best era and Big Finish is just getting started.

8/10

Pros:

+ Evelyn hits out of the park in her first audio, instantly showing her status as all time great companion

+ Offers a very grounded, realistic take on history

+ Deals excellently with themes of religious persecution and the use of religion in manmade atrocity

+ I adore the portrayal of historical figures as morally grey

+ The third act twist of Sarah being Smith’s accomplice was a nice, final reveal

Cons:

- The plot has too much convenience for my liking

- The narrative is far too generic and vacuous

The Marian Conspiracy feels like a classic Pure Historical adventure. While the plot isn't that complicate, it does provide a compelling story that will make the running time fly by. After all the intrigue, by the end of the story I was satisfied, if not a little sad for PLOT reasons. At first I wasn't sold on new companion Evelyn Smythe, her bossy and grating personality was a turn-off, but by the end of the story I was sold on her. Her temperament is a great match for the Sixth Doctor. The rest of the guest cast did an excellent job, with some of them being recurring names. Overall, this was a great flashback to early Doctor Who story telling.

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

"The Marian Conspiracy: A Tudor Tale with Wit and Intrigue"

Jacqueline Rayner delivers a standout entry in Big Finish's early catalogue with The Marian Conspiracy. This story blends sharp humour, Tudor politics, and the debut of Evelyn Smythe, a companion who quickly became a fan favourite.

The narrative begins with an engaging lecture by Evelyn Smythe, interrupted by the Sixth Doctor as he investigates a nexus point tied to her. This opening not only introduces Evelyn’s no-nonsense, clever persona but also establishes the mystery of her vanishing family history.

Evelyn's pragmatic reaction to the Doctor, time travel, and the TARDIS is a breath of fresh air. She refuses to let the Doctor dominate the narrative, standing as his intellectual equal. The interplay between the two, particularly during their encounter with Queen Elizabeth I, is a highlight. Their witty exchanges establish Evelyn as a perfect foil to Colin Baker's Doctor, offering a dynamic that feels both natural and refreshing.

The story transitions into a delightful pure historical setting, focusing on Tudor court politics and intrigue. Evelyn, with her bold attitude and historical expertise, ventures into trouble on her own, while the Doctor finds himself ensnared in royal schemes as the Queen’s physician. The historical backdrop is richly detailed, enhanced by an excellent soundtrack and period-appropriate dialogue that immerse listeners in the era.

Maggie Stables shines as Evelyn, embodying her intelligence and assertiveness. Her character’s modern sensibilities add a layer of humour, particularly when introducing concepts like cocoa and painkillers to astonished Tudor courtiers. Colin Baker is in peak form, and Anah Ruddin’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth I brings both gravitas and warmth. The supporting cast, especially Barnaby Edwards as Francois De Noailles, clearly enjoy their roles, adding to the lively atmosphere.

While the middle parts of the story focus more on character interactions and scheming than plot progression, these moments are far from dull. They add depth to the narrative, showcasing how individual actions shape history. The final episode brings a series of clever twists and laugh-out-loud moments, revealing how the Doctor and Evelyn inadvertently influenced historical events.

📝Verdict: 9/10

Overall, The Marian Conspiracy is a charming, character-driven tale with sharp writing and a light-hearted tone. It successfully captures the essence of a 1960s-style historical while establishing Evelyn Smythe as one of Big Finish's finest original companions. A must-listen for fans of the Sixth Doctor and those who enjoy a historical adventure with wit and heart.

I loved this story, I don't think I've actually watched any pure historicals (at least, if I have I don't remember them well at all), and I've occasionally wondered how exactly they work compared to the the usual sci-fi fare

This flawlessly showed me how they work, just spectacular, The Doctor interacting with the court and era was fun, but Evelyn Smythe is undoubtedly the star of the show here. A perfect introduction to an amazing character, I love her back chatting the doctor, I loved her having favourite historical figures, I loved her love of coco, all just spectacular

The Marian Conspiracy was a wonderful listen and an excellent jumping on point if you want to get into more consistently well-regarded Sixth Doctor stories. I love the historical elements of this and Evelyn Smythe is an incredible, outstanding companion - one of the few who has travelled with the Doctor that feels like she is able to hold ground with him and be on his level, to a certain degree.

There's a certain bittersweet element to all this, knowing that we lost Maggie Stables a while ago now, but it makes stories like the Marian Conspiracy all the more special and precious. Stables and Colin Baker are truly outstanding in this audio, and I also enjoyed Anah Ruddin as the Queen. They all do a great job and really make the well done writing around these characters leave that much more of an impression.

The writing and acting around Leaf and George Crow leaves a little more to be desired. The way they repeat each others names got a bit grating after a while, and it was a little less interesting than the religious strife and complex Protestant/Catholic politics that are the focus of the Marian Conspiracy. For the most part, this is a smart and thoughtful audio, reminding me of a few of the Short Trips I recently reviewed that dealt with these historical topics, yet the Marian Conspiracy artfully finds its own little niche and I do quite appreciate this audio on the whole. Definitely one of Big Finish's stronger early outings in the Big Finish Monthly Range.