An enjoyable way to kill 40 minutes. While the Fringe festival very much is not my thing, this was an enjoyable story. We need more Twelve and Bill stories. I loved all the little blink-and-you-miss-it references. The play in the story is essentially just a stage production of Day of the Doctor. The ending is a bit quick, but it was set up early on and for a short story, it works well enough. I liked this and while not a favorite, it is a decent story from a new writer. I'd definitely be interested in seeing what they could do with a longer story.

The Last Great Theatrical War

Prerequisites: While everything is technically explained, I'd really recommend being well-acquainted with New Who Time War lore, specifically The Day of the Doctor.

War Stories is a very solid Short Trip; kudos to Patrick Ross! The prose here is nice and pleasant, and Cox's narration is buttery smooth (his Doctor and Bill impressions are fine but unremarkable). The concept here is creative; it immediately strikes me as something that the show itself could do. I also like how this story explicitly acknowledges the grey area in which the Doctor both did and didn't destroy Gallifrey. My only substantial critique here is that the villain here is defeated way too easily, and by merely waving the sonic around. This isn't quite a bad a resolution as The Power of Three, but I wouldn't call it fleshed out. Accepting that, however, this is good stuff. The rapport between Bill and the Doctor is nailed especially well, which I appreciate given the lack of proper Twelfth Doctor content from Big Finish.

The concept here is stellar, as is Patrick Ross' prose! It really flows incredibly well with some killer dialogue and characterisation to boot. I think they nailed the vibes of this TARDIS Team perfectly.

That being said, I'm with everyone else here that the story is a bit too light and isn't as character focused as I'd like. While the Bill stuff is fun, I wish this was more about 12 having to grapple with the Time War and opening up about it to her.

And while Cox does a better Capaldi than Dudman.... It's still not great. Can Big Finish please just hire a Scot to do him already?

Still, a fun, good free listen!

There must be thousands of plays and films in the fictional Doctor Who Universe inspired by the Doctor’s travels. I can easily imagine Peter Capaldi’s Doctor not being a fan of watching such a performance, which makes for a strong hook. This gives you the joy of experiencing a familiar tale retold in the grumpy presence of the Doctor.

It’s enjoyable to see Bill investigating in his absence, as well as the added opportunity for her to go on a date, giving more insight into her love life than we got to see in the TV series.

It’s a very simple story which offers a pleasant, warm feeling.

No problem starting 2025 with a Twelfth Doctor story!

A very cool idea with a whole planet for performances and artists, and a play about the Time War. The characterization of the Doctor and Bill is good (the Bill saying the Ninth Doctor reminded her of a girl she had a crush on was hysterical), but the ultimate plot is a little light. Also we're still searching for a Big Finish person to nail Capaldi's accent.