The Curse of Lady Macbeth

The Ninth Doctor Adventures Series 1 #3.2

Released: 23 November 2021

Listened: 9/25/22

The Doctor turns up in Scotland, and bumps right into Queen Gruach, or rather Lady Macbeth. The Doctor is immediately star-struck, as this Doctor often is when meeting historical figures. Problem is, she hates Macbeth because she believes he murdered her first husband, her son has gone mute with trauma, and something is replacing all the babies of the town with changelings. Writer Lizzie Hopley is having a ball with this one, as is everybody else, because as actors, they’re all familiar with the Shakespearean Macbeth, and putting a historical spin on it appeals to nearly everybody. And it’s an excuse to bring in all the lovely Scottish voices Big Finish can get their hands on, with Neve McIntosh playing Lady Macbeth, and Lucy Goldie (from “Girl, Deconstructed”) making a return. With all that going on, there’s barely enough time to have the monsters in the plot; in fact, they’re kind of underdeveloped. The big threat is really the superstition of the locals, and basically the whole grim situation the people live in. Personally, I found it rather dark for my taste, but apparently the appeal of Macbeth allowed most of the cast and crew to look past that.