The Stuff Of Legend: LIVE

Almost two weeks late I finally remember to write a review!

The story itself was a great time, and very clearly written as an anniversary story. Lots of fanservice, silly jokes and fun moments!

But the actual live experience is what made this go from a solid 4/5 to a 5/5. Seeing Nick Briggs do the Daleks live was a magical experience. Hearing the crowd laugh at all the same jokes I laughed at. A couple jokes that were references to very obscure things that only a handful of us (myself included, ain't I so cool???) laughed at.

I had a seat perfectly in the middle of my row in the stalls, which meant I got a perfect view of one of my favourite Doctors front and centre, and Paul McGann really was a delight! You can tell he loved the script, as he often was smiling at scenes he wasn't even in. Every performance was great across the board but he really stole the show as always.

India Fisher returning to Charley pre-DU arc was so lovely! I forgot how great a character she was before she was bogged down by all the angst and romance and misogynistic writers of the DU era. And I love that the pseudo companion was just a little too enthusiastic for Charley consistently.

Being there for the return of my 3rd favourite Master after many years, and seeing him perform live was incredible. Macqueen has always clearly just had fun playing the villain and you could really see it here. Everyone cheered when he said THE line. Absolutely camp and menacing, he's such a delight!

The set was so gorgeous, and hearing the foley live and seeing how they did it was so fun too!

Overall, just an incredible experience I don't see myself ever forgetting about.

Going to London to see this seemed like an expensive do, probably required spending the night, with travelling costs not to mention the ticket etc. So I took the decision not to go... But then athey added another day, and I did quite want to go, so it turned into a few days away.

Though I wasn't a fan of the Eighth Doctor's TV story, I loved him when he came to audio. At the time his audios were the new series and I loved Charlie, so this was a chance to see Paul Mcgann be the Eighth Doctor, and he was in costume. And with India Fisher as Charlie it was the icing on the cake.

I recently saw The Hound Of The Baskervilles radio show with Colin Baker, and this was a similar experience. Some set dressing - in this case a Dalek, TARDIS polic box and Console (not the Eighth Doctors one though) but its nice that they made the effort. Each of the actors stood (or sat when not speaking) behind a mike, with a foley artist doing the sound effects.

After a brief introduction, with a squeaking TARDIS console turned off, the story began.

In a  small village people are dissapearing and there's something in the mines.

Called the Stuff of Legend, its not really a celebration of Doctor Who itself, but does feature the Daleks, the Master (played by Alex Macqueen, and Its quite a nice version of the Master) though I feel neither were used to their full potential. Carolyn Seymour featured as well, though, again I felt she was a little under used.

With a few jokes and fluffs - Nick Briggs as a Dalek dying before he got shot! it was a really terrific experience, and I'm glad I went.

I do hope they do another, the live nature of he event is what makes it.

This is was an afternoon I will never forget! It was a rare opportunity to share my love for Doctor Who with fellow fans, including some familiar faces from the tardis.guide community. To witness Doctor Who live and in person is a rare treat!

The quality of the overall experience outweighed the quality of the story. I must admit to shedding a tear or two at points, feeling heightened emotions. Seeing The Doctor (the real Doctor!!) on stage alongside Charlie, The Master, and The Daleks is a memory I will cherish forever.

Plot-wise, for the first two-thirds the focus on The Doctor was well-executed. However, I felt the narrative faltered slightly towards the end (as is often the case with Doctor Who!). The Master's discovery of the Daleks' plan should have elicited a more compelling reaction, highlighting his unique villainy in contrast to their ruthless extermination policy. The second half could have benefited from showcasing The Master's perspective more prominently.

Performances were uniformly excellent. Paul McGann, India Fisher, Alex McQueen, Nicholas Briggs, Barnaby Edwards, and the entire cast were clearly enjoying themselves, their infectious energy radiating out into the audience. Their charm and enthusiasm elevated the entire production.

Story: 7/10
Experience: 9/10

Back in the 1950s the BBC broadcast much of its output live, notable examples being Nigel Kneale's The Quatermass Experiment and his adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984. Big Finish’s The Stuff of Legend: Live was almost the aural equivalent of that, giving audiences the chance to experience a live audio drama with additional foley fx & music. In short, it was masterful.

A fun romp that may not be a classic but seemed expertly tailored to the live experience, the Robert Valentine penned adventure was an atmospheric blend of the Old Dark House trope, folklore, spooky caves and zombified villagers. At times, particularly in the first part, it felt like Doctor Who meets Hammer Horror; The Doctor and Charley arriving in a desolate stormy seaside village and soon caught up in a mysterious tale involving disappearing locals and strange goings on in the nearby tin mines.

Across the board the performers were exceptional, full of energy, occasionally acting out small moments and it was great to see the supporting cast effortlessly shift between distinct characters. McGann, resplendent in his 8th Doctor costume, seemed to be enjoying himself immensely. A line of dialogue here and there got a fun reaction from the crowd creating a communal experience unlike the usual way most of us listen to Big Finish.

Added to the appeal was the chance to not only see live foley work enhancing the action but also Nick Briggs and his Dalek voice booming out across the auditorium. Some subtle lighting embellished the story as we changed locations and the event ended with a lovely bit of audience participation that led to a deserved standing ovation. Bravo Big Finish.

The only real negative, we didn’t hear a live recital of, “Big Finish. For the love of stories.” Oh well, maybe next time.

I was lucky enough to be at the first live event, and I had a spectacular time, so, 5/5! Spoilers ahead!

I immediately made friends with the person I was sat next to, and got to meet up with loads of TARDIS.guide people, so that was all wonderful! The lighting was superb, as were the sound effects, the dramatic gestures, and the general atmosphere. As an anniversary story it was exactly what you'd expect - Big Finish's big draws; their Master, their Doctor, their Doctor's first BF companion, and, of course, the Daleks. I very much enjoyed the exploration of Cornish folklore - it reminded me a little of 73 yards in that it explored myth and treated it as something that actually existed, not something that was sci-fi'ed away.

The careful balance of old monsters/characters/plot devices (the TCE and masked Master with a stupid translated name meaning 'Master' my beloved!!!) with the new genre (the recent fantastical leanings of BBC Who) was expertly crafted and immensely enjoyable. I also loved the sapphic crush, though wish we could have had a touch more on the side of thoschei romance - if you're making it gay and appealing to the classic fans, may as well go full throttle and make it heavy on the thoschei too - although I did enjoy the "Doctor has to rescue Master and he's all begrudging about it" thing.

I also felt like the non-main characters of Foley, the Captain, and the Innkeeper were well fleshed out and had strong personalities, making them immediately easy to connect with, and making me feel as strongly about them as any other character - not an easy thing to do, and so it was lovely seeing it done well.

The audience inclusion was another part of the show that really made it feel special - if you listen hard, you might just be able to hear my voice amongst the other thousand people pretending to drown!

It was gay and it genuinely taught me things, so of course I loved it! This is exactly what Who should be, if you ask me - a theatre full of trans people cheering as Alex MacQueen eats a biscuit and a one-off companion flirts with the Doctor's female companion. What a wonderful first experience of MacQueen's Master for me to have! If you have a chance, I highly reccomend going to see the last live performance today (not yet sold out!), or getting your hands on the live recording.

OH MY GOD!!! Best day of my little Whovian life ever!!!

Peak.

Note: This doesn't contain spoilers for the story, but may include minor spoilers for the live show, if you're going on the 15th, wait until you've seen it

While I think the story itself is a 7 or so out of 10, the experience really did just make it a 10 out of 10 for me.

The live foley art, the biscuit, the cast acting their hearts out live, McGann in full costume, the audience participation at the end, the cheers, the whoops, the clapping.

The atmosphere was incredible, and I personally can't give it less than a 10/10

I forgot what an iron maiden was so I thought the band was the tardis