August 18th, 2026 no comments

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Dark Gallifrey The Decayed Master Part Two

Death in Venice

The Master meets the mask-maker in Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master – Part Two, a full-cast audio drama starring Geoffrey Beevers, available now.

The Master is on a mission, and after causing trouble in Victorian England, he’s now turning his attention to Venice, a century earlier. The Dark Gallifrey saga continues today with The Decayed Master – Part Two by Lauren Mooney and Stewart Pringle.

This is the middle part of a horror-inflected trilogy focusing on the physically deformed version of the Master played by Geoffrey Beevers, as seen in 1981 Doctor Who story The Keeper of Traken. Beevers returns to the role for the first-ever audio series focusing on this incarnation.

In this instalment, the Venetian mask-maker Lupo finds that something is coming for him through the ancient skiproads, something from his secret past on Gallifrey – the Master is on his trail…

Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master – Part Two is now available to purchase for just £8.99 (digital download to own) or £10.99 (download to own + single-disc collector’s edition CD), exclusively from www.bigfinish.com. Please note: the collector’s edition CD is strictly limited to 1,000 copies and will not be re-pressed.

Across the canals and through the swirling balls of 18th century Venice, stories of Lupo’s genius fill the air. The greatest mask-maker in the Republic’s history, the delicate brushwork of Lupo is legendary. But Lupo has a dark past, on a burned-sienna planet galaxies away. He made a pact, and an exceedingly powerful enemy.

And now that enemy is coming, through the ancient, legendary ‘skiproads’, to tear apart everything Lupo has built and unleash his nightmarish powers on the majestic floating city.

Alongside Beevers, Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master – Part Two guest stars Kate Copeland as Naava/Madame Zanetti, Barnaby Edwards as Oro/Calix/Gondolier/Horrid Harold, Giles Abbott as Algrim/Lupo, and Harley Viveash as Lucello/Servant/Count.

Writer Lauren Mooney said: “Venice! What a fascinating period in history, although shamefully, we picked it because we’d just had a very nice holiday there! It’s an incredible city, and walking in the small hours, the lack of traffic gives you a real sense of this unbroken ancientness. Getting to revisit that beautiful place, even just in our imaginations, was a huge treat.”

Producer Alfie Shaw added: “What I love about this particular incarnation of the Master is that he’s such an inherent contradiction. He’s basically clinging on for dear life while still claiming to be the rightful ruler of everything and everyone should bow down to him. It’s a lethal combination.

“Also, Geoffrey’s voice is so iconic as the Master. As a long-time listener and fan, I was delighted he was one of the two villains handed over for me to produce in this range.”

Praise for Dark Gallifrey: The Decayed Master – Part One:

“Left me on the edge of my seat.” – Sci-Fi Pulse

“Blows the doors wide open for anything to happen next.” – Doctor Who Magazine

Big Finish listeners can pre-order all three instalments of the Decayed Master trilogy in a multi-buy bundle for just £24 (download to own) or £30 (download to own + collector’s edition CD).

Alternatively, a bundle comprising all six of 2026’s Dark Gallifrey instalments – which includes the Decayed Master trilogy as well as the previous trilogy, which starred The Meddling Monks – is available for just £50 (download to own) or £60 (download to own + collector’s edition CD).

Other bundles are available: the complete Dark Gallifrey pre-order bundle, including all eight trilogies, each following a different renegade Time Lord, is just £188 (download to own).

Categorised under: Big Finish, CD, spin-offs