Sunday September 15th 2024. I’m standing outside Cadogan Hall, nervous but excited, about to witness a Doctor Who milestone – Big Finish’s first-ever live audio drama. Behind me are my friends Sarah and Olivia, neither of them Whovians in any sense of the word, who I’ve dragged along with me. By the end of the day’s performance they’ll be converted to the Big Finish cause. But for now, they’re a little skeptical. I’ll admit it, so am I. An audio play… on stage? Huh?

But forget all that, in front of me is the First Lady of Big Finish, Lisa Bowerman – Bernice Summerfield herself! I’m too shy to say hello. In fact I’m feeling rather overwhelmed full stop. There are so many people here to watch, loads more than I had imagined. People just like me, whose love for Doctor Who transcends the bounds of the TV show and extends into the vast audioverse that is Big Finish. And somewhere inside is the Doctor – a character I’ve known and loved since I was six years old, and who, seventeen years later, I’m about to see in person for the first time.

Once we’ve picked up our tickets, we head into the auditorium. The stage is a Whovian dream come to life – the 70s TARDIS console gleams under the lights, a classic Dalek lurks menacingly, and the iconic police box stands sentinel in the corner. I barely have time to take it all in before the lights dim and the grating voice of a Dalek orders us to turn off our phones, on pain of extermination! There are some laughs (and a few awestruck, terrified gasps from some members of the audience, myself included), before, moments later, Barnaby Edwards, director extraordinaire, appears onstage and tells us the show is about to begin.

It’s a little surreal to see Barnaby in the flesh – I’ve heard his voice so many times over the years, and there he is. And from there, things just get more and more surreal. Barnaby introduces the cast and out they come, people I’ve seen and heard time and again and who are now standing right in front of me!

First onstage is Nicholas Briggs, the unmistakable voice behind the Daleks, Cybermen, Judoon and countless other characters throughout Who history. Then, there’s Nisha Nayar, who I grew up watching as Elaine the Pain in The Story of Tracy Beaker. Alex Macqueen of The Thick of It, The Inbetweeners and, of course Doctor Who fame is next up, along with Carolyn Seymour and Jason Forbes, familiar faces (voices?) from Big Finish’s vast catalog of audio adventures. And then, Charlotte Pollard herself—India Fisher—takes the stage. Which means there’s only one person left…

Last but not least, there he is… Paul McGann, the Eighth Doctor himself. And he’s wearing the costume! The crowd goes wild, my heart beats out of my chest (this is the first Doctor I’ve ever been in the same room as!) and, as the Doctor Who theme echoes throughout the hall accompanied by pulsing lights, I ready myself for an experience I know I’ll never forget.

What follows is roughly two hours of Doctor Who audio goodness. Robert Valentine‘s script is a fairly standard affair – there are Daleks, the Master, lots of jokes and plenty of thrills, chases, explosions and exterminations – but that’s exactly what you want from a live episode of Doctor Who. I’m gripped from start to finish, sinking into this tale of Cornish myths, spooky mines and, of course, other worlds and times. This is a story perfectly tailored for the stage and I love every second of it.

Paul McGann and India Fisher are effervescent, their performances as twinkly and charming as ever, proving why they were such a hit when they made their Big Finish debuts back in 2001’s Storm Warning. Having listened to their adventures for the best part of the last decade, I find it utterly surreal that they’re standing right in front of me as the Doctor and Charley, acting out a brand new Doctor Who adventure.

The rest of the cast are excellent too, though special mention should go to Barnaby Edwards, who plays multiple parts and makes it look easy, and Alex MacQueen, whose flamboyant performance as the Master has the audience laughing out loud from his very first line to his last.

High praise should also go to Big Finish newcomer Gabriel Clark, who not only plays various parts throughout the performance, but also handles the live foley, using a variety of props (including, hilariously, a dustbin lid!) to create sound effects that bring the story to life. This, alongside some simple but highly effective lighting, means that the performance constantly feels dynamic and engaging, even if there isn’t much in the way of action onstage.

And then, the adventure is over… or so we think. As the credits roll, little do we know that, as a very famous Time Lord once said, it’s far from being all over. Once the iconic Doctor Who theme fades out and the actors take their bows, Barnaby asks if them are happy with what they’ve just recorded. Everyone agrees, except Paul McGann. With a mischievous smile, he suggests some scenes could use a little more energy—cue the audience! Suddenly, I’m not just watching Doctor Who, I’m in Doctor Who!

Over the next few minutes we give our best Roboman shouts, dying screams and drowning gurgles, and then it’s over. The stage is empty. The Doctor is gone. And I’m in Doctor Who! For real! When the live recording of The Stuff of Legend releases later this year, my voice will be in it (somewhere, buried in the mix), immortalised forever in an actual episode of my favourite show.

As my friends and I step out into the cool evening air, I’m filled with a sense of immense joy. Not only did I just see some of my heroes performing my favourite show live on stage in front of me, and not only was it amazing, but my friends loved it too. All the walk back to Victoria station we rave about what we just watched, talking about our favourite bits, discussing what we think a Bucca might look like and agreeing that, if Big Finish ever do one of these live recordings again, we will most definitely be there.

That night, I go to bed thinking of the six year old boy who, in 2007, discovered the Doctor while channel hopping and became obsessed overnight. Seventeen years later he’s a bona fide part of the Whoniverse. He’d never believe it if I told him.

By Daniel Mansfield