Big Finish Productions has announced the release of the new Doctor Who – The First Doctor Adventures audio drama, The Living Darkness. In this new six-part full-cast story by Jacqueline Rayner, Peter Purves returns to the role of Steven Taylor as he once again meets up with his old friend, the Doctor.
An elderly Steven Taylor believed his life of adventures were far behind him when he left the Doctor’s company and became the leader of a world, but now he has awakened aboard a mysterious spacecraft with a random group of people. After some investigation into his predicament, he discovers one of those aboard is none other than his friend, the Doctor (voiced by Stephen Noonan). Can the pair of them figure out why the ship has collected random people from different places of time and space? And can they uncover what the sinister, shadowy presence is that shrouds the corridors?
Joining Peter Purves and Stephen Noonan are Lauren Cornelius as Dodo, Dido Miles as Arva, Laura Rollins as Umbriel, Jack Ayres as Qyz, Helen Phillips as Nanny, Daon Broni as Mish and Trevor Littledale as Compuvac.
From left to right: Dido Miles, Jack Ayres, Laura Rollins, Stephen Noonan, Peter Purves, Lauren Cornelius and Trevor Littledale.
Peter Purves, who starred alongside William Hartnell’s First Doctor and stars with Stephen Noonan for the first time, said “Stephen is very close to sounding like Bill Hartnell in terms of rhythm and delivery. He’s done a huge amount of research; he knows more about my era of Doctor Who than I ever have. This story involves a lot of things from the era I was in, and it’s a story like no other that’s been
in Doctor Who, because don’t expect the TARDIS to come to the rescue – it ain’t here. It’s an extraordinary story. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I hope you enjoy listening to it.”
Stephen Noonan added, “This is thrilling, not only because Peter’s a Doctor Who companion but, for those of my generation, he’s as much a part of the mental furniture of our childhood as anybody else. I was very much looking forward to meeting him, and it’s been an absolute dream.”
Doctor Who – The First Doctor Adventures: The Living Darkness is available now from the Big Finish website for £24.99 for the limited collector’s edition CD box set and digital download and £19.99 for the digital download only.
There’s also a special pre-order offer for purchasing the The Living Darkness and 2025’s Second Doctor Adventures box set in a bundle for £47 for the collector’s edition and digital download, or £38 for the digital download.
