Doctor Who: Alex Macqueen: Best Master of the Decade?

Over the past decade, a few actors have played the Doctor’s arch-enemy. But is the best interpretation one that hasn’t even been in the television series?

Before I start this article, I need to make a couple of things clear. First: out of all the people who have played the Master in Doctor Who, Roger Delgado, the original, is still my favourite. He had such style and sophistication, while still oozing evil, and all of those traits arguably helped him to leave such a huge impact on the series.

It says a lot that, while we tend to think of the character as being such an incredibly important part of the show, the Master wasn’t even introduced until the show’s eighth season! Eighth! For most shows, that would be the point when it was long past its prime, not introducing one of the greatest villains ever!

Also, I certainly don’t have a problem with Sir Derek Jacobi, John Simm, or Michelle Gomez’s interpretations. Jacobi’s performance, while criminally short, was beautifully old-school; Simm’s version, while lacking some of the subtlety and classiness of other performances, was a great equal to Tennant’s Doctor by being fun, yet psychotic; and Gomez is a great extension of that while being more than just a little bit scary at times. (“Say something nice” in particular still gives me chills.)

So why do I love Alex Macqueen’s Master so much, especially since, as an incarnation currently exclusive to Big Finish‘s audio stories, he hasn’t even made an appearance on screen?

One thing that springs to mind is how naturally his Master feels like a bridge between the classic era and the new. He’s psychotic, yet sophisticated; humorous, yet deadly; charming, yet energetic. Macqueen’s energy especially always leaps out – even while every single performance has been on audio so far, you can really see him embracing the role completely.

Acting as a bridge between two eras also makes him a worthy opponent to Paul McGann’s Doctor, especially in the incarnation’s later years. Even in his TV movie, the Eighth Doctor could be seen as having some of the essence of some of the older Doctors – especially with his wonderful costume and high level of class – yet with his level of energy and youth, there’s a nice lead-in to later Doctors, too.

Alex Macqueen is virtually the same, and that’s what makes him such a great opponent to McGann’s Doctor. I believe the Master works at his or her best when the incarnation mirrors the Doctor well – it’s certainly one of the reasons why Delgado worked so well against Pertwee – and the stories and confrontations Macqueen has with McGann are delicious to listen to. Not that Macqueen didn’t work well against McCoy in his introduction story ‘UNIT: Dominion,’ but it’s great for McGann’s Doctor to have a Master that complements him really well.

With all of these distinctive traits, Macqueen’s Master is a great embodiment of everything that I love about the character so much. But the final, major part of what makes him my favourite of the more recent incarnations is Macqueen himself.