The Astrea Conspiracy

Short Trips #9.2

Released: 28 February 2019

Listened: 1/7/23

In recording order, this is the first appearance of the Twelfth Doctor in Big Finish. As a Short Trip, it’s narrated, by Neve McIntosh, who is more than capable of reproducing Capaldi’s Scots accent. The Doctor is written as slightly more whimsical and cavalier than he was previously, but this is probably part of his mellowing prior to Series 10. As for the story itself, it’s about Aphra Behn, who used the alias Astrea as a spy, and later as a pen name. Lizbeth Myles is pretty good with historicals, and sticks very close to the historical record here. It’s mostly told from Aphra’s point of view, so although the Doctor says he’s caused a paradox to English literature and is trying to fix it, we have only his word for that. In fact, the Doctor behaves inscrutably, and to Aphra, incomprehensibly, throughout the story, but that’s just the Doctor being Doctory. As a debut, it’s quite good.