When “The Lord of Misrule” was first announced, I was extremely excited. Along with the Fourth Doctor and the First Romana, the story also featured two characters that I adored: Jago & Litefoot.
I’ve written a great deal about how much I loved both the characters themselves and their audio spin-off series – a spin-off that meant as much to me as Doctor Who itself. It was a wonderful series full of great stories, and the two leads were always a joy to listen to.
Now that I’ve finished listening to it, the new “audio novel” read by Jon Culshaw isn’t quite the same as listening to one of the full-cast dramas starring Christopher Benjamin and Travor Baxter. But it still felt exciting to return to these characters.
A fitting story
What really helps is how well the story fits the characters. Writer Paul Morris is already more than familiar with this unlikely duo, having written several great episodes of Jago & Litefoot in the past, including the finale “Jago & Litefoot Forever”. So it’s a joy to see him writing for these characters once again.
Unsurprisingly, at more than six hours long, “The Lord of Misrule” is quite an extensive listen. Structured like a six-part serial, Morris makes the very smart choice of telling two stories in one.
The first is set in London in 1901. It’s the beginning of the 20th century, and Litefoot is feeling melancholy. The Victorian age is coming to a quite definitive end, and Litefoot doesn’t feel like he will truly belong in the next era. At the same time, the Fourth Doctor and Romana are investigating some mysterious disappearances. Perhaps stranger still are the complete strangers who seem to have replaced the missing people…
The story eventually moves back in time to a small town in Georgian England. Initially, the people and the town seem nice and pleasant. But then something dark gradually begins to take over…
Two stories in one
Moving Jago & Litefoot from Victorian London – even from the final days of the Victorian age – to a place inspired by Jane Austen novels is a bold move, but it works. For one thing, this part of the story explores the characters in fresh ways, as they find themselves fitting into the town surprisingly quickly.
But what also works is that, while events in Georgian era England begin pleasantly enough, the story gradually becomes darker. People start acting out of character and making horrific choices for no reason. This is a different kind of horror for Doctor Who, at least for this era, but it works.
Having the story take place across two distinct time zones also works extremely well. Six parts is a long time to tell a story, so telling two stories in one certainly helps. It’s also structured in a slightly unusual way, with one story wrapped around the other instead of sequentially.
A fitting tribute
It’s also enjoyable having another story with the Fourth Doctor and the First Romana. They have a very distinctive relationship, even when compared to Romana’s immediate successor. There’s still a clash of egos there, so it’s nice to see this relationship explored a little bit more.
I also need to mention how great Jon Culshaw is at narrating the story. We know how great his impression of the Fourth Doctor is (if you haven’t already, check out his sketches from the comedy series Dead Ringers if you can).
But he’s also fantastic to listen to as both Jago and Litefoot. He captures the voices and performances of both characters amazingly well. It’s not quite the same as listening to Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter together once more, as it’s missing that unique chemistry that only those two shared. But it’s still extremely impressive to hear.
“The Lord of Misrule” is a strong story that works as a great tribute to Jago & Litefoot. Knowing that Christopher Benjamin – Henry Gordon Jago himself – had passed away just weeks after this story’s release made listening to it a bittersweet experience. But it was also a worthy reminder that, while Christopher Benjamin and Trevor Baxter are both gone from us, their iconic characters will always live on. An excellent story and a worthy tribute.